2 student assistants for a project on Assessment Innovation in Higher Education

Tilburg University | TSHD Department of Communication and Cognition is looking for

2 student assistants for a project on Assessment Innovation in Higher Education

Department: Department of Communication and Cognition Location: Hybrid – online and Tilburg University Contract size: 0.1 or 0,2 FTE (4 or 8 hours per week) Full-time gross monthly salary: €3230 – €3288 Contract duration: 1 October 2026 – 31 December 2026 Desired start date: 1 October 2026

Introduction to the position

Generative AI is changing how universities support and evaluate student learning. But what do those changes actually look like? And who makes the changes? Educators are exploring new forms of assessment, and we’d like to include students in that process.

As part of an education innovation project, we are developing and testing a take-home assessment component that can be used in situations when students have access to generative AI tools. This component will focus on student reflections that allow students to demonstrate their learning and explain their decision making while providing educators with evidence of students’ critical thinking and academic skills.

As a student assistant in this project, you can directly contribute to the design, testing, and evaluation of the reflection assessment. This is an opportunity to participate in educational innovation and inform assessment practices in higher education.

Keywords: education innovation, student reflection, assessment design, course management, AI in education

Your positionJob description

The student assistants will work with the project leader to develop, pilot, and evaluate a reflection component for a take-home assessment (e.g., writing an essay, group projects, coding) where students have unrestricted access to generative AI tools. In other words, we will work together to create a reflection that instructors can use when students complete assessments at home and not in supervised exam settings.

Your primary tasks will include:

• Review literature related to student reflection, take-home assessment, and unsupervised learning environments (e.g., when students are outside of the classroom)
• Identify examples of reflection assessments currently used in higher education
• Contribute to the design of a reflection component for take-home assessments
• Test the reflection component both with and without the use of generative AI tools
• Provide feedback on the effectiveness, feasibility, and quality of the reflection component
• Support project administration, including some course management tasks when needed

Your profileWe are looking for students who are:

• Currently enrolled as a student at Tilburg University and have obtained at least 60 ECTS in a university bachelor's program or are following a master's program.

• Able to communicate clearly and professionally in both written and spoken English. Minimum CEFR level B2 English. Knowledge of Dutch is not required.

• Experienced with conducting literature searches and working with academic sources (e.g., for a class assignment or thesis)

• Experienced with Canvas, Microsoft products (e.g., Excel, Word, Teams), and Generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT)

What do we offer? Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment:

• Employment of 0.1 fte or 0,2 fte per week (4 or 8 hours per week)
• Salary between €3230 and €3288 gross per month for full-time employment (UFO profile Student Assistant, salary scale SA). Salary depending on the course year you are in.
• Inclusive work culture: everyone welcome, equal opportunities.

Information and application procedure:

Would you like more information? Please contact Diana Schmalzried (d.l.schmalzried@tilburguniversity.edu).

You can only apply online. When applying, please include a CV or resume and a brief motivation letter explaining your interest in the position and what makes you an ideal candidate. Applications must be submitted by 13 September. Please address your letter to Diana Schmalzried. Selected candidates will be invited to interviews. You will be informed via email if you have been selected for an interview by 15 September.

About Tilburg University

Tilburg University is the university in the humanities and social sciences. Ever since our foundation in 1927, we have been committed to a just, inclusive, and sustainable society. With leading research and inspiring education, we contribute to the interpretation and, where possible, solutions to current societal issues, from climate change to digitalization

Our community is personal, engaged, and small-scale. On our green, compact, and vibrant campus there is room for encounter, collaboration, reflection, and personal growth. Read more about Tilburg University.

Working at Tilburg University means working in an inclusive team with attractive employment conditions. At Tilburg University, you will receive ample opportunities to strengthen your talents and develop your career, in a warm working atmosphere where we attach great importance to the following values: curious, connected, caring, and courageous.

About the Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences (TSHD)

Research and education at the Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences (TSHD) focuses on humans, technology, culture, and their interactions in a globalizing digital society. From the interplay of our disciplines, our research and education focuses on the development of artificial intelligence and interactive technologies, their influence on communication, culture and society, and moral and existential challenges that arise. The School of Humanities and Digital Sciences consists of six Departments: Communication and Cognition, Computational Cognitive Science, Intelligent Systems, Culture Studies, Philosophy, and the Tilburg Center of the Learning Sciences. Collaboration across disciplines is encouraged among both researchers and students. With this approach, we nurture a way of thinking that takes into account different perspectives and the diverse, sometimes conflicting needs and interests of people and society. At TSHD, we foster a culture of integrity, trust, diversity and inclusion, and constructive and critical dialogue. All members of our community are recognized and valued for their unique contributions.

University College Tilburg, with its interdisciplinary Liberal Articles and Sciences program, holds a unique position within the School. This collaboration with other Schools also includes the disciplines of economics, law, and the social sciences. Read more about the Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences (TSHD).

Recruitment code

Tilburg University applies the recruitmentcode of the Dutch Association for Personnel Management & Organization Development (NVP).

Disclaimer

The text of this vacancy advertisement is copyright-protected property of Tilburg University. Use, distribution and further disclosure of the advertisement without express permission from Tilburg University is not allowed, and this applies explicitly to use by recruitment and selection agencies which do not act directly on the instructions of Tilburg University. Responses resulting from recruitment by non-contractors of Tilburg Universities will not be handled.