The Research and Innovation Centre for Open Distance Education (ECO-lab) is a cross-faculty centre dedicated to investigating innovation in higher distance education, with a special focus on the educational model of the Open Universiteit, the Netherlands.

Bridging the gap between theory and educational practice, we operate on the core principle that educational innovation is only truly valuable when it is firmly rooted in scientific insights (evidence-informed) and systematically validated in practice (evidence-based). Through demand-driven institutional team-science projects and proactive scouting research on emerging technological and didactical innovations, the centre provides the scientific insights necessary to determine which innovations are effective and viable for educational practice.

Our research agenda is structured around three interacting pillars:

1. The first pillar focuses on the student perspective, investigating personalized learning and study success. Using a mixed-methods approach, we combine quantitative process-tracing (logging, eye tracking, learning analytics) with qualitative student data to study the full educational cycle of learning, practising, and testing. Our research examines motivation, learning trajectories, and dropout mechanisms to develop predictive models, intervention studies, and design principles for effective learning pathways.

2. The second pillar centres on teacher-focused research. We study how to develop the teaching expertise of higher education teachers by developing their pedagogical content knowledge, advancing data-informed teaching, adopting advanced didactic strategies, and building digital and AI-related competencies. Our research aims at professional-development interventions and generates evidence on what supports teachers most effectively.

3. The third pillar investigates educational technology through the design, evaluation, and responsible integration of innovative learning tools. We conduct design‑based research on digital learning environments, the optimal design of educational materials, and study the pedagogical impact of emerging technologies such as AI‑driven tutoring systems, webcam-based eye tracking and immersive VR/AR learning.