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As one of the few experts in the Netherlands on sibling relationships, Associate Professor of Clinical Child and Family Studies Kirsten Buist is often contacted by a number of broadcasters and other organisations outside the university. She is currently working on an e-learning module for nursery staff.

Kirsten Buist did not have to think for very long when she was asked to contribute to an e-learning module for childcare professionals. “I have a zeal to share my knowledge about the dynamics between siblings, a subject that gets far too little attention. I find it both very enjoyable and important to share my insights more widely than just in scientific articles, and in doing so hopefully improve things in practice.”

When does she say yes, and when does she say no?

So when Kirsten is approached, she almost always says yes. “Unless I really don’t have the time or it just doesn’t make sense for me to contribute.” So it’s a no to: “Come on our broadcast to talk about Max Verstappen and his relationship with his father” (“What on earth should I say about that! I wouldn’t feel comfortable with that at all.”), but it’s a yes to: “Create an e-learning module for childcare and primary education professionals.” 

How it began

“This spring, I gave an [in Dutch] to the trade journal Kinderopvang Totaal about siblings, and whether or not you should put them together in a group. Someone from E-WISE, a continuing education platform for education professionals, read it and approached me to create an online module about the subject.” 

"I consulted with an editor so that the content answered the questions that professionals had."

Fine-tuning the content 

Kirsten is in the middle of the creation process. “First, I made an outline with the topics I’d like to talk about. I then consulted with an editor from E-WISE: what information do professionals need? It turned out that my approach was too theoretical, so together we fine-tuned the content further so that it answered the questions that professionals had. For example, I explained in which cases it is, or isn’t, a good idea to place siblings together in the same group and created tools for conversations with parents on this subject.”

Cheat sheets

To record the e-learning module, Kirsten had to go into the studio. “I’d made ‘cheat sheets’ outlining what I wanted to say and I was given an autocue. I could specify exactly how I wanted to record the module: with a smartboard, at a table or behind a desk, whether I wanted to show footage – everything was put into a script. We academics can be stubborn by nature, so I liked that I was given a certain amount of autonomy. Next, the producers will edit my story, after which they can upload the module to their online course environment.”

Echte oogappels podcast

As you can see, a lot goes into creating such an online module. “It was very busy for a while, right after the holidays, because teaching started again. In addition, I was asked for yet another really fun thing: . (Apples of your eye) podcast. It accompanies the television series Oogappels, about all kinds of very different families. For that, I had to go to the Media Park in Hilversum, which was another daunting experience, but I received all the help I needed – just like from the Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� Museum, for which I’ll also be doing an activity in the context of an FSBS Engage Academy track.” A pilot for the Engage Academy is now underway.

Making a social impact and feeding knowledge back into society all come with the territory.

It all comes with the territory

Kirsten does not really seem to mind the fuss all that much. And besides: “This this essentially counts as part of my 30% research time: making a social impact and feeding knowledge back into society all come with the territory. However, researchers should be careful not to take on too many things in which they have to invest a lot of their time and effort, because then they won’t have enough research time left. Fortunately, I have a manager who agrees with me that this is very important, which helps.”