BKO Revision: Towards a More Unified Approach to Portfolio Assessment
If you are a lecturer at Leiden University, chances are you will encounter the University Teaching Qualification (BKO) at some point in your career. The BKO is a nationally recognised certification that demonstrates teaching competence. At Leiden University, academic staff with an appointment of 0.5 FTE or more for at least one year are expected to obtain this qualification.
The route towards certification differs, however, across faculties. Portfolio formats, assessment procedures, and faculty-specific requirements vary, meaning that candidates from different backgrounds can have different experiences while working towards the same qualification.
Over the past few years, the Leiden Learning & Innovation Centre (LLInC) and the faculty BKO committees have worked together to create a more unified approach. The result is a renewed set of learning outcomes, a shared assessment rubric, and a standard portfolio format (for both the partial and full BKO trajectory) which will be implemented from September 2026.
Why was an update needed?
The project of the BKO’s revision followed recommendations from the 2018 BKO Peer Review and the Taskforce Docentontwikkeling (Lecturer Development Taskforce) (2021). Both concluded that there was some room for improvement regarding the BKO. Key recommendations included aligning the BKO learning outcomes more closely with the Senior Teaching Qualification (SKO) and with Leiden University’s ‘Docentontwikkelmodel’ as well as creating greater consistency across faculties in the BKO assessment procedure. In response, the Executive Board commissioned a university-wide revision project which focused on three deliverables: updated learning outcomes, a shared assessment rubric, and a university-wide portfolio format.
Feedback from the faculty BKO committees played an important role throughout the process. During several collaborative sessions, draft versions of the learning outcomes, rubric, and portfolio format were discussed, tested, and refined. This approach ensured that the new documents were based on university-wide expertise and experiences while also reflecting the faculties’ specific needs and wishes.
What will this mean for current and future candidates?
From the new academic year 2026-2027 onwards, all new BKO candidates will use the same portfolio template and will be assessed using the same university-wide rubric. Candidates who started the BKO before September 2026 can choose between the current faculty-specific portfolio and the new format, depending on how far they have progressed. Those who have already begun writing their portfolio may, in consultation with their faculty BKO committee, continue using the current format. Candidates who have started the trajectory but have not yet begun writing are encouraged to use the new format.
The new portfolio is structured around the five BKO competencies against which teachers are assessed. Candidates demonstrate their skills through five reflective reports, supported by a teaching CV and relevant evidence collected during the trajectory. A separate guide explains which topics to address and what supporting documentation should be included. In addition, with a view to the possible use of AI, the new format includes a declaration of originality, in which teachers declare that the portfolio is their own work.
For some faculties, the new format will be a significant change. Some are already using a more open portfolio format in which teachers reflect upon the various competences. Other faculties, however, offer a more structured format in which the lecturer must complete questions relating to each competency.
Supporting teachers with limited teaching roles
Not every teacher has the same teaching responsibilities. Some develop courses, while others mainly teach within existing courses. Some design assessments, whereas others have little opportunity to do so. This diversity raised an important question during the project: how can lecturers with more limited teaching activities still prove that they meet the BKO requirements?
To support both candidates and assessment committees, LLInC developed a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document based on issues raised during the sessions with the BKO committees. The FAQ explains how lecturers with limited teaching duties can show the required competencies. Its purpose is not to lower the standard, but to clarify how the learning outcomes can be demonstrated in different educational contexts.
The project is finished but the work continues!
Although the development phase has been completed, implementation is only beginning. Faculty BKO committees and Teacher Support Desks will play a key role in introducing the new documents and supporting candidates during the transition. LLInC will continue working with the faculty committees to monitor how the renewed documents are experienced by lecturers.
To support continuous improvement, the portfolio guide includes a link to an anonymous feedback form through which candidates can share their experiences with the portfolio template, guide, FAQ, and assessment rubric. This feedback will be reviewed annually, allowing LLInC and the faculty BKO committees to refine the materials where needed.
In the meantime, LLInC will be exploring new ways to make information about the BKO more accessible through the use of AI-supported tools, for example. Another important next step will be to assess the extent to which the BKO courses continue to align with the new learning objectives.
You can find all the new BKO documents here!