Learning, innovation and technology — grounded in practice
I’m Ilonka Rebergen (MEd), a teacher, learning designer, researcher and educational innovator with a passion for turning ideas about learning into solutions that work in practice.
My work sits at the intersection of education, technology and innovation. I design learning experiences, develop digital learning solutions, work with LMS platforms and explore new ways of making learning more engaging and effective.
From teacher to learning designer
My background is firmly rooted in education. I work in Dutch vocational education, where I combine teaching with educational development, research and innovation.
After completing my Master of Education in Learning and Innovation, I continued to explore how educational theory, technology and practice can reinforce each other.
Over the years, this has led me to work on curriculum development, blended learning, digital learning environments, LMS implementation and educational innovation — always with the learner and the learning process at the centre.
What I bring
I don't see learning design, technology and implementation as separate disciplines.
I enjoy moving between them: understanding an educational challenge, designing a solution, building or configuring the digital environment, testing it with learners and educators, and improving it based on what happens in practice. That hands-on approach is an important part of how I work.
Research-informed. Practice-driven. Curious about what comes next.
Aviation, gamification and QuestLab
Aviation education has become a particular area of interest in my work.
I develop learning experiences for aviation students around practical professional knowledge — including IATA codes, AIRIMP, aviation geography and operational knowledge.
This work led to QuestLab, a gamified learning platform I developed from scratch. What started as a simple IATA code game in 2025 has grown into a broader learning platform combining retrieval practice, microlearning, challenge-based learning and gamification.
QuestLab gives me the opportunity to bring together many of the things I enjoy most: learning design, technology, aviation and building things that learners actually use.
Connecting research and practice
I believe educational innovation works best when research, professional expertise and practice come together.
As a member of the NKO teachers' advisory group, I contribute to the dialogue between educational research and professional practice.
For me, innovation is not about using technology simply because it is new. It is about asking better questions, trying things out and finding solutions that genuinely add value to learning.