Laurea and Learning by Developing:
Successful co-operation between Higher
Education Institutions and Companies
Dr Outi Kallioinen, Vice President
2010
DESCRIPTION OF FINNISH
HIGHER EDUCATION
DEGREES
Universities
academically oriented
Degrees of
3rd Cycle
Universities of
Applied Sciences
professionally oriented
Doctoral degree
(can include a
licentiate degree)
Degrees of
2nd Cycle
Master’s degree
Master’s degree
Work experience
Degrees of
1st Cycle
Bachelor’s degree
Bachelor’s degree
At least 3 years lasting degree on upper
secondary level
Source: Ministry of Education. Report 2005:4.
FINNISH HIGHER EDUCATION IN NUMBERS 2004
Source: Education in Finland, Statistics Finland
UNIVERSITIES
UNIVERSITIES
OF APPLIED SCIENCES
174 000 students
132 000 students
21 000 new students
37 000 new students
4.3% discontinued studies
6.3% discontinued studies
18 000 degrees, of which
1400 doctors
21 000 degrees
4700 foreign students (2.7%) 3800 foreign students (2.9%)
expenditure/student
9000 €
expenditure/student
6000 €
LAUREA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
Laurea is located in the heart of Finland’s business and cultural life,
the area of surrounding capital city Helsinki. Twenty percent of
Finland’s population of 5.2 million lives in the area.
Laurea has 7 local units
in Helsinki metropolitan
region. Each unit has
been profiled in order to
anticipate and meet the
challenges of the rapidly
developing working life
of its area.
Laurea’s values as a heartbeat
Sense of
community
Student
Creativity
Social
responsibility
Laurea is multidisciplinary
Fields of Study:
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Natural Sciences
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Hospitality
Management
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Social Services,
Health and Sports
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Social Sciences,
Business and
Administration
International Advisory Board
Started in 2009
Supports and strengthens Laurea’s strategy work
and internationalization
Members:
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Prof. Alan Barrell, Cambridge University
Dr. Katalin Illes, Anglia Ruskin University
Prof. Rolf Stumpf, Nelson Mandela University
Prof. Kenneth Smith, University of Arizona
Prof. Koichi Ogasawara, Tohoku Fukushi University
Prof. Henrique Diz, University of Aveiro
Modern learning methods at Laurea
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Nominated by Finnish Higher
Education Evaluation Council as
Centre of Excellence in
education:
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2005 – 2006 Learning by
Developing,
2008-2009 Security Management
2010-2012 Student-centered r&d
integrated in learning
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Centre of Excellence in Regional
Development 2003 – 2004, 20062007: Close interaction with the
surrounding region and working
life - Good employment
opportunities
Learning by Developing
Integration of
pedagogy, r&d and
regional
development
Transformative
teaching
Competence-based
curriculum 2006 ->
Integrative
learning
environments as
innovation platforms
Learning by Developing at Laurea 1/4
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The pedagogical framework for learning in
Laurea, developed bottom-up by the staff
since late 1990s, is called Learning by
Developing (LbD) which is based on
authenticity, partnership, experiential
learning, research and creativity.
Students' learning is related to
development projects that are genuinely
rooted in the world of work and the
students are involved in these projects
from the beginning of their studies.
According to Laurea’s pedagogical strategy
students are treated as junior
colleagues. This places lecturers in an
entirely new situation and creates tension
for pedagogical leadership.
Learning by Developing 2/4
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In LbD answers and solutions are systematically co-created for
problems/challenges in which new competence is required.
In LbD model the activity starts from innovation/idea or from
some specific objective, which means that learning focuses on
genuine development of the working world.
Learning has a clear mutually (between student, teacher,
working life partner) defined objective and takes place through
the process of generating new competence.
In the LbD-model the regional competence and knowledge,
networks and diverse partnerships are integrated
comprehensively to the learning process and studies of the
students so that the students really have the possibility to
become development-oriented experts of their field ->
Curriculum delivery in LbD
Learning by Developing 3/4
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At Laurea the development projects
are authentic, working life -based,
processual and applied by nature.
They are applied in a sense that
during the project new, communitybased knowledge is produced and
problems and challenges solved in cocreation.
The sole purpose of the development
project is not to apply strictly
scientific knowledge as such to a
practical situation.
• produces individual and collective learning, creation of new
knowledge, innovations in the form of new products, new working
methods, new operating models or transformed working culture.
Learning by Developing 4/4
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In the LbD-model the regional competence
and knowledge, networks and diverse
partnerships are integrated
comprehensively to the learning process
and studies of the students so that the
students really have the possibility to
become development-oriented experts of
their field.
The LbD-model is being constantly
developed and it has also been evaluated
by an international evaluation team (see
more in the report Making a Difference by
Vyakarnam, S. et al 2008).
International LbD follow-up evaluation 2009
Quality Teaching Review by OECD/IMHE
2010
Intl. evaluation: findings 2008
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Strengths of LbD to students:
Growth of independent thought
Increase in self-confidence
Very experiential
Early experiences of people relying on you
Early experiences of personal responsibility
for results and duty to colleagues
Equips you to see the whole picture
The atmosphere is one of equals
Ability to lead people rather than manage
events
Intl. follow-up evaluation: findings
2009
Evolution of the Definition
From “it depends”... to individual definitions of
concrete activities
A shift from pedagogy to action
“The best proof of the success of our
pedagogical model is one of the highest rates
of employment among graduates in the
country.” (Laurea Facts 2009-2010)
Competence-building in innovation
platforms
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The modern innovation platforms
are operated in shared expertise
and networks, without forgetting
the challenges of leadership.
Learning to learn, interaction skills
and continuous self-development
are some of the key factors in the
success of students in their studies
and teachers in their work.
Centre of Excellence in Education
2010-2012
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Among UAS Laurea was nominated as a Centre of
Excellence in Education for 2010-2012 by the Finnish
Higher Education Evaluation Council in Nov 2009
The theme of the application was Student-centred
R&D integrated in Learning
This theme is further development of LbD during the
past few years
Nationally 31 applications – 8 nominations
Student-related results
Competence development
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Students’ R&D credits (49 057 in 2009 – 6,9 cr/student)
Change in learning culture
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Learning outside lecture halls
13.4.2015
19
Results in Transformative Teaching
Efficiency
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Reaching and exceeding the objectives
Fluent and constructive cooperation
Exceptional quality in work and attitudes
Strong development orientation
Satisfaction
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In large scale
Students’ strong experience to be the ones to make success
Entrepreneurial spirit
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Strong collaborative spirit
Commitment to learning, the teacher and the objectives
leads to increase in work amount – flow in learning
Energy in work
LAUREA’S QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM
QA system
audit October 2010
by FINHEEC