WEL - Developing international web-based and blended learning pedagogies based on the university pedagogical models of project and service learning
University of Eastern Finland - Development funding for teaching
Leaders
The goal of this project is to develop university pedagogies based on the pedagogical models of project-based learning and service-learning. University pedagogies are developed, especially, for the needs of Lifelong Learning and Sustainable Development -bachelor’s degree program. Project also promotes the open university’s alternate path to studies and supports the work packages of other ongoing international development projects. Additionally, the aim is to support the development of students’ generic skills, working life skills and networking which all help with the employment and employability of international students in Finland.
Education and adult education program have been developing a pedagogical model, in which project-based learning (learning while participating in a development project) and service learning (learning while attempting to solve societal problems) are combined. These models, which increase the work-life relevance of the studies are rarely applied in Finnish universities. Some basic study courses for bachelor’s degree program in Lifelong Learning and Sustainable Development adopted this pedagogical model already last year (2022). Read more about this projects results: https://uefconnect.uef.fi/tutkimusryhma/kansainvalisen-verkko-opetuksen-kehittaminen/
This follow-up project strives to fulfil these two development goals:
1) Developing the open university’s alternate path to university pedagogically
2) Developing the intermediate studies of the bachelor program: Developing the virtual study circles based on ongoing projects and developing the international internship from a pedagogical point of view.
The developed web-based and blended learning pedagogy based on project and service-learning models is usable in other programs as it is. Supporting international bachelor programs and developing their contents and pedagogy further improves the university’s internationality and international cooperation. Many ongoing development projects connect different educational science programs and develop new shared and smoother solutions. Project-based, traditional and virtual study circles will be developed and connected to the general educational sciences’ active project development work. This project will further develop the LLLSus -bachelor programs internship (10 ECTs) in cooperation with the International experts in Eastern Finland -project.
The project also supports the development of the alternative path to university studies through open university by considering the applicability of the developed ways of studying in the open university context. This alternate path to the Lifelong Learning and Sustainable development program provides a way to enrol into the studies without an entrance examination, hence attracts more people into the alternate path studies.
