Innovation pedagogy in Turku University of Applied Sciences

Liisa Kairisto-Mertanen 12.10.2010

www.turkuamk.fi

Outline of the presentation

• Turku University of Applied Sciences

• Innovation pedagogy

– Definition

– Why

– Framework

– Focus

• Innovation competencies

• Assumptions about knowledge

• Assumptions about learning

• Innovation

• Definition of innovation pedagogy

TURKU• Living city with lots of students

– Interesting attractions– Extensive variety of leisure time activities– Festivals and many other events– Vibrant nightlife

• 175,000 inhabitants, ca. 20% students

TURKU UNIVERISTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

• One of thOne of the largest universities of applied sciences in FinlandFinland

• Multidisciplinary– 7 fields of study and 37 degree programmes– Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

Faculty of Technology, Environment and Business in Turku University of Applied SciencesDegree programmes and end degrees

• Engineer– Automobile engineering

– Mechanical engineering

• Ba in business– Business logistics

– Selling

www.turkuamk.fi

– Mechanical engineering

– Civil engineering

– Industrial management eng.

• Building Constructor– Building constructing

• Ba in sustainable development

– Sustainable development

• Designer– Desing

• Ba in fisheriesFisheries and environmental

care

• Master of engineering• Civil eng

• Environmental care

The principles of innovations

pedagogy are applied in Turku

University of Applied Sciences!University of Applied Sciences!

Innovation pedagogy is a learning approach, which defines in a new

way how knowledge is assimilated, produced and used assimilated, produced and used

in a manner that can create innovations

Innovation pedagogy, why?

• European aims about making the European Research

Area the greatest knowledge economy in the world

• Finlands innovation strategy: The Universities of Applied

Sciences have a big role in its executionSciences have a big role in its execution

• Adapting to different students in our changing world

• New methods are needed

• There is a need to create a unique profile for every

university

Finland’s national innovation strategy

– Changing working life environments

• Key drivers for change

– globalization

– requirement for sustainable development

– use of new technologies

– aging population

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– aging population

– Maintaining the present level of welfare requires improving

productivity based on innovations

– Productivity can be improved by competitive advantage based

on knowledge

– We have to be able to produce excellent added value in

Finland

– The added value is created by being able to understand the

needs of the customers earlier than the competitors and by

being able to produce corresponding products and services

Framework for innovation pedagogy (Kettunen 2009)

• Gross disciplinary environment

• Research and development activities

• Curricula• Curricula

• Entrepreneurship and service production

• Internationalization

The focus of innovation pedagogy

• To create innovations

– Cocreation with working life

– Verification and validation of learning

outcomes

• To teach competencies needed in working life’s

innovation processes (contents, processes)

• To develop learning methods which contribute

to the development of innovation comptencies

(meta innovation)

Innovation comptencies to be developed

• Knowledge

• Solid knowledge about one’sown field of expertize

• Skills

• Networking

• Attitudes

• Solidarity

• Opennes

• Lifelong learning

• Creative attitude• Networking

• Adaptivity

• Problem solving

• Risk taking

• Knowledge sharing

• Cultural litteracy

• Entrepreneurial skills

• Ability to tolerate and work on different surfaces

• Desire

• "Ei auta, vaikka työntekijä olisi

miten hyvä oman alansa

osaaja, ellei hän pysty

viemään asioita eteenpäin

muiden kanssa."

Martti Alahuhta, 7.10.2010

• Even if the employee is a very

good expert in his own field it is

of no use if he cannot develop

and realize the issues further

with other people!

• Martti Alahuhta, 7.10.2010

Assumptions about knowledge

• Types of knowledge– Academic knowledge – Knowledge originating from the need to solve

practical and application problems– Expert knowledge– Expert knowledge– Know-How– Tacit knowledge– Intuition

• One of the basic assumptions regarding innovation pedagogy is that the knowledge produced and accumulated in learning environments challenges the traditional way of understanding knowledge

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Knowledge produced in learning environments

• Intuitive knowledge can be produced while learning

• Tacit knowledge can be transferred while learning

• Intuitive and tacit knowledge comprises

– Customer understanding

– Ability to start building networks

– Cultural litteracy

– Ability to understand interconnections between issues

– Ability to start new after failures

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Assumptions about learning

• Learning

– a process where behaviour changes as a consequence of

experience (Maples & Webster 1980).

• Humanism

– people create their own future

• Cognitive learning

– learning is understood as a behavioural change based on the

acquisition of information about the environmentacquisition of information about the environment

– Learners gain new insights through a dialogic process in diverse

learning environments

– knowledge and meaning is generated from experiences and

knowledge is always tied to the person who possesses it.

• Sociocultural theory

– Learning can never be separated from the surrounding culture

• Focal aim

– To help students develop competencies needed when

producing, developing and commercializing innovation

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Innovation

• Innovation can be defined in many ways

– Innovative entrepreneurship (Schumpeter)

– Idea, practice or object which is considered as new by the people (Rogers 2006)

– Solution which brings economical benefits (SITRA 2006)

– Competitive advantage based on knowledge (Finland’s innovation strategy 2008)innovation strategy 2008)

• An innovation can be

– Radical or incremental

– Technological or pedagogical

– Continous improvement

– A process

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Innovation

• Is always based on people

• Should always be based on real knowledge

• It is not possible to automatise innovation

• A special culture is needed for innovations to be produced

– Freedom to think

– Equality– Equality

– Brothernity

• Values must be defined!

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In the context of innovation pedagogy innovation is understood as the process of constantly improving knowledge, which leads to new ideas, further knowledge or leads to new ideas, further knowledge or other practices applicable in working life

Applying innovation pedagogy

• Creating innovations requires knowledge and the ability to apply it

• According to innovation pedagogy:

– application of received new skills starts already when

studying

– knowledge should be applied for creating innovations already

while studying

– knowledge should be accumulated and applied – knowledge should be accumulated and applied

simultaneously.

– Important skills based on intuitive and tacit knowledge can be

developed in the learning situations

– individual expertise should be transformed into communal

expertise, which promotes controlling knowledge and

developing problem solving skills

– the gap between theoretical education and practical

requirements of the working life can be abolished

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Innovation competencies

Innovationactivities

Workinglife

Students’•Personal development

Research &development

•Personal development•Social skills

•Professional growth

Grossdiscipl

-inarity

Global

functions

Entre-

preneurship

Flexible

curriculum

R&D

Thank you!

Email. Liisa.kairisto-mertanen@turkuamk.fi

tel. +35850 3854118

www.turkuamk.fi