Prof. Petri Nokelainen, Ph.D. (University of Tampere)

Programm

• Datum: 16.05.2018
• Zeit: 17.00 Uhr
• Ort: Ludwigstr. 28, RG, Raum 328
• Titel: "Finnish Engineering Higher Education Students’ Entrepreneurial Competencies"

Abstract:

One of the strategic goals of Tampere University of Technology is to support students' smooth transition to working life and provide them with knowledge and skills that will ensure continued employment. The new research-line "Regulation of learning and active learning methods in the context of engineering education" (REALMEE) (2017–21) looks at the effect of various pedagogical interventions on learning in the context of higher engineering education in mathematics, physics, information management, and pervasive computing. Pedagogical interventions in the framework of socio-constructivist learning theory are conducted into ways in which the regulation of learning and various active learning methods are related to the holistic development of competencies among engineering education students throughout their university lives.

According to a recent review (Wallin, Nokelainen & Mikkonen, in press), expertise of in-service professionals develops through transforming and integrating theoretical, practical and self-regulative knowledge. Central elements in this process are (1) knowledge transformation and integration, (2) problem solving, (3) reflection, (4) learning from errors and (5) boundary crossing. Finnish technical universities alumni surveys from several years (N=3000) show that university graduates self-assess their knowledge and skills to be in a good level after entering working life. Competence development during higher engineering education studies has been most efficient in the following areas: know-how and knowledge of own field and related research, mathematical and natural science skills, problem solving, analytical and critical thinking skills and written communication. However, there are several areas where engineering education students self-report gaps in their competence after entering the working life, including creativity, social skills, entrepreneurial capacities, basics of business operations and ethicality. This presentation will contrast these issues to the findings from a recent Tampere University of Technology first year student survey (N=190), where students were asked to evaluate their willingness to become an entrepreneur in the future and self-assess their entrepreneurial (e.g., financial knowledge, Kyndt & Baert, 2015) and generic competencies (e.g., social emotional, Zhou & Ee, 2012). Connections to university pedagogy are discussed based on a recent review on the use of the use of active learning methods in engineering higher education (Hartikainen, Nokelainen, Pylväs, & Rintala, in press).