Teacher Trainees' Experiences of the Components of ICT Competencies and Key Factors in ICT Competence Development in Work-Based Vocational Teacher Training in Finland

Context: This research was conducted in the context of Finnish vocational education and training (VET) teacher training. The teacher training was work-based, meaning that each teacher trainee was already working as an unqualified VET teacher. Workplaces were comprehensively utilised as the learning environment, with teacher training support also being provided in the form of contact days, webinars, and online learning activities. Approach: We aimed to explore the main components of information and communications technology (ICT) competencies among vocational teacher trainees within work-based training and also to reveal the supportive and challenging factors related to developing ICT competencies within the training. Overall, 44 vocational teacher trainees participated in our study. The data were analysed via qualitative content analysis. Findings: Six main ICT competence components were identified during the work-based training: (1) The use and creation of digital learning materials, (2) the planning and use of digital learning environments, (3) synchronous digitally enhanced teaching, (4) general ICT competencies, (5) digital interaction, and (6) digital assessment. The development of teachers' ICT competencies was supported by their own active use of ICT and by experimenting with the ICT software and ideas presented by the teacher training staff. Challenging factors in ICT development included the continuous feeling of haste and the lack of time in the workplace, as well as the failure to recognise prior ICT competencies within the teacher training. This could limit the development of ICT competencies. Conclusions: Work-based VET teacher training has the potential to develop teacher trainees' ICT competencies because it allows immediate implementation and experimentation with regard to new ICT ideas and tools. By aligning this research with prior research, it is possible to construct a comprehensive ICT competence framework to support VET teacher training and workplace development

Hyvinvointi, osaaminen ja yhteisöllisyys digitaalisissa työympäristöissä

Työn digitalisoituminen tarjoaa uusia mahdollisuuksia työn tekemiseen, mutta samaan aikaan uudet tavat tehdä työtä vaativat työntekijöiltä uudenlaista osaamista. Työsuojelurahaston rahoittaman Well@DigiWork-hankkeen tavoitteena oli tuottaa uutta tietoa ja ratkaisuja digitaitojen ja hyvinvoinnin tueksi. Tutkimuksen ensimmäisessä vaiheessa eri alojen yritysten ja sairaanhoitopiirien työntekijöiltä (N=1065) kerättiin kyselyaineisto teknologisen ydinosaamisen nykytilasta ja koetusta työhyvinvoinnista. Saamiemme tulosten mukaan lähes kolmannes (29 %) työntekijöistä arvioi kokevansa työperäistä teknostressiä. Teknostressi näyttää olevan yhteydessä työn luonteeseen ja siihen, kuinka keskeisessä roolissa teknologia työssä on. Pidempään työelämässä olleet kokivat teknostressiä nuorempia kollegoitaan useammin. Kokeneemmat työntekijät havaitsivat myös enemmän puutteita teknologisessa osaamisessaan kuin vähemmän kokeneet ja nuoremmat työntekijät. Tutkimuksen toisessa vaiheessa tutkittiin simulaatio-oppimiseen pohjautuvia hajautettuja ja lähityöskentelyyn perustuvia ratkaisuja työntekijöiden (N=81) ammatillisen osaamisen tueksi. Parhaimmillaan simulaatio-oppimisen avulla voidaan tukea työntekijöiden osaamisen kehittymistä työpaikalla. Simulaatio-oppimisen hyödyt voivat olla esimerkiksi taloudellisia ja työn tehokkuuteen sekä tuloksellisuuteen liittyviä, tiedollisia ja taidollisia valmiuksia kehittäviä, sekä työhyvinvointiin ja työtyytyväisyyteen liittyviä hyötyjä

The State-of-the-Art of Collaborative Technologies for Initial Vocational Education: A Systematic Literature Review

Future workplaces require collaboration skills in which members of different work communities use technologies to solve complex problems. Vocational education and training (VET) programs need to meet the challenge to prepare students to be part of a competent workforce. Particularly initial vocational education is under pressure to develop learners’ collaboration skills and abilities. To date, however, no attempt has been made to perform a comprehensive review of the use of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) technologies across different vocational education settings to account for contextual factors of VET. In this systematic review, 26 published studies were analyzed with respect to their demographics, research methodology, use of technology, and measured outcomes. This review illuminates that research on CSCL still leaves the vocational learning context as an under-represented field of study. At the same time, technologies offer a range of new types of learning possibilities for vocational education. As the direct result of that development, vocational education is increasingly taking place in new technology-enhanced learning settings. Education can benefit from the opportunities of CSCL technologies, but on the other hand, such technologies create new challenges for facilitating vocational learning. Therefore, this review also identifies three topic areas specific to vocational learning (collaborative writing-to-learn, simulations and game-like solutions, and tangible objects) and enumerates desirable lines for future research

Opettajana jo toimivan opettajaopiskelijan osaamisen kehittyminen – osaamisperustainen ja työelämälähtöinen ammatillinen opettajankoulutus

The concepts of competence and competence-based education in vocational and higher education have been central topics of discussion at both the global and national level. This research aimed to clarify the kinds of competence trajectories that were gained during competence-based and work-life oriented vocational teacher education. The supportive and challenging factors of competence-based education and a work-life orientated training model were also studied. All participants (n = 14) were already working as non-qualified teachers. The data, which consisted of learning diaries and graduation narratives from 2018–2019, were analysed with qualitative content analysis. The results show that the most developed competencies were conceptual and reflective thinking, as well as the understanding and the implementation of pedagogical method. In addition, student-centred and guidance related competencies were gained. These competencies were mainly achieved by integrating vocational education and student teacher training competence frameworks into one’s own everyday work. The biggest challenges were work overload, hectic working pace and organisational changes. The most supportive factor of competence construction was a mentor, a colleague nominated from the student teacher’s own organisation. In conclusion, a competence-based and work-life oriented educational model can be a valid way to gain vocational education and student teacher competencies. However, workplace-related challenges need proactive actions. Also, deeper knowledge of future work-life and its dynamic demands need further attention.Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin, millaista osaamista ammatillisessa opettajankoulutuksessa kehittyi osaamisperustaisessa ja työelämälähtöisessä toteutuksessa opiskelijoiden itsensä kokemana. Tarkastelun kohteena olivat myös osaamisen kehittymistä tukeneet ja haastaneet tekijät. Tutkimukseen osallistuneet opiskelijat (n = 14) toimivat opettajina ammatillisessa koulutuksessa tai ammattikorkeakoulussa. Aineistona käytettiin ammatillisten opettajaopiskelijoiden oppimispäiväkirjoja koulutusprosessin ajalta (2018–2019) ja valmistumisvaiheen reflektiotekstejä. Aineisto analysoitiin laadullisen sisällönanalyysin avulla. Tulokset osoittavat, että opettajaopiskelijoiden osaaminen kehittyi erityisesti käsitteellisen ajattelun ja reflektio-osaamisen alueella. Myös pedagoginen osaaminen (opetusmenetelmät ja niiden soveltaminen) kehittyi ohjauksellisempaan ja oppijalähtöisempään suuntaan. Merkittävänä osaamisen kehittämisen keinona nousi esille osaamistavoitteiden integrointi omiin työtehtäviin. Tärkein osaamisen kehittämisen tuki oli omalta työpaikalta nimetty mentori. Vastaavasti osaamisen kehittämistä haastoivat liian kova työtahti ja muutokset omalla työpaikalla. Tulosten perusteella osaamisperustainen ja työelämälähtöinen toteutus soveltuu hyvin ammatillisena opettajana tarvittavan osaamisen kehittämiseen. Jatkossa osaamisperustaisen koulutuksen mahdollisuuksia ja rajoitteita tulee kuitenkin tarkastella kriittisesti, etenkin syvällisen tietämisen ja tulevaisuudessa tarvittavan monimuotoisen ja dynaamisen osaamisen näkökulmista

Organizing for collaboration in simulation-based environments: An affordance perspective

Extant research has identified the significance of technological affordances in computer-supported learning environments. However, until recently, there is scarcely empirical research on affordances for organizing collaboration in these learning environments. To address this gap, this study empirically examines affordances for organizing collaboration in a simulation-based learning environment. We focus, in particular on understanding how the organizing affordances of the learning environment are perceived and employed by the learners during a simulation-based learning task. The study was executed among 177 undergraduate higher education (HE) business students from 10 universities in Belgium, China, Estonia, New Zealand, the USA, Austria, and Finland. The data were obtained from the students' reflective essays, and analyzed with a qualitative content analytical approach. The results of our analyses yield in four types of organizing affordances: (1) organizing the division of work, (2) managing information and resources, (3) managing tasks, and (4) strategizing. Each type of organizing affordance was required in the joint learning task. The study offers an advanced understanding of affordances for organizing and of their use/nonuse in simulation-based learning environments. The findings of this study have theoretical and empirical implications and can contribute to both the development of pedagogic and educational practices as well as the design of learning tasks and environments

Tiedosta tekoihin: Vuorovaikutus ja yhteisöllinen oppiminen johtajien koulutuksessa

Tässä artikkelissa tarkastellaan työelämässä toimivien johtajien ammatillista kehittymistä erityisesti yhteisöllisen oppimisen ja vuorovaikutuksen näkökulmasta. Artikkelissa esitellään malli, joka auttaa johtajaa hahmottamaan laaja-alaisesti oman ammatillisen kehittymisen kannalta keskeisiä osa-alueita. Keskitymme erityisesti siihen, mikä merkitys johtajan oppimisprosessissa on vuorovaikutuksella ja yhteisöllisellä oppimisella. Lähtökohtana yhteisöllisessä oppimisessa on vertaisoppijoista muodostuva yhteisö, mutta työelämässä toimivalle johtajalle siihen sisältyy myös aktiivinen pyrkimys verkostomaiseen vuorovaikutukseen monien eri toimijoiden kanssa. Johtajan ammatillisen kehittymisen tavoitteena on oppimisen vaikuttavuuden konkretisointi oman organisaation muuttumisen ja uusiutumisen kautta. Tämä artikkeli tarjoaa lähestymistavan, jonka avulla on mahdollista tarkastella yhteisöllisen oppimisen ulottuvuuksia johtamiskoulutuksessa ja muussa työelämälähtöisessä aikuiskoulutuksessa.This article addresses the professional development of managers from the perspective of collaborative learning and interaction. The model presented in the article helps learners to comprehensively outline key areas for their professional development and to set goals for their learning. Interaction and collaborative learning are essential in a manager’s learning process. The starting point is a community of experienced peer learners, but for a practising manager, collaborative learning can be perceived as the active pursuit of interaction with a variety of actors in diverse contexts. For managers, the goal is to concretize the effectiveness of learning by changing and renewing their organization. This article contributes to management education and provides approaches for the further development of collaborative learning in other adult education contexts based on working life