Motivaation ilmeneminen digitaalisin osaamismerkein ohjautuvassa oppimisessa ammatillisessa opettajankoulutuksessa

Digital open badges, a set of micro-credentials, have recently been introduced as tools for digital identification and recognition of expertise acquired in practice or through studies. The current study aims to examine what motivates students in the badge-driven learning process. The theoretical framework focuses on concepts of achievement goals, triggers of learning, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Data were collected in 2016 from group interviews (n=6) of in-service trained professional teachers (n=17) and pre-service students of vocational teacher education (n=12) who earned 645 badges over one year in a Learning Online PD program. The research was conducted via data-driven content analysis. Results revealed several variables affecting motivation: progressive challenges and the extent of required performance, enthusiasm for the badge-driven learning, study progress, inspiring gamification, the option to study regardless of time and place, and optional study paths. This paper informs future researchers aiming to understand how badge-driven learning supports motivation.Digitaaliset osaamismerkit on otettu käyttöön eri tavoin saavutetun osaamisen tunnistamisen ja tunnustamisen välineenä. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on kuvata, mikä digitaalisten osaamismerkkien käytössä motivoi opiskelijoita oppimisprosessin aikana. Teoreettinen viitekehys perustuu saavutusorientaation, oppimisen virikkeiden sekä sisäisen ja ulkoisen motivaation käsitteisiin. Tutkimusaineisto kerättiin vuonna 2016 ryhmähaastattelemalla (n=6) digipedagogiseen täydennyskoulutukseen osallistuneita ammatinopettajia (n=17) ja ammatillisen opettajankoulutuksen opiskelijoita (n=12), jotka ansaitsivat vuoden aikana 645 osaamismerkkiä Oppiminen Online -osaamisenkehittämisohjelmassa. Aineistolähtöisen sisällönanalyysin perusteella esitämme motivaatioon vaikuttaviksi muuttujiksi seuraavat: tehtävien haastavuus ja vaadittu laajuus, osaamismerkeistä innostuminen, oppiminen ja opinnoissa edistyminen, innostava pelillisyys ja mahdollisuus opiskella asiat ajasta ja paikasta riippumatta vapaavalintaisessa järjestyksessä

Redesigning a pedagogical model for scaffolding dialogical, digital and deep learning in vocational teacher education

The main goal of the study was to identify the type of pedagogical model that scaffolds the construction of dialogical collaborative knowledge in digital environments toward deep learning in vocational teacher education. Another goal was to identify the type of framework that supports the evaluation of deep learning. The research redesigned the Dialogical Authentic Netlearning Activity (DIANA) pedagogical model. The specific aims of the research were to identify the challenges and opportunities associated with adopting the DIANA model for blended and mobile learning and to understand how student teachers reflect on and evaluate the construction of authentic and dialogical collaborative knowledge. Additionally, this study explores how digital personal learning environments are scaffolded and determines authentic and dialogical collaborative knowledge constructions used with the DIANA model. Multiple research questions were set to meet these aims, and the case study used qualitative research methods to answer these questions. The study population included international, vocational teachers (n = 14) and Finnish vocational student teachers (n = 76) who participated between 2013 and 2016. Data were collected through online questionnaires, in-depth interviews, self-reflective accounts and open blog entries (synthesis, artefacts). Data were analysed using qualitative content, deductive and abductive analyses. In the third sub-study, the design-based implementation research approach was used to provide a re-design process for implementing scaffolding. The principle result of this study is a redesigned Dialogical, Digital and Deep learning (DDD) pedagogical model informed by educational theories and based on both the previously developed DIANA model and studies about the construction of authentic and dialogical collaborative knowledge. This information was used to develop specific design principles that scaffold dialogical, digital and deep learning. The study provides a redesigned, pragmatic evaluation framework for deep-learning activities that supports the design, construction and evaluation of dialogical collaborative knowledge. The study results have several implications for learning design, research and practice in vocational teacher education. The study indicated that deep learning activities in authentic and dialogical collaborative knowledge construction offer a promising approach to developing learning processes for vocational teacher education, especially in the digital learning context. Vocational student teachers ought to gain positive experiences in dialogical collaborative knowledge construction, which requires deep learning in digital environments. In addition, dialogical competences ought to be integrated more deeply into the processes of teacher education to ensure acquisition of deeply oriented skills and knowledge rather than disconnected add-on elements, and such competences should be principle among teachers.Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli tutkia millainen pedagoginen malli ohjaa yhteisölliseen dialogiseen tiedonrakentamiseen syväoppimisen suunnassa digitaalisissa ympäristöissä ammatillisen opettajankoulutuksen konktekstissa sekä lisäksi tarkentaa syväoppimisen arviointia tukevaa viitekehystä. Tutkimus kehitti eteenpäin DIANA (Dialogical Authentic Netlearning Activity) pedagogista mallia. Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin myös sitä, minkälaisia haasteita ja mahdollisuuksia DIANA-mallin mukaisessa monimuotoisessa ja mobiilioppimisessa on. Tutkimus syvensi sitä, miten opettajaopiskelijat reflektoivat sekä arvioivat omaa autenttista ja dialogista yhteisöllistä tiedonrakentamista. Tutkimus selvitti myös, miten ohjata henkilökohtaisten oppimisympäristöjen käyttöä DIANA-mallin mukaisessa autenttisessa ja dialogisessa yhteisöllisessä tiedonrakentamisessa. Tutkimuksessa määriteltiin useita tutkimuskysymyksiä, joilla pyrittiin vastaamaan tutkimuksen tavoitteisiin ja kysymyksiin laadullista tapaustutkimusta hyödyntämällä. Tutkimukseen osallistui kansainvälisiä, ammatillisia opettajia (n = 14) ja suomalaisia ammatillisia opettajaopiskelijoita (n = 76), jotka osallistuivat ammatilliseen opettajankoulutukseen vuosien 2013 ja 2016 aikana. Aineiston hankintamenetelminä olivat verkkokyselyt, syvähaastattelut, itsereflektiot ja avoimet verkkoblogit (synteesit, artefaktit). Case-tutkimuksen aineisto analysoitiin laadullisin menetelmin, teorialähtöisen ja abduktiivisen sisällönanalyysin avulla. Kolmannessa osatutkimuksessa käytettiin DBIR-menetelmää (Design-Based Implementation Research) ohjauksen uudelleen kehittämisen tukena. Tutkimuksen keskeisena tuloksena syntyi uudistettu pedagoginen malli DDD (Dialogical, Digital and Deep learning), joka perustuu oppimisen teorioihin, aiemmin kehitettyyn DIANA-malliin sekä aiempiin tutkimuksiin autenttisesta ja dialogisesta tiedonrakentamisesta. Edellä mainittuja hyödynnettiin myös DDD pedagogisen mallin mukaisten suunnitteluperiaatteiden luomisessa, jotka tukevat dialogista, digitaalista ja syväoppimista. Tutkimuksessa esitetään praktinen syväoppimisen arvioinnin viitekehys, joka tukee dialogisen yhteisöllisen tiedonrakentamisen suunnittelua ja arviointia. Tutkimus osoitti, että syväoppimista tukeva autenttinen ja dialoginen yhteisöllinen tiedonrakentaminen tarjoaa käytännönlähteisen lähestymisen, kun ammatillista opettajankoulutusta kehitetään digitaalisen oppimisen kontekstissa. Myös dialogiosaaminen pitäisi integroida syvemmin ammatillisen opettajankoulutuksen prosesseihin. Näin varmistetaan opettajien osaamiseen kuuluvien syvätasoisten dialogitaitojen oppiminen, eikä pelkästään irrallisten tekniikoiden opiskelua

Digital professional learning : triggers in an online badge-driven process

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IDENTIFYING HIGHER EDUCATION FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS´ REPORTED STUDYING EXPERIENCES STUDYING DURING THE PANDEMIC

The pandemic situation has been a challenge for many students. The students starting their higher education at the beginning of 2021 were facing a new kind of educational challenge due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to gain insights into first-month studies during the exceptional times. The focus was on Finnish higher education first-year students’ (n=154) reported studying experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were bachelor’s degree students who started their higher education studies in January 2021 in the middle of the exceptional pandemic situation caused by COVID-19. Studies during their first months have mainly been organised online, and there have been specific restrictions related to study arrangements. The study used an inductive content analysis to find out the positive and negative impacts of studying during exceptional times. The data for this study was drawn from an online questionnaire. The results indicated that students’ own resources and capacity played an important role in terms of positive or negative study experiences: good study motivation, good distance-learning skills, and self-directedness helped to cope with the exceptional situation, while insufficient distance-learning skills or challenges in self-direction caused difficulties and dissatisfaction among other students. Teachers’ digital pedagogical skills play a significant role, as the results of this study indicated. In addition, to teaching and learning activities, higher education institutions need to reflect on how student services, counselling, and peer support can be provided remotely. The findings of this study suggest that it is important to pay attention to students’ well-being and self-directed learning skills in digital learning communities and environments. In addition, the study suggests strengthening teachers’ competencies related to digital pedagogical competencies together with workload allocation and study scheduling. Also, there is a need to deepen learning community building and self-directed learning skills as a part of pedagogical support.  Article visualizations

Vocational student teachers’ self-reported experiences in creating ePortfolios

Context: The context of the study is vocational teacher education and the participants are vocational student teachers. They are studying in a blended learning setting as part time students. They represent several disciplines of vocational education and training. The vocational teacher studies take one year and are 60 credits. The study relates to the discussion of vocational education and training (VET) and teachers’ competencies that they are transferring to their VET students by sharing the knowledge of their subject area and working practices. This study is an exploration of one of these working practices: making competence visible in a digital format. Approach: Student teachers’ descriptions of their practices and recommendations of supportive methods for composing an ePortfolio are reviewed and their motivation to compose an ePortfolio is studied as a part of the personal learning environment (PLE) philosophy. Findings: The data revealed some typical practices, such as composing an ePortfolio (the most popular ways of doing this were recording reflections in a learning diary and using digital tools to document artefacts) and making vocational teachers’ competence visible through an ePortfolio (understanding the difference between workspace and showcase portfolios and what kinds of competence to document). The recommendations mentioned by participants were supportive methods of composing an ePortfolio (collaborative learning processes with peers, lecturers’ feedback and assessment and clear instructions) as well as methods of making vocational teachers’ competence visible (e.g. orientation to ePortfolio work using learning objectives and assessment criteria for ePortfolios). Participating student teachers are/were motivated to work with ePortfolios in various ways and expressed an intrinsic motivation to pursue personal growth and become a vocational teacher. Conclusions: The study revealed vocational student teachers’ various perceptions of scaffolding and motivational orientations to make their competence visible through ePortfolios. These can be used to design scaffolding processes to support students’ ePortfolio activities. ePortfolios are used as a study method to promote student teachers’ career development and personal growth and to help them acquire teacher competencies. The study concludes with a review of the learning objectives and the assessment criteria for the ePortfolio process in a vocational teacher education program.Peer reviewe

“Loistavaa, kun opittavat asiat piti löytää omasta työstä”

Ammatillinen koulutus on kokenut suurimman uudistuksen vuosikymmeniin. Reformin myötä opettajan tehtävissä korostuvat entistä enemmän pedagogiikka, ohjauksellisuus ja suunnittelu. Tämä johtuu ennen kaikkea opiskelijalähtöisyyden, työelämäyhteistyön ja opintojen henkilökohtaistamisen korostumisesta. Uudistuva koulutuskenttä haastaa myös ammatillista opettajankoulutusta uudistumaan. Vastauksena tähän opettajankoulutusta kehitettiin valtakunnallisesti OPEKE – Ammatillisen opettajankoulutuksen uudistaminen -hankkeessa. Yhtenä osana hanketta tarkasteltiin opettajankoulutuksen ja opetusharjoittelun kehittämistä ja tämän tuloksena syntyi tämä artikkeli, jossa tarkastellaan opettajaopiskelijoiden kokemuksia osaamisen kehittymisestä ammatillisessa opettajankoulutuksessa

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF BRAZIL, FINLAND AND VIETNAM: SOFT SKILLS FOR ADULT EDUCATORS

This study contributes a unique standpoint with its comparative case analysis concerning educators' soft skills. The topic is compared among three countries: Brazil, Finland and Vietnam, representing three continents with different social, economic and cultural aspects. This comparative quantitative case study aimed to examine the different attitudes and soft skills of adult educators (n = 355) through an online survey in Brazil, Finland and Vietnam. The focus was on identifying the most important soft skills from the adult educators’ points of view and the differences concerning those skills among the three countries. The study offers practical recommendations for teachers and teacher education development by which to further develop educators’ skills, in response to skill preparation for students in the fast-changing study and working environment demands. This study concluded that Brazil, Finland and Vietnam differ considerably in their views on soft skills as based on the present analysis. The participants from Finland regarded the intrapersonal skills as most important, whereas, for the respondents from Brazil and Vietnam, the socioemotional skills were regarded as most important. Furthermore, participants from Brazil and Finland regarded the socioemotional skills statistically significantly more important than did the respondents from Vietnam. At the same time, the participants from Brazil regarded the interpersonal skills statistically significantly more important than did the respondents from Vietnam, but between Finland and Vietnam statistical difference was apparent only on some components of the interpersonal skills. There is still a need for further research regarding teachers and educators´ soft skills and the reasons behind the different views of their importance. Article visualizations