Researchbased Continuing Education

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Research-based Continuing Education

• Kauko Hämäläinen
• Professor, director
• 27.01.2006, Helsinki

• www.helsinki.fi/palmenia

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Content of the presentation

• Description of Palmenia Centre for Continuing
  education, University of Helsinki
• The role of research in continuing education
• Examples of research
• Why research is needed in continuing education
  centres
• Resources and how to guarantee the quality

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Palmenia Centre for Continuing Education 
SERVICES FACTS AND
FIGURES n 16 700 students n 500 training
courses and programmes n 106 research and
development projects n 28 international
ventures n 260 staff n Annual income 25
MEUR    
 
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SERVICES

• Continuing education
• Employment oriented training (for unemployed)
• Master studies and conversion programmes for
  working life
• Applied research and development services
• Palmenia Uniconf Professional Conference
  services
• Palmenia publications
• Palmenia Centre for Continuing Education

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STATISTICS 2005

• 16 700 students
• 500 training courses and programmes
• 106 research and development projects
• 28 international ventures
• Staff more than 260 professionals
• A budget of 25 million euros
• Palmenia Centre for
  Continuing Education

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Continuing education

• Training programmes that range from short courses
  to long term specialisation
• Continuing education that promotes employment
• Master studies and conversion programmes for
  working life
• Continuing education that enhances graduate
  studies

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Content Areas

• Palmenia functions in a multitude of fields
  enhanced by the availability of the wide range of
  disciplines in the University of Helsinki. The
  most important content areas are
• Teaching, education and adult education
• Farmacy and medicine
• Natural sciences, hydrology etc.
• Social affairs and health
• Communication
• Implementation of information networks in
  education and work life
• Languages and multicultural affairs
• Regional development
• Environment, natural resources and food science
• Management and organisational development
• 
  Palmenia Centre for Continuing
  Education

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Palmenia Centre for Continuing Education

• Applied research
• Tailor-made research projects
• Evaluation services
• Development services
• Organisational projects
• Regional projects
• International projects
• Palmenia Centre for Continuing Education

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Examples of National Development / Research
Projects

• Research project on Ageing and well-being
• Apprenticeship Training for Adults
• Gateway for citizens to essential information and
  vital websites on Finnish Education
  (www.opintoluotsi.f)
• Effectiveness of continuing education,
  participation etc our own work as a focus of
  research

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Examples of International Development / Research
Projects in Palmenia

• Local Social Enterprises EQUAL
• Motivation of lower qualified people for lifelong
  learning Leonardo da Vinci reference project
• Learning cross the border Interreg III
• Promotion of Sustainable Forestry in Povolgie of
  Russia Tacis Tempus
• Developing and designing support system for
  potential drop-outs Leonardo
• Finnish Russian Forestry Dictionary Project
  Interreg III

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Research-based continuing education

• In a modern university teaching, learning and
  research are interwined and they are related
  activities
• High research focus and high student centerness
  creates an optimal learning environment, solving
  real-life problems inquiry-based learning
• Real-life problems need multidiciplinary
  approaches
• Definition research-led, research-oriented and
  research-based curricula

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Research-based continuing.., cont.

• Research-led education Students learn about
  researearch findings contents are dominated by
  staff research interests and info transmission is
  the main approach
• Research-oriented students learn about research
  processes, emphasis on both the process of
  knowledge creation and the learning process
• Research-based Students learn as researchers
  through inquiry-based activities. The division of
  roles between teacher and student is minimised.

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Why research /research-based teaching

• University teaching should be research-based also
  in continuing education
• Training is based on research
• Teaching methods are based on research
• Action research is useful for activating change
• To make development projects more effective
• Research makes difference between private firms
  and universities
• Helps to focus the training and to analyse the
  training needs
• Part of regional innovation systems

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Resources and quality

• EU-funding
• Municipalities tailor made research projects
• Ministries of Education, Labour, Social Affairs
  and Health
• General research funding, e.g. Finnish Academy
• Normally implemented with faculties / departments
• Leaders of the projects professors, doctors
• Multidisciplinary projects, new areas of research

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Critical points

• Relationship of research to the quality of
  teaching is not evident
• Research-oriented approach does not quarantee
  student-centered teaching
• Little research on possible disciplinary
  differences in the relation between teaching and
  research
• Easier to organise in applied sciences