A multimethod examination of contributors to successful on-the-job learning for vocational students

Rapid changes in working life and competence requirements of different professions have increased interest in workplace learning. It is considered an effective way to learn and update professional skills by performing daily tasks in an authentic environment. Especially, ensuring a supply of skilled future workers is a crucial issue for firms facing tight competition and a shortage of competent employees due to the retirement of current professionals. In order to develop and make the most of workplace learning, it is important to focus on workplace learning environments and the individual characteristics of those participating in workplace learning. The literature has suggested various factors that influence adults' and professionals’ workplace learning of profession-related skills, but lacks empirical studies on contextual and individual-related factors that positively affect students' workplace learning. Workers with vocational education form a large group in modern firms. Therefore, elements of vocational students’ successful workplace learning during their studies, before starting their career paths, need to be examined. To fill this gap in the literature, this dissertation examines contributors to vocational students’ workplace learning in Finland, where students’ workplace learning is included in the vocational education and training system. The study is divided into two parts: the introduction, comprised of the overview of the relevant literature and the conclusion of the entire study, and five separate articles. Three of the articles utilize quantitative methods and two use qualitative methods to examine factors that contribute to vocational students’ workplace learning. The results show that, from the students’ perspective, attitudinal, motivational, and organizationrelated factors enhance the student’s development of professionalism during the on-the-job learning period. Specifically, the organization-related factors such as innovative climate, guidance, and interactions with seniors have a strong positive impact on the students’ perceived development of professional skills because, for example, the seniors’ guidance and provision of new viewpoints for the tasks helps the vocational students to gain autonomy at work performance. A multilevel analysis shows that of those factors enhancing workplace learning from the student perspective, innovative climate, knowledge transfer accuracy, and the students’ performance orientation were significantly related to the workplace instructors’ assessment regarding the students’ professional performance. Furthermore, support from senior colleagues and the students’ self-efficacy were both significantly associated with the formal grades measuring how well the students managed to learn necessary professional skills. In addition, the results suggest that the students’ on-the-job learning can be divided into three main phases, of which two require efforts from both the student and the on-the-job learning organization. The first phase includes the student’s application of basic professional skills, demonstration of potential in performing daily tasks, and orientation provided by the organization at the beginning of the on-the-job learning period. In the second phase, the student actively develops profession-related skills by performing daily tasks, thus learning a fluent working style while observing the seniors’ performance. The organization offers relevant tasks and follows the student’s development. The third level indicates a student who has reached the professional level described as a full occupation. The results suggest that constructing the vocational students’ successful on-the-job learning period requires feedback from seniors, opportunities to learn to manage entire work processes, self-efficacy on the part of the students, proactive behavior, and initiative in learning. The study contributes to research on workplace learning in three ways: firstly, it identifies the key individual- and organization-based factors that influence the vocational students’ successful on-the-job learning from their perspective and examines mutual relationships between these factors. Second, the study provides knowledge of how the factors related to the students’ view of successful workplace learning are associated with the workplace instructors’ perspective and the formal grades. Third, the present study finds elements needed to construct a successful on-the-job learning for the students.

On a practical realization of Kolb's experiential learning cycle

This study aims to extend prior knowledge on the learning and developmental outcomes of the experiential learning cycle of David Kolb by the analysis of its practical realization at Team Academy. The study is based on the constructivist approach to learning and considers, among others, the concepts of autonomy support, Nonaka and Takeuchi's knowledge creation model, Luft and Ingham's Johari Window and Deci and Ryan's Self-determination theory. For the investigation deep interviews were carried out with the participants of Team Academy, both learners and coaches. Taking the interview results and the above described theories into consideration this study concludes that experiential learning results not only in effective learning, but also in a remarkable soft skill acquisition, self-development and increase in motivation with an internal locus of causality. Real-life projects permit the learners to experience real challenges. By the practical activities and teamwork they also get the possibility to find out their personal strengths, weaknesses and unique capacities.

Two Cultures of Arts Education, Finland and Canada? An integrated View

Taidekasvatuksen kaksi kulttuuria, Suomi ja Kanada? Integroitu näkemys Tutkimuksessa kuvataan kanadalaisen Learning Through The Arts –pedagogiikan mukainen suomalainen kokeiluhanke, jonka aikana taiteilija–opettaja-parit opettivat yhdessä eri oppiaineita koululuokille: esim. matematiikkaa tanssien, biologiaa maalaten tai yhdistäen eri taiteenlajeja projektimuotoiseen oppimiseen. Hanketta arvioitaessa nousee esille, ei niinkään yksittäisten taiteilijoiden ja opettajien toiminta, vaan pikemminkin Kanadan ja Suomen rakenteelliset sekä kulttuuriset eroavuudet. Tutkimus sivuaa myös Suomessa käytävää keskustelua taiteen hyödyllisyydestä ja pohtii samalla taito- ja taideaineiden asemaa koulussa. Työn teoreettisessa osassa integroidaan opetussuunnitelmateoriaa, kasvatuksen historiaa ja filosofiaa, tähdentäen taidekasvatuksen merkitystä osana koko ihmisen kasvatusta. Opetussuunnitelmateorian osalta tarkastellaan romanttista ja klassista opetussuunnitelmaa, jotka eroavat toisistaan menetelmiensä, sisältöjensä, tavoitteidensa sekä arvioinnin osalta. Ns. kovat ja pehmeät aineet tai matemaattis-luonnontieteelliset aineet vastakohtanaan humanismi, voidaan ymmärtää sekä historiallisia että epistemologisia taustojaan vasten. Pepperin maailmanhypoteesien mukaisesti on kasvatuksen ongelmien ratkaisemiseksi hahmotettavissa neljä selvästi toisistaan eroavaa lähestymistapaa: formismi; organisismi; mekanisismi; sekä kontekstualismi. Kantin filosofiaan viitaten tutkimus puolustaa käsitystä taiteesta rationaalisena ja propositionaalisena kokonaisuutena, joka ei ole vain kommunikaation väline, vaan yksi todellisuuden kohtaamisen lajeista, tiedon ja etiikan rinnalla. Näin ajateltuna taito- ja taidekasvatuksen tulisi olla luonteeltaan aina myös kulttuurikasvatusta. Tutkimuksen tulosten perusteella voidaan väittää, että moniammatillinen yhteistyö monipuolistaa koulun opetusta. Mikäli huolehditaan siitä, että taiteilijat saavat riittävästi koulutusta opettamiseen liittyvissä asioissa, on mahdollista käyttää taiteilijoita opettajien rinnalla koulutyössä.

On the Condition Monitoring of Induction machines

The research of condition monitoring of electric motors has been wide for several decades. The research and development at universities and in industry has provided means for the predictive condition monitoring. Many different devices and systems are developed and are widely used in industry, transportation and in civil engineering. In addition, many methods are developed and reported in scientific arenas in order to improve existing methods for the automatic analysis of faults. The methods, however, are not widely used as a part of condition monitoring systems. The main reasons are, firstly, that many methods are presented in scientific papers but their performance in different conditions is not evaluated, secondly, the methods include parameters that are so case specific that the implementation of a systemusing such methods would be far from straightforward. In this thesis, some of these methods are evaluated theoretically and tested with simulations and with a drive in a laboratory. A new automatic analysis method for the bearing fault detection is introduced. In the first part of this work the generation of the bearing fault originating signal is explained and its influence into the stator current is concerned with qualitative and quantitative estimation. The verification of the feasibility of the stator current measurement as a bearing fault indicatoris experimentally tested with the running 15 kW induction motor. The second part of this work concentrates on the bearing fault analysis using the vibration measurement signal. The performance of the micromachined silicon accelerometer chip in conjunction with the envelope spectrum analysis of the cyclic bearing faultis experimentally tested. Furthermore, different methods for the creation of feature extractors for the bearing fault classification are researched and an automatic fault classifier using multivariate statistical discrimination and fuzzy logic is introduced. It is often important that the on-line condition monitoring system is integrated with the industrial communications infrastructure. Two types of a sensor solutions are tested in the thesis: the first one is a sensor withcalculation capacity for example for the production of the envelope spectra; the other one can collect the measurement data in memory and another device can read the data via field bus. The data communications requirements highly depend onthe type of the sensor solution selected. If the data is already analysed in the sensor the data communications are needed only for the results but in the other case, all measurement data need to be transferred. The complexity of the classification method can be great if the data is analysed at the management level computer, but if the analysis is made in sensor itself, the analyses must be simple due to the restricted calculation and memory capacity.

Learning in Product Development Projects - Responding to challenges in global industrial company

Verkostoitunut kansainvälinen tuotekehitys on tärkeä osa menestystä nykypäivän muuttuvassa yritysmaailmassa. Toimintojen tehostamiseksi myös projektitoiminnot on sopeutettava kansainväliseen toimintaympäristöön. Kilpailukyvyn säilyttämiseksi projektitoimintoja on lisäksi jatkuvasti tehostettava. Yhtenäkeinona nähdään projektioppiminen, jota voidaan edistää monin eri tavoin. Tässätyössä keskitytään projektitiedonhallinnan kehittämisen tuomiin oppimismahdollisuuksiin. Kirjallisuudessa kerrotaan, että projektitiedon jakaminen ja sen hyödyntäminen seuraavissa projekteissa on eräs projektioppimisen edellytyksistä. Tämäon otettu keskeiseksi näkökulmaksi tässä tutkimuksessa. Lisäksi tutkimusalueen rajaamiseksi työ tarkastelee erityisesti projektioppimista kansainvälisten tuotekehitysprojektien välillä. Työn tavoitteena on esitellä keskeisiä projektioppimisen haasteita ja etsiä konkreettinen ratkaisu vastaamaan näihin haasteisiin. Tuotekehitystoiminnot ja kansainvälinen hajautettu projektiorganisaatio kohtaavat lisäksi erityisiä haasteita, kuten tiedon hajautuneisuus, projektihenkilöstön vaihtuvuus, tiedon luottamuksellisuus ja maantieteelliset haasteet (esim. aikavyöhykkeet ja toimipisteen sijainti). Nämä erityishaasteet on otettu huomioon ratkaisua etsittäessä. Haasteisiin päädyttiin vastaamaan tietotekniikkapohjaisella ratkaisulla, joka suunniteltiin erityisesti huomioiden esimerkkiorganisaation tarpeet ja haasteet. Työssä tarkastellaan suunnitellun ratkaisun vaikutusta projektioppimiseen ja kuinka se vastaa havaittuihin haasteisiin. Tuloksissa huomattiin, että projektioppimista tapahtui, vaikka oppimista oli vaikea suoranaisesti huomata tutkimusorganisaation jäsenten keskuudessa. Projektioppimista voidaan kuitenkin sanoa tapahtuvan, jos projektitieto on helposti koko projektiryhmän saatavilla ja se on hyvin järjesteltyä. Muun muassa nämä ehdot täyttyivät. Projektioppiminen nähdään yleisesti haastavana kehitysalueena esimerkkiorganisaatiossa. Suuri osa tietämyksestä on niin sanottua hiljaistatietoa, jota on hankala tai mahdoton saattaa kirjalliseen muotoon. Näin olleen tiedon siirtäminen jää suurelta osin henkilökohtaisen vuorovaikutuksen varaan. Siitä huolimatta projektioppimista on mahdollista kehittää erilaisin toimintamallein ja menetelmin. Kehitys vaatii kuitenkin resursseja, pitkäjänteisyyttä ja aikaa. Monet muutokset voivat vaatia myös organisaatiokulttuurin muutoksen ja vaikuttamista organisaation jäseniin. Motivaatio, positiiviset mielikuvat ja selkeät strategiset tavoitteet luovat vakaan pohjan projektioppimisen kehittämiselle.

Inter organizational learning within and by innovation networks

The thesis deals with the phenomenon of learning between organizations in innovation networks that develop new products, services or processes. Inter organizational learning is studied especially at the level of the network. The role of the network can be seen as twofold: either the network is a context for inter organizational learning, if the learner is something else than the network (organization, group, individual), or the network itself is the learner. Innovations are regarded as a primary source of competitiveness and renewal in organizations. Networking has become increasingly common particularly because of the possibility to extend the resource base of the organization through partnerships and to concentrate on core competencies. Especially in innovation activities, networks provide the possibility to answer the complex needs of the customers faster and to share the costs and risks of the development work. Networked innovation activities are often organized in practice as distributed virtual teams, either within one organization or as cross organizational co operation. The role of technology is considered in the research mainly as an enabling tool for collaboration and learning. Learning has been recognized as one important collaborative process in networks or as a motivation for networking. It is even more important in the innovation context as an enabler of renewal, since the essence of the innovation process is creating new knowledge, processes, products and services. The thesis aims at providing enhanced understanding about the inter organizational learning phenomenon in and by innovation networks, especially concentrating on the network level. The perspectives used in the research are the theoretical viewpoints and concepts, challenges, and solutions for learning. The methods used in the study are literature reviews and empirical research carried out with semi structured interviews analyzed with qualitative content analysis. The empirical research concentrates on two different areas, firstly on the theoretical approaches to learning that are relevant to innovation networks, secondly on learning in virtual innovation teams. As a result, the research identifies insights and implications for learning in innovation networks from several viewpoints on organizational learning. Using multiple perspectives allows drawing a many sided picture of the learning phenomenon that is valuable because of the versatility and complexity of situations and challenges of learning in the context of innovation and networks. The research results also show some of the challenges of learning and possible solutions for supporting especially network level learning.

Towards adoption of eLearning technologies at Lappeenranta University of Technology: Understanding Teachers‟ Adoption of Blackboard Learning System

The electronic learning has become crucial in higher education with increased usage of learning management systems as a key source of integration on distance learning. The objective of this study is to understand how university teachers are influenced to use and adopt web-based learning management systems. Blackboard, as one of the systems used internationally by various universities is applied as a case. Semi-structured interviews were made with professors and lecturers who are using Blackboard at Lappeenranta University of Technology. The data collected were categorized under constructs adapted from Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and interpretation and discussion were based on reviewed literature. The findings suggest that adoption of learning management systems by LUT teachers is highly influenced by perceived usefulness, facilitating conditions and gained experience. The findings also suggest that easiness of using the system and social influence appear as medium influence of adoption for teachers at LUT.

Organisational learning and knowledge acquisition. A case study of internationalising manufacturers of wood-based prefabricated buildings

The study investigates organisational learning and knowledge acquisition of wood-based prefabricated building manufacturers. This certain group of case companies was chosen, because their management and their employees generally have a strong manufacturing and engineering background, while the housing sector is characterised by national norms, regulations, as well as local building styles. Considering this setting, it was investigated, how the case companies develop organisational learning capabilities, acquire and transfer knowledge for their internationalisation. The theoretical framework of this study constitutes the knowledge-based conceptualisation of internationalisation, which combines the traditional internationalisation process, as well as the international new venture perspective based on their commonalities in the knowledge-based view of the firm. Different theories of internationalisation, including the network-perspective, were outlined and a framework on organisational learning and knowledge acquisition was established. The empirical research followed a qualitative approach, deploying a multiple-case study with five case companies from Austria, Finland and Germany. In the study, the development of the wood-based prefabricated building industry and of the case companies are described, and the motives, facilitators and challenges for foreign expansion, as well as the companies’ internationalisation approaches are compared. Different methods of how companies facilitate the knowledge-exchange or learn about new markets are also outlined. Experience, market knowledge and personal contacts are considered essential for the internationalisation process. The major finding of the study is that it is not necessary to acquire the market knowledge internally in a slow process as proposed by the Uppsala model. In four cases companies engaged knowledge in symbiotic relations with local business partners. Thereby, the building manufacturers contribute their design and production capabilities, and in return, their local partners provide them with knowledge about the market and local regulations; while they manage the sales and construction operations. Thus, the study provides strong evidence for the propositions of network perspective. One case company developed the knowledge internally in a gradual process: it entered the market sequentially with several business lines, showing an increasing level of complexity. In both of the observed strategies, single-loop and double-loop learning processes occurred.

The good and the successful - Examination of informal learning mechanisms

This thesis strived to find out which informal learning (IL) mechanisms are used the most by the respondents. Additionally, the goal was to know more about the respondents as informal learners and what could explain possible differences. The target was to resolve whether informal learning explains differences in individual performance or, do some other explanations for success exist. Informal learning was to be made more visible, since many are unaware of it. Relevant IL mechanisms that the interviewees could explain were selected for this thesis. The theory on informal learning was presented and some additional informal learning mechanisms were included: Underlying learning theories, internal and external learning resources, as well as some sport related informal learning mechanisms. Various scholars have explained these terms. The final results of this thesis relate to business context, but sport is at the scope of my research. The target group consisted of nine individuals in team sports that were considered as high performers (good/successful). Hence, also the concept of high performance was clarified with competence, expertise and talent literature. The study is qualitative and face-to-face interviews were chosen. The data was analyzed with Grounded Theory principles and theory elaboration. This thesis pointed out similarities and differences between the respondents´ answers (good/successful, inexperienced/experienced). Thus, the analysis clarified that there are different attitudes to learning and different learner profiles in sports context. Also, it became clear that some informal learning mechanisms are more used than others. Secondly, based on the most crucial differences, Typology of Talentum was formulated based on Le Deist & Winteron´s (2005, 39) Typology of holistic competence. Some variables of informal learning seemed to constitute the Meta-competence of Typology that ultimately causes the differences in individual performance and success. The results can be transferred to business context because meta-competence is transferable by nature.

Reverse osmosis membrane surface modification: effects on membrane performance

The aim of this thesis was to study the surface modification of reverse osmosis membranes by surfactants and the effect of modification on rejection and flux. The surfactants included anionic and nonionic surfactants. The purpose of membrane modification was to improve pure water permeability with increasing salt rejection. The literature part of the study deals with the basic principles of reverse osmosis technology and factors affecting the membrane performance. Also the membrane surface modification by surfactants and their influence on membrane’s surface properties and efficiency (permeability and salt rejection) were discussed. In the experimental part of the thesis two thin-film composite membranes, Desal AG and LE-4040, were modified on-line with three different surfactants. The effects of process parameters (pressure, pH, and surfactant concentration) on surface modification were also examined. The characteristics of the modified membranes were determined by measuring the membranes’ contact angle and zeta potentials. The zeta potential and contact angle measurements indicate that the surfactants were adsorbed onto the both membranes. However, the adsorption did not effect on membrane’s pure water permeability and salt rejection. Thereby, the surface modification of the Desal AG and LE-4040 membranes by surfactants was not able to improve the membrane’s performance.

Evaluation of an e-learning course: coercion practices in psychiatric nursing

The goal of the study was to evaluate an e-learning course entitled “Nursing interventions to manage distressed and disturbed patients” and intended for psychiatric nurses, using Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model. The aim was to describe nurses’ reactions, learning, behaviour change and impacts resulting from this e-learning course. This dissertation comprises four papers, and the data were collected 2008-2012 from three different sources; electronic databases, an e-learning platform and psychiatric hospitals. First, a systematic literature review was conducted to understand the effectiveness of e-learning. Second, an RCT study was implemented to investigate the impact of the e-learning course on nurses’ job-satisfaction, knowledge and attitudes (N=158). Third, to complete the picture of nurses views of the e-learning course related to knowledge transfer, the nurses’ perspective was studied (N=33). Lastly, the effects of the e-learning course from nursing managers’ perspective in psychiatric hospital organisations were studied (N=28). The systematic review showed that although the nurses were satisfied with the e-learning, no effects were found in the RCT study of nurses’ job satisfaction. The RCT study showed no effects on nurses’ learning related to knowledge increase, but there was change in attitudes. The managers described the changes in the nurses’ knowledge and attitudes. Among the nurses behaviour changed with knowledge transfer from the e-learning course to practice and they pointed out development issues related to their work. The final impacts of the e-learning course revealed advantages and disadvantages of the e-learning course and its implications for nurses’ work. This dissertation provides new insight into nurses’ reactions, learning, behaviour change and impacts resulting from an e-learning course in their continuing education. In order to improve nurses’ continuing education systematic evaluation is needed, for which Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model is a useful tool.