Adult education policy in the European Union during the Lisbon decade : the shift to vocational adult learning and work skills matching

This doctoral dissertation investigates the adult education policy of the European Union (EU) in the framework of the Lisbon agenda 2000���2010, with a particular focus on the changes of policy orientation that occurred during this reference decade. The year 2006 can be considered, in fact, a turning point for the EU policy-making in the adult learning sector: a radical shift from a wide--ranging and comprehensive conception of educating adults towards a vocationally oriented understanding of this field and policy area has been observed, in particular in the second half of the so--called ���Lisbon decade���. In this light, one of the principal objectives of the mainstream policy set by the Lisbon Strategy, that of fostering all forms of participation of adults in lifelong learning paths, appears to have muted its political background and vision in a very short period of time, reflecting an underlying polarisation and progressive transformation of European policy orientations. Hence, by means of content analysis and process tracing, it is shown that the new target of the EU adult education policy, in this framework, has shifted from citizens to workers, and the competence development model, borrowed from the corporate sector, has been established as the reference for the new policy road maps. This study draws on the theory of governance architectures and applies a post-ontological perspective to discuss whether the above trends are intrinsically due to the nature of the Lisbon Strategy, which encompasses education policies, and to what extent supranational actors and phenomena such as globalisation influence the European governance and decision--making. Moreover, it is shown that the way in which the EU is shaping the upgrading of skills and competences of adult learners is modeled around the needs of the ���knowledge economy���, thus according a great deal of importance to the ���new skills for new jobs��� and perhaps not enough to life skills in its broader sense which include, for example, social and civic competences: these are actually often promoted but rarely implemented in depth in the EU policy documents. In this framework, it is conveyed how different EU policy areas are intertwined and interrelated with global phenomena, and it is emphasised how far the building of the EU education systems should play a crucial role in the formation of critical thinking, civic competences and skills for a sustainable democratic citizenship, from which a truly cohesive and inclusive society fundamentally depend, and a model of environmental and cosmopolitan adult education is proposed in order to address the challenges of the new millennium. In conclusion, an appraisal of the EU���s public policy, along with some personal thoughts on how progress might be pursued and actualised, is outlined.

���Development work thesis��� as a tool for continuing professional education

Julkaisumaa: 158 TW TWN Taiwan

Scientific creativity and diversity of physical work environment: framework development

The aim of this research was to develop a framework to analyze how physical environment influences scientific creativity. Due to the relative novelty of this topic, there is still a gap in the unified method to study connection between physical environment and creativity. Therefore, in order to study this issue deeply, the qualitative method was used (interviews and qualitative questionnaire). Scientists (PhD students and senior researchers) of Graduate School of Management were interviewed to build the model and one expert interview was conducted to assess its validity. The model highlights several dimensions via which physical environment can influence scientific creativity: Comfort, Instruments and Diversity. Comfort and Instruments are considered to be related mostly to productivity, an initial requirement for creativity, while Diversity is the factor responsible for supporting all the stages of scientific creative process. Thus, creative physical environment is not one place by its nature, but an aggregative phenomenon. Due to two levels of analysis, the model is named the two-level model of creative physical environment.

Current State of Repository Interoperability: Work by the Confederation of Open Access Repositories (COAR)

Panel at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Let's do data research work: the creation of a portal with research information from Catalan Universities

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Connections that work ��� Linked Open Data demystified

Esitys Kirjastoverkkop��ivill�� 22.10.2014 Helsingiss�� ��� Presentation of Jakob Vo�� at the Library Network Days, October 22, 2014 in Helsinki.

Work and non-work : on work and meaning

I den politiska retoriken florerar debattinl��gg om arbetslivet, och m��ls��ttningen ��r f��r det mesta att s�� m��nga som m��jligt ska arbeta s�� l��nge som m��jligt. Att skapa jobb och minimera arbetsl��sheten ses som de fr��msta utmaningarna. P�� ett individuellt plan beskrivs arbete ofta som personligt sj��lvf��rverkligande eller som en n��dv��ndig form av inkomst som kr��ver att livet struktureras enligt behovet av syssels��ttning. I avhandlingen diskuteras hur de h��r till synes sj��lvklara rollerna som arbete spelar kan s��gas neutralisera arbete. Med detta menas att kontroverser kring arbetets mening ��sidos��tts s�� att politiskt och etiskt grundl��ggande fr��gor om ett gott liv och m��nskliga gemenskaper inte ges plats. Genom att g�� i dialog med kritiska t��nkare som Hannah Arendt, Andr�� Gorz, Kathi Weeks, Karl Marx och Richard Sennett diskuteras riskerna med att behandla arbete som en resurs, ett gemensamt samh��llsprojekt eller individuellt sj��lvf��rverkligande. Vad ��r n��dv��ndigt arbete? Vad inneb��r det att arbete ��r en vara? Vad ��r problemet med fragmentering av arbete? Det s��gs ofta att arbete har blivit alltmer gr��nsl��st ��� ��r detta n��got positivt eller negativt? Utifr��n s��dana fr��gor tar avhandlingen fasta p�� sp��nningar i arbetets roll i v��ra liv och i samh��llet. Genom att artikulera sp��nningar utmanas en neutralisering av arbetets etiskt och politiskt br��nnbara dimensioner. Avhandlingen syftar d��rmed till att lyfta fram st��ndigt p��g��ende s��tt att ifr��gas��tta och reflektera kring arbetets mening.

How computer programmers work : understanding software development in practise

Hur arbetar en framg��ngsrik programmerare? Uppgifterna att programmera datorspel och att programmera industriella, s��kerhetskritiska system verkar t��mligen olika. Genom en noggrann empirisk unders��kning j��mf��r och kontrasterar avhandlingen dessa tv�� former av programmering och visar att programmering innefattar mer ��n teknisk f��rm��ga. Med utg��ngspunkt i hermeneutisk och retorisk teori och med hj��lp av b��de kulturvetenskap och datavetenskap visar avhandlingen att programmerarnas tradition och v��rderingar ��r grundl��ggande f��r deras arbete, och att b��da sorter av programmering kan uppfattas och analyseras genom klassisk texttolkningstradition. Dessutom kan datorprogram betraktas och analyseras med hj��lp av klassiska teorier om talproduktion i praktiken - program ses d�� i detta sammanhang som ett slags yttranden. Allt som allt f��respr��kar avhandlingen en ��terkomst till vetenskapens grunder, vilka inneb��r en st��ndig och oupph��rlig cyklisk r��relse mellan att erfara och att f��rst��. Detta st��r i kontrast till en reduktionistisk syn p�� vetenskapen, som skiljer skarpt mellan subjektivt och objektivt, och p�� s�� s��tt utg��r fr��n m��jligheten att uppn�� fullst��ndigt vetande. Ofullst��ndigt vetande ��r tolkandets och hermeneutikens dom��n. Syftet med avhandlingen ��r att med hj��lp av exempel demonstrera programmeringens kulturella, hermeneutiska och retoriska natur.

Thoughts on work-in-progress crowdsourcing metrics of digital collections

The presentation consists of work-in-progress metrics of #digitalkoot, the crowdsourcing project launched by National Library of Finland

Designing gamification for collaborative learning in group work

Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) is a teaching and learning approach which is widely adopted. However there are still some problems can be found when CSCL takes place. Studies show that using game-like mechanics can increase motivation, engagement, as well as modelling behaviors of players. Gamification is a rapid growing trend by applying the same mechanics. It refers to use game design elements in non-game contexts. This thesis is about combining gamification concept and computer supported collaborative learning together in software engineering education field. And finally a gamified prototype system is designed.

TY��ILMOITUS TY��NANTAJALUPAUKSIEN JA TY��ARVOJEN VIESTIJ��N�� Tarkastelussa menestyneit�� Great Place to Work -ty��nantajia

Ty��ilmoitus voi j����d�� ty��nhakijan ja ty��nantajan v��lill�� ainoaksi viestinn��n mahdollisuudeksi, jolloin ratkaisevaa on, kuinka houkuttelevaksi ty��nantaja ty��ilmoituksensa laatii kilpaillessaan halutuista osaajista. Samalla ty��ilmoitus antaa lupauksia tulevasta ty��st�� ja ty��yhteis��st��. T��m��n tutkimuksen perimm��inen tarkoitus on tutkia, n��kyyk�� ty��suhteen kahdenv��linen transaktioluonne ty��ilmoitusten tasolla eli kerrotaanko ilmoituksissa ty��nantajan osaajatarpeiden lis��ksi, mitk�� olisivat ty��ntekij��n ty��llistymisell�� saavutetut hy��dyt. Tarkemmiksi tarkastelun kohteiksi on valittu kaksi ty��nhakijan p����t��ksenteon kannalta mielenkiintoista n��k��kulmaa: viestityt ty��arvot ja ty��nantajalupaukset. Teoreettiselta taustaltaan t��m�� tutkimus liittyy rekrytoinnin kokonaisuuteen, mutta se sivuaa useita muita aihealueita, kuten yksil��n ja yrityksen yhteensopivuutta, ty��nantajamielikuvaa, psykologista sopimusta, informaation prosessointia, suostuttelua ja ty��nhakup����t��ksen syntymekanismin tutkimusta. Tutkimuksen empiirinen aineisto koostuu kolmena per��kk��isen�� vuonna (2013���2015) Suomen parhaimmiksi ty��nantajiksi tituleerattujen yritysten julkaisemista ty��ilmoituksista. N��iden oletettiin olevan kiinnostuneita ty��nantajakuvastaan ja rekrytoinnistaan keskim����r��ist�� enemm��n. Ker��tyist�� 19 ty��ilmoituksesta tulkittiin arvoilmaisuja ja annettuja esilupauksia kahden teoreettisen luokituksen yhdistelm��n�� muodostetun analyysirungon avulla. Aineiston lauseita eriteltiin analyysirungon teemojen alle ja niiden vakuuttamiskeinoja analysoitiin retorisella diskurssianalyysill��. Tutkimuksen tuloksena havaittiin, ett�� ty��nteon puitteista, palkkatiedoista, m����r��ysvallasta ja ty��n merkityksellisyydest�� mainittiin verrattain v��h��n ty��ilmoituksissa. Sen sijaan aineiston ty��ilmoituksista l��ytyi runsaasti ilmaisuja, joista ty��nhakija voi tehd�� p����telmi�� ty��ilmapiirist�� tai potentiaalisten kollegoiden asiantuntijuuden tasosta. Yritt��j��henkisyys- ja suorituspainepuheiden l��pi heijastui puolestaan kovemmat arvot. Arvojen ilmaisu tapahtui usein ep��suorasti kuin selkein�� arvolistoina. Konkreettisia lupauksia ty��nantajalta ty��nhakijalle tehtiin v��h��n tai ne olivat ylimalkaisia. Tutkimus antaa aihetta laajemmille kartoituksille. Mitk�� ovat syyt tietty�� kaavaa toistavien ty��ilmoitusten taustalla ja mitk�� tekij��t ty��ilmoituksissa eri kohdeyleis��j�� aidosti vaikuttavat?

Ethical leadership as a way to promote work-related well-being

The purpose of this study was to clarify the connections of ethical leadership with the work-related well-being of employees. Additionally, the role of occupational health care in ethical leadership that promotes work-related well- being was analyzed. The objective of the study was to produce knowledge to support the development of ethical leadership and work-related well-being as well as to find ways for occupational health care to support organizations in these actions. The target groups of this study consisted of the managers (N=43) and employees (N=336) working in one organization in the Finnish energy industry. The population was studied in November 2014 using census. The data was gathered with two different web-based surveys containing structured and open questions. The survey for managers consisted of background questions and statements concerning ethical leadership, work-related well-being and occupational health care. The employee questionnaire consisted of questions about background and statements about work-related well-being and ethical leadership. The structured questions were analyzed with SPSS Statistical Program and the open questions using inductive content analysis. At least 80 % of the managers saw their actions as ethical in all but one part of ethical leadership. The work-related well-being of the employees was found best in the area of ability to work (91 % agreed) and lowest in the area of experience of ethical leadership (67 % agreed). The results showed a strong positive connection between ethical leadership and all the components of work- related well-being. The managers and employees were generally quite happy with the services of occupational health care but managers saw some problems with the collaboration with occupational health care. Several ways to improve work-related well-being and collaboration with occupational health care were found. One of the most important things was thought to be offering ways to maintain ability to work and making these actions visible. Investing in ethical leadership and work-related well-being is extremely important for the success of an organization and the societal benefits cannot be forgotten either. The role of occupational health care in promoting the health and well-being of employees is substantial. Occupational health care should offer managers more tools to recognize difficult situations and acting in them as well as encourage managers to seek help from occupational health care without hesitation in problematic situations of leadership.