DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW MASTER´S DEGREE PROGRAM BASED ON WORK LIFE REQUIREMENTS

Autors/ores

  • Ari Pikkarainen Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Kemi, Finland
  • Mari-Selina Kantanen Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Kemi, Finland
  • Päivi Honka Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Kemi, Finland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v10i6.4842

Paraules clau:

Master´s degree, curriculum, twin transition, communication, work-life

Resum

Lapland University of Applied Sciences (Lapland UAS) started developing a new master´s degree program titled “Master of Renewing Industry” on topics related specially to twin transition and modern manufacturing technologies in spring 2021. Planning of the curriculum was based on the requirements of companies in the Northern Finland area as the contents and learning outcomes were derived from the demands of work life. The topics were constructed around modern manufacturing technologies used in the workplace taking digitalization, sustainability, and carbon neutrality into account. One major component in the curriculum is the master´s thesis where students select a development task from their work based on the themes of the degree program. Besides the professional element, the support of writing skills and written communication is continuous in the thesis process and plays an important role in student´s professional development as it increases their research abilities. As an example, from the study contents, a course titled “Industrial Production and Operations” is presented, which started in the beginning of the program in early 2022. Every study course has a designated teacher who plans, organizes, and is responsible for the successful delivery of the course, including the use of visiting lecturers and experts. Some of these visiting lectures are given by experts in the industry as the key point of all the courses is to strengthen work life orientation. This master's degree program supports lifelong learning of technical personnel in the workplace and enhances their potential to adopt the best principles of sustainability and twin transition.

 

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Biografies de l'autor/a

  • Ari Pikkarainen, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Kemi, Finland

    Ari Pikkarainen, D.Sc. (tech.) is working as a Principal lecturer in Lapland University of Applied Sciences (Lapland UAS) Mechanical engineering degree program and Master School in Kemi, Finland. Pikkarainen is a teacher of technical subjects such as additive manufacturing, product development, mechanical calculations and energy technology. He has been working also as a mechanical designer in different areas such as steel- and paper industry. Pikkarainen acts as a main responsible person of “Master of Renewing Industry” Master´s degree program. He was the main responsible person in planning and constructing the degree program. Pikkarainen has acted as a main responsible member of curriculum development team in the Lapland UAS mechanical engineering degree in 2008-2012. In addition, he acted as the main responsible teacher (guiding a team of teachers and R&D personnel) in renewing the Lapland UAS mechanical engineering curriculum in 2014-2017.

  • Mari-Selina Kantanen, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Kemi, Finland

    Mari-Selina Kantanen, M.Sc. (tech.) is a Senior Lecturer at Lapland University of Applied Sciences in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Her expertise covers material science, project management, competence development, and student counselling. Her background is in the R&D of the steel industry such as physical and welding metallurgy. Kantanen has several years’ experience of the in situ and online teaching, student counselling, and education development.

  • Päivi Honka, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Kemi, Finland

    Päivi Honka is a Senior Lecturer at Lapland University of Applied Sciences in the Department of the Mechanical Engineering. Her subject is Finnish language and Communication and her interests include writing, communication and presentation skills.  Her background is in the communications and she has several years’ experience in situ and online teaching, education development and Bachelors’ Thesis guidance.

Referències

Finnish National Agency for Education (2022a). Deck of skills card. https://www.oph.fi/sites/default/files/documents/osaamiskortit_verkkoversio-en_1_0.pdf. Accessed on 29 March 2023.

Finnish National Agency for Education (2022b). Skills cards by vocational field. https://www.oph.fi/sites/default/files/documents/kaikki-ammattialakortit_englanti_2_0.pdf. Accessed on 29 March 2023.

Kangastie, H. Mastosaari, P. (2016). Osaamis- ja ongelmaperustainen oppiminen Lapin Ammattikorkeakoulussa. Publications of Lapland University of Applied Sciences, category C 3.

Lapland UAS (2023). What is thesis like? https://www.lapinamk.fi/en/Students/Study-Guide,-Degree-Programme-Students/Thesis. Accessed on 14 April 2023.

The Rectors' Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences Arene ry (2022). Recommendation on the shared competences of Universities of Applied Sciences and their application. https://bit.ly/3Nuo9hq. Accessed 31st of March 2023

Technology Industries Finland (2022). Skills pulse. https://osaamispulssi.fi/. Accessed on 29 March 2023.

Descàrregues

Publicat

2023-05-19

Número

Vol. 10 Núm. 6 (2023)

Secció

Articles

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