Innovation Pedagogy in Action at May Workshop
What is Innovation Pedagogy?
Innovation pedagogy or Innopeda® as it is called for short, is a strategic approach to modern learning. It was chosen as the preferred approach in the TOO4TO –project for providing a new edge for developing the e-Learning modules and curriculum as part of the project outcomes.
We at Turku University of Applied Sciences (Turku UAS) have started the development of the innovation pedagogy approach already in 2006. According to Joshi, Storti and Scheinin (2021) the aim “has been to provide competences needed in working life and to promote innovations and regional development. Innopeda® is implemented in all Turku UAS’ sectors and on all study fields. It has effects on all key activities of the university, including learning and teaching methods, working life cooperation and curriculum design, and it has been developed systematically during its lifespan”. It was only natural that this new pedagogical approach was included in the TOO4TO project plan already early on.
Innovation pedagogy is based on the cornerstones of learning as seen in figure 1. They are the methods and tools necessary while implementing the learning process. Students, despite discipline, must acquire the core competences of their own study fields in addition to a set of so-called innovation competences. These competences have five dimensions that focus on creativity, critical thinking, initiative, team working and networking. The final aim is the student’s success in work and in life.
Innopeda in action
Due to Covid –19 pandemic all the TOO4TO-project meetings have been online so far. This also happened to the Innopeda® workshop, planned to be run for the members of the project already during the kick-off meeting in Poland. As the time to start planning for the e-learning modules and the curriculum approached, May 12th 2021 was chosen as the day for a full day workshop lead by Turku UAS team. The practical arrangements were done over Teams platform with a pre-assignment for all those attending from the partnering Universities. In the pre-assignment, the participants considered “Activating learning and teaching methods” and “Multidisciplinary learning environment” to be the most important themes to focus on during the workshop. A comment from one of the participants: “Teachers can be more than parrots” probably best expresses the expectations for the day.
True to Innopeda ethos, the day included various activities: a short keynote by the Head of Innopeda Training Center, but most of all working in small groups with discussions using virtual collaboration platforms e.g. regarding evaluation and student assessment as well as the implementation of Innopeda in the future actions of TOO4TO project. The whole group seemed very happy with the workshop day and as the planning of the e-learning modules and the curriculum are already at full speed, the “takings” like self and peer-assessment methods, group learning diaries and virtual hackathons from the day have been included in the future plans.
Written by Susanna Saari, Mervi Varhelahti and Marjatta Rännäli, Turku University of Applied Sciences
References:
Innopeda by Turku AMK (n.d.) Retrieved 9.6.2021 from https://innopeda.turkuamk.fi/language/en/home/
Joshi, M., Storti, A. & Scheinin, M. (2021). Innopeda Quality Handbook. Turku University of Applied Sciences. Unpublished Manuscript.
Konst, T., & Kairisto-Mertanen, L. Developing innovation pedagogy. Contemporary Educational Researches Journal, 9(3), 74–84. https://doi.org/10.18844/CERJ.V9I3.4224
