Maintworld 3/2019

EDUCATION & TRAINING
challenges of working through the web.
Skills and experience are needed in addition
to theoretical knowledge. If processes
crucial to the company’s trade are
made and controlled through the web,
learning content of skills essential to the
craft should also be implemented. This
challenge has been answered by creating
a maintenance module (15 credits) for
electrical and automation studies, based
on time and place independent network
implementation.
HAMK's pedagogical model has its
basis on phenomenon learning. It has its
basis in constructivist learning concept,
that states that the student always creates
or constructs the knowledge. That is to
say, the knowledge does not transfer from
teacher to student as it is. Multidisciplinary
understanding of the phenomenon,
inter-science, in which different fields
combine, is central. The phenomenon is
studied from the perspectives of different
fields, but in such a way that the yield is
shared. This requires team teaching.
In addition to phenomenon learning
and team teaching, modularity is important.
In the pedagogical model of HAMK,
instead of separate courses the lessons
are compiled into 15 credit compilations,
modules. For students this means about
400 work hours per module.
Goals are defined, methods not
In HAMK's pedagogical model the
learning goals are defined, but the team
can make the whole plan and define the
methods used to reach those goals. In
addition to technical studies teachers it
may include for example a communication
teacher. The role of the communication
teacher is usually integrated to implementation
of written and spoken assignments,
in other words directly to the
development of students’ qualifications.
He or she can also act as an important resource
for content teachers as support in
the development of study materials.
Team teaching helps teachers to cope
with constant changes, provided there
is trust between the members. It also
helps to try different pedagogical solutions.
In the Electrical and Automation
Engineering study programme, team
teaching is a normal and systematic way
of teaching. Development work of many
years has created a culture, where teams
can test different pedagogical methods.
We call that an experimentation culture.
It is a way to test a new way to work and
develop study implementations.
STUDYING BY THE NETWORK GIVES A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY
TO SHARE AND TRANSFER TACIT KNOWLEDGE.
Process based on interaction
So, an e-learning module for maintenance
has been created, but work is just
beginning and much more remains to be
done. Its basis is both the changed maintenance
operating model and the thought
that students need to be able to learn
and operate through the network. One
of the main questions is: How prepared
the students are for this type of studying?
Experience shows that variations are
wide. The experience shows that studying
online requires great discipline in
familiarization with the materials doing
tasks on time chosen by the students, but
within timeline set by the teachers. Some
of the students wants to plan their studies
themselves, but part of the students
needs more guidance and deadlines.
The changing methods challenges
the teachers. It is always easier to use
the methods he/she is used to use. The
change means you need to go to the
discomfort zone. Role of a teacher has
changed from "knowledge transferrer" to
a coach. Teaching through the network
requires a new type of guiding skill, as
students are not left stranded. Teaching
materials and assignments have to be
comprehensive. For example, doing assignments
after watching online lectures
or videos is not enough. It is possible to
do group assignments or have conversations
through the web. Usually students
are already in working life, so they have
the opportunity to reflect on what they
have learned and to create and share
knowledge.
Sharing knowledge
Studying by the network gives also a lot
of flexibility to share and transfer the
tacit knowledge. In the previous implementations
part time students, who
often work in the week time, had their
classes Friday evenings and Saturdays.
Full time student had their classes Monday
to Friday at the daytime. This made
the cooperation and knowledge sharing
between students difficult. Now when
changing the materials, discussion, tasks
and group works to the network, it gives
a possibility to mix the teams in different
combinations. This maximize getting
together different kind of ideas and experiences.
At its best, studying becomes a process
where the student learns, and the
teaching improves. When making most
of the network while studying and creating
a developmental learning model for
students, we believe it will also have a
transfer effect to develop new maintenance
models.
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