International demand for TUAS’ expertise in education
There is clear international demand for the kind of expertise in education Turku University of Applied Sciences has. Teachers from four higher education institutes in Armenia, Georgia, Belarus and Kazakhstan visited TUAS in order to collect ideas for reforming their local education systems.
The international visit to Turku included an intensive training on the practical learning methods used at TUAS. The visit was arranged as part of the InnoCENS project, coordinated by KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden and funded by the EU Erasmus programme.
"The guests are inspired to reform and open for ideas", says Liisa Kairisto-Mertanen, Dean and the trainer of the course.
During the intensive course, altogether 24 teachers working in institutes of higher education in Armenia, Georgia, Belarus and Kazakhstan were offered a hefty helping of innovation pedagogy, a practical method of learning developed at TUAS.
Innovation pedagogy is a learning approach aiming at enhancing students’ innovation competences by supporting multidisciplinarity, learning through practical projects, real-life commissions from businesses, internationality as well as communications and team working skills. One example of this learning approach is TUAS Project Workshop, in which students from different fields of study form mixed groups and work with project-like assignments during the first autumn semester of their studies.
"During this week, the idea of innovation pedagogy has really dawned on me. It is also a way for us to increase the motivation of both students and teachers", says Elmira Faizova from Taraz State University, Kazakhstan.
"We will establish an innovation centre at our university. This workshop provided us with valuable knowhow on how to organize group activities effectively", continues Gaioz Partskhaladze from Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University, Georgia.
