Towards expertise by integrating r&d activities into educational processes

Transcription

1 Towards expertise by integrating r&d activities into educational processes Matti Väänänen Jussi Horelli HAMK University of applied sciences

2 Challenges for modern educational organizations Even institutes focusing to degree-oriented education have to be more and more, not only aware of the needs of the industry, but also co-operating with them in several fields. Companies expect schools to produce engineers which have customized skills and already have practical experience. Schools are also expected to have expertise to solve practical problems and to help companies to develop new products.

3 Outline HAMK University of applied sciences Are research activities needed in universities of applied sciences? What benefits are/could be achieved? Cases: AutoMaint InnoSteel Conclusion

4 HAMK University of Applied Sciences 8 fields 23 degree programmes, 4 postgraduate degree programmes open studies, professional specialisation studies, continuing education international student and staff mobility and projects (over 100 partner institutions) 7000 students, staff of 800 Fields of education: Culture Natural Sciences Natural Resources and the Environment Social Sciences, Business and Administration Social Services, Health and Sports Technology, Communication and Transport Tourism, Catering and Domestic Services Vocational Teacher Education College

5 Number of students By location By field Evo 194 Forssa 700 Hämeenlinna 3056 Lepaa 326 Mustiala 360 Riihimäki 934 Valkeakoski 797 Vocational Teacher Ed.Unit 1235 Total 7602 Culture 584 Natural Sciences 218 Natural Resources and the Environment 911 Social Sciences, Business and Administration 848 Social Services, Health and Sports 968 Technology, Communication and Transport 2701 Tourism, Catering and Domestic 137 Services Vocational Teacher Education Unit 1235 Total 7602 (Figures: September 2006)

6 Research and Development at HAMK Education and Research Centres combining applied research and education A staff of 250 within R&D activities, equalling over 100 person workyears Turnover 10 million euros

7 AutoMaint - Competence in Creating Solutions AutoMaint - Competence in Creating Solutions

8 Focus points of AutoMaint s project operations Customer interface management Production processes Process industry Patch process Parcel automation Production information systems Automated identification Manufacturing techniques Information networks and data transfer interfaces User interfaces Automation control systems Automation systems and automatic machines Applicationand system integration Data collection and diagnostics Sensors and regulating units

9 Education- and research center s focus points for Industrial service business R&D OPERATIONS Data collection, automation, integrated operations and maintenance, control systems, production system simulation, information management, information systems, operations control, system integration, International business, services for internationalizing companies, international service business AUTOMATION Data communications System- and application integration Control systems Production automatization INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT Production- and product info management Production systems Operations control Quality control Management IB Marketing Financial management International business Cross cultural competence

10 Industrial service business

11 AutoMaint s employment impact in project operations Research work employed in total ca. 100 people (at least 3 months al together over 200 contracts), volume of project operations over 4 million Teachers participating in projects ca. 15 people (1 month -6 years, teachers salaries paid from the projects over 1 million ) Around 50 non-paid foreign trainees participated in projects, today on average exchange students annually Hardware and software investments made in the projects supporting teaching for ca. 700 k

12 Personnel This spring around 25 people will be working for AutoMaint (in 2000, 2 people). In addition there will be several teachers participating in our project operations Members of our AutoMaint team work increasingly in direct business service operations as well as in projects managed elsewhere Last semester we had 15 foreign trainees. During this year AutoMaint will employ over 20 foreign students or engineers (Turkey, Spain, Romania, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Greece, Columbia).

13 Professional growth IV III II The recruited students perform their whole work placement in the research center. The students are familiarized to AutoMaint s core competence; automation systems, remote control, production information systems Next year the students are in charge of some exercises in their fields as assistants Next summer the students assist in various projects and also guide new comers The next semester the students develop educational materials and are responsible for managing practical exercises for certain courses The students begin their final thesis, which are related to the projects of the center After graduation the students remain at the research center on fixed-term contracts or become recruited to some of AutoMaint s co-operative company. As the students continue in the research center they are encouraged to further educate themselves.

14 Networking of operations Financers Tekes, EU Teachers Employees work placement project work PBL Research center Employees Students Counties New established companies

15 Professional growth (part 2) 5 Expert Expertise Professional Graduated Study and work (years)

16 a different approach

17 InnoSteel HAMK in co-operation with industry and with public funding has developed a new way to improve the know-how in the area of local metal industry. The name of this brand is InnoSteel. From HAMK s perspective InnoSteel consists of a group of applied research projects, which are mainly focused on local small and medium sized enterprises on metal branch. In addition to the projects InnoSteel contains a training factory managed by a nonprofit company owned by HAMK, local cities, schools and a group of local companies. In general InnoSteel is a central node of a large network, thus providing a wide interface for industry focused challenges and projects for teachers and students of HAMK.

18 InnoSteel - R&D and training centre for sheet metal applications Customers Partners Steering group Development group Public sector RUUKKI R&D Businesses Products Sheet metal products (HAMK) Steel constructions (RUUKKI) Technology Centre Innopark Ltd Projects Services Projects InnoSteel Factory Ltd Board Vocational training centre Tavastia Virtual Factory (HAMK) Projects Steel constructions (HAMK) IS Factory Shareholders Expertise HAMK R&D Degree programmes

19 Case 1: InnoSteel (e-)learning environment using simulation models with different interfaces (classroom / internet) tools for practicing the use of real equipment in virtual environment a simulated model of the InnoSteel training factory manufacturing processes can at first be practiced virtually and finally in real production environment.

20 Case 2: Entrepreneurship and innovations within metal products The project offered practical co-operation for companies within the metal industry in implementing innovation processes and developing products, production and business operations. An innovation process typically consists of design, research, feasibility studies, process development, possible organizational re-structuring and personnel development. The practical approach of the Entrepreneurship and innovations -project enabled interactive operations in support of the parties learning processes. The project was launched on 1st September 2004 and ended on 31st December The objective of the Entrepreneurship and innovations -project was to promote the development and growth of companies within the metal industry. Additionally, the project aimed to root systematic innovation work into the normal procedures of participating companies.

21 WHY AND HOW ENGAGE IN R&D?

22 Why should the research center take part in teaching? One main objective of the research center is to develop operators based on industrial needs enhancing students professional growth. Learning is executed by doing. Part of this doing is guiding others. Guiding practical exercises is a vital part of assistants own learning process. The research center needs to have a contact interface with students also considering recruitment R&D operations act as an interface between HAMK and business, through companies future needs can be sensed. Thus R&D must have a guiding role when designing new study plans. Through the teaching offered by the research center, the connection between research and education is best executed as well as the transfer of research data into teaching The research center could have a significant role in learning environment development

23 Benefits of research center operations To the student system enables a more individual curriculum students receive more personal guidance students can utilize working to further studies students work with actual real life problems when the students graduate they will have work experience, which will enhance their placement to partner companies during working the students can develop their team work skills and learn to work in multi-cultured teams the students will have better image of how manufacturing companies operate; this will enhance motivation toward studying usually students graduate earlier than others or at least at the same time the students get paid for working the students have the possibility to establish direct relationships to partner companies

24 Benefits of research center operations To the university of applied sciences teachers competences can be utilized more extensively in research projects and in planning educational packages, while assistants take care of supervising practical exercises the arrangement enables problem centered project based learning in company oriented projects through student-assistant work placements existing and feasible learning environments can be developed the research center offers an excellent placement for foreign trainees and thesis workers the arrangement enables further education for teachers and information update in research projects the unit is being developed from a teacher oriented system to learning based team organization

25 Conclusion

26 So (part 1)? The mission of R&D centres in HAMK is to act as a regional developer by offering training products and applied research services for companies. Research centres have also an important role in the area of degree oriented training. With research centres university can educate students to become future experts by having good practical skills and by being familiar with latest technology By combining applied research activities executed in various research centres to educational processes HAMK has a wide potential to offer practical experience and real life challenges to the students during their studies thus preparing them better to meet the expectations of their future employers

27 So (part 2)? Participating in real r&d projects gives the students a great opportunity to increase their professional skills in many fields The students also have possibilities to establish direct relationships to partner companies Learning by teaching: There are great benefits in using advanced students as instructors; advanced students can recall easily the difficulties of beginners the beginners do not hesitate to ask guidance from their co-students. From learning perspective it is also good that the advanced students must repeat basic facts and understand whole context better and better when they advice novices. Learning by teaching is also one way to earn the respect of novices and improve the growth of professional identity.

28 Thank you for your attention!