QUALITY IN ACADEMIC LIFELONG LEARNING, THE CASE OF FINLAND

EQUIPE PROJECT OUTCOMES

Kari SeppäläDirector, University of Turku, Centre for Extension StudiesDGWF Karlsruhe 13.9.2006

WHERE I COME FROM

University of Turku• Founded 1640 and

1920• ”Multidisciplinary

research university”• Six faculties• 18000 students, 1100

graduates, 120 doctors• Staff 3000, budget 164

m. ۥ Second biggest

university in Finland• Quality University in LLL

Centre for Extension Studies

• Founded 1985• ”Multidisciplinary, new,

learning, attractive”• Sections: OU, CPD, RD• Students:

9300+2200+1900• Staff 90, budget 7,2 m. €• Over 100 international

projects from 1990’s

THE THREE TOPICS OF TODAY

1. Lifelong learning in Finnish universities

2. Quality initiatives for LLL in Finnish universities

3. EQUIPE Project Outcomes

LIFELONG LEARNING IN FINNISH UNIVERSITIES

TYPICAL CONTEXTS OF LLL

• Open University/University Extension: University ~ Liberal adult education

• VIP: Student• Continuing Professional Development:

Scientific ~ Professional sphere• VIP: Client of our student• Regional Development:

University ~ Region• VIP: People and firms in the

region

OPEN UNIVERSITY

• Corresponds to faculty courses• No formal educational requirements for

admission• Credits without degrees• Pioneering ODL, IT• Virtual OU

OPEN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

• The main fields are education, social sciences and humanities (over 70%).

• 3/4 are women.• 2/4 are 30 years or below, 1/4 between 30 and

40, 1/4 over 40 years old.• 3/4 are secondary school graduates.• Geographical differences exist.

OPEN UNIVERSITY IN FINLAND 1986 - 2004

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CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

• Non-Degree• Multidisciplinary• Flexible, Tailor-Made• Course Fees, Contracts• Intensive and extensive programmes

CONTINUING EDUCATION IN UNIVERSITIES

• Great variety of courses and programs• For academic professionals, people who

are training for a new profession, experts in need of research results

• More and more often courses are arranged on demand and planned together with the organization that ordered them.

• CE also includes training for the unemployed and those who are in danger of losing their jobs

UCE IN FINLAND 1993 - 2004

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Many universities are active in the development of learning regions.

• From 1.8.2005 the third mission is a legal task of the universities.

• The main aim is to construct ”a regionally innovative milieu”.• Typically funded by European Commission.

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT SUPPLY

• RD had its roots in training for the unemployed and later in courses for entrepreneurs

• Regional development is implemented in (ever larger ) projects, where universities act as coordinators and partners.

• Projects often include service research, continuing education and training, consultation, networking and marketing.

WHAT MAKES UCE ACADEMIC

Typical statements

• University as the provider

• Services for university graduates

• Making use of knowledge production

• Making use of research approach

Our way of saying it

• In search of the new• Research-based

education• Multidisciplinarity• Realizing university

values: ethicalitycriticalitycreativitycommunality

THREE QUESTIONS OF BALANCE

• In Volumes: Growth till late 1990’s Decrease in early 2000’s

• In Strategic Development: Outreach - Mainstreaming

• In Profiles Task Expansion – Core activities

KEYS TO SUCCESS

• Student/Customer Orientation• Teamwork of Scientific and Professional

Experts• Continuous Quality Improvement• Flexibility• Mixture of Government and Private Funding

CHALLENGES FOR ACADEMIC LLL

• Academic standard• Business skills• Individual expertise• Learning

organisations• Regional impact• Renewal of working

life

• Content• Production &

Delivery• Learning at work• Information service• e&b-learning• International

cooperation• Innovations

QUALITY INITIATIVES FOR LIFELONG LEARNING

IN FINNISH UNIVERSITIES

EXAMPLES OF QUALITY INITIATIVES

•National study of adult education at universities in 1992-1994•Accreditation of professional courses from 1999 onwards•Evaluation of adult education at the University of Turku in 1999-2000 (+follow-up)•National evaluation of the open university in 2001-2002 (+follow-up)•Selecting adult education quality units in 2003 (on-going 2005)

ACADEMIC ADULT EDUCATION SURVEY

• National inquiry in 1992-1994• Focus: university adult education• Because of Min.Ed’s need for a general

view• Themes: Transition of offer, progress of

procedures, new tasks• Outcomes: report and andvanced

knowledge

ACCREDITATION OF CPE

• by FINHEEC Board from 1999

• Focus: CPE programs in HEIs

• Min.Ed aim to assure quality

• Voluntary, consultative expert review

• Process: application, further data, site visit, expert statements. registration

• Criteria: working-life orientation, contents and objectives, process, pedagogy, practices, quality assurance

• Outcomes: accreditation, register, curriculum improvement

• Polytechnics more active than universities

EVALUATION OF ADULT EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TURKU

• Part of institutional evaluation in 1999-2000 (Min.Ed.)

• Focus: external impact• Aim: institutional

development• International peer

review

Process: request, working plan, themes, data, self-evaluation, independent evaluator, peer review

• Themes: quality, cooperation, networks, innovations, evaluation, future

• Report, new strategy, actions

• Follow-up 2002

EVALUATION OF OPEN UNIVERSITY

• National 2001-2002• By Min.Ed:

“Clarification of basic values” development in the university sector

• Focus: entirety of open university

• “Tailored, transparent, embedded”

• Themes: equality, access, equivalence, functionality of the system

• Process: data collection, self-evaluation, mutual evaluations, national hearings, peer review

• Report Strategy, profile, allocation

• Follow-up 2005-2006

”FINNISH ACADEMIC LLL QUALITY APPROACH”

• Development orientation• Using international networks• University autonomy• Linking evaluation and strategy work

TOPICAL: AUDITS OF HEI QUALITY SYSTEMS

• International pressures• All the HEIS to introduce a (total) quality

system• Aim: to enhance quality assurance• Also covers the third mission and LLL• FINHEEC institutional audits by 2011• Construction on the way > internal audit >

external audit

EQUIPE PROJECT OUTCOMES

EQUIPE STEPS

• EUCEN interaction

• Expert exchange• EQUAL 1998 - 2000• EUCEN Quality Task Force• EQUIPE 2002 - 2005• EQUIPEPlus 2005 - 2008

EQUIPE OUTCOMES

• Case Studies• Quality links with introductions• Expert Pool• Consultancy Tool• Benchmarking Tool• EQUIPE Quality Learning Tool

EQUIPEPlus

• Dissemination• WWW-pages• National Quality Reports• Universities in Grundtvig• Indicators: examples, do’s and don’ts, a set

EQUIPE QUALITY LEARNING TOOL

VIRTUAL BENCHMARKING TOOL