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Introduction to the Finnish pilot training programme  

Participation
The Finnish pilot training programme was designed to develop vocational adult teachers’ and workplace instructors’ assessment skills with special attention to identification of prior learning in the Finnish competence-based qualification system. The training was organized by Salpaus Further Education and implemented by Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences, Teacher Training College. The participants were mainly vocational adult teachers of Salpaus Further Education and workplace instructors who work closely with these teachers in the vocational qualification process. They respresented  the sectors of Business and Administration, Business Information Technology, Household and Consumer Services, Immigrant Training together with Health and Social Services. Altogether 15 participants signed for the training, but of which 11 completed the 10 ects training and 4 participants 3 ects. All participants were female.

Structure

The pilot training programme was implemented between 24th May and 31st  November in 2007 with the piloting of assessment tools from November 2007 till September 2008. The timetable for the training and piloting was as follows:

Training seminar 1 – 24th and 25th of May 2007
Training seminar 2 – 18th and 19th September 2007
Training seminar 3 – 31 October 2007
Piloting seminar 1 – 1 February 2008
Piloting seminar 2 – 11 April 2008

At the beginning of the seminars, the lecturers, subject matter, programme and schedule as well as objectives of the seminar were introduced to the participants. The participants were also introduced to the Finnish competence-based qualifications system and the decree in personalization which shaped the content of the Finnish pilot training programme to conctrentrate mostly on the identification and assessment of prior learning.

All participants were encouraged to create new innovative resources for identification of competences and prior learning in small groups which consisted of at least one adult teacher and one workplace instructor working in the same sector. At the end of each seminar a intermediate assignment was given to the participants with the help of which they were able to identify the assessment skills needs and to further develop their ideas for resources.The first session, as well as all further ones, were followed by the participants’ feedback on the content of the seminars in relation to the needs of the participants. Active learning methods were used: various practical tasks, mainly pair work and group work techniques. The participants were eager toexpress their views, share their experience and participated in the process in a very proactive manner.

Learning outcomes

The main learning outcomes during the training programme were that participants now have the

  1. Ability/ skill to define the strategy of assessment considering the students’ needs of learning, objectives of learning discipline/module, content and learning methods
  2. Ability to identify purposes and criterias of assessment  in relation to students’ level of achievements, depending on predictable learning results of discipline
  3. Ability to choose the methods of assessment, which enable gathering of objective information about students
  4. Ability to prepare and use different resources of assessment in relation to purposes of studies, content, learning methods
  5. Ability to give and receive feedback about students’ achievements and difficulties in learning.
  6. Ability to reflect and adequately assess ones’s activity in the process of assessment.

The greatest benefit of the Finnish training programme produced these activities:

  1. Active learning methods
  2. Closer cooperation between the teachers and workplace instructors in the assessment process
  3. Preparation and implementation the innovative assessment resources in teachers’ and workplace instructors’ practical work

 Links to further teaching and learning materials

Competence-based Qualifications in Finland by National Board of Education
http://www.oph.fi/julkaisut/2008/competence_based_qualifications_2008.pdf  

Aikaisemmin hankitun osaamisen tunnustaminen koulutusjärjestelmässä 
Opetusministeriön työryhmämuistioita ja selvityksiä 2004:27 
http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Julkaisut/2004/aikaisemmin_hankitun_
osaamisen_tunnustaminen_koulutusjarjestelma

Aiemmin hankitun osaamisen tunnustaminen korkeakouluissa 
Opetusministeriön työryhmämuistioita ja selvityksiä 2007:4 
http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Julkaisut/2007/Aiemmin_hankitun_
osaamisen_tunnustaminen_korkeakouluissa.htm

Oppimisella osallisuutta - vastauksia työn murrokseen. Sitran raportteja 29.
http://www.sitra.fi/Julkaisut/raportti29.pdf

Mäkinen, J., Olkinuora, E., Rinne, R. & Suikkanen, A. 2006. Elinkautisesta työstä elinikäiseen oppimiseen. Keuruu: PS-Kustannus.

Opittu ja tunnustettu! Vapaan sivistystyön opitun tunnustaminen formaaleissa oppilaitoksissa. Selvitys muodoista, käytänteistä, yhteistyösuhteista ja ongelmista.
http://www.vsop-ohjelma.fi/Maattaselvitys.pdf

Niskanen, A., Lepänjuuri, A. & Rautio, T. (toim.) 2006. Tunnistatko taiturin? Osaamisen tunnustaminen ja tunnustaminen korkea-asteella . Jyväskylän ammattikorkeakoulun julkaisuja 67.

Rikkinen, A. (toim.) Henkilökohtaistamisen hyvät käytännöt, mallit ja mekanismit. AiHe-projektin tuloksia 2006. OP