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The Crucial Role of Collaborative Spaces in Developing Innovators

14.2.2024

Society, our work, and our everyday lives require us all to be more innovative and more intentional. Since around 500BC when the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus allegedly noted that ‘Change is the only constant’, the world has been in flux. This has not only continued, but it has accelerated. If we want to develop more innovators, we need to provide spaces that allow for innovators to develop. Responding to this challenge requires everyone to be ready and skilled in how to think more strategically about change, adaption, and innovation. Higher education institutions are a great place to hone these innovation skills, for both the students and the staff that fill them. But for these skills to be taught, the spaces that support this kind of learning need to be appropriate. This need is for the continued relevance of the institution itself but also for the society around it. There must be more innovation both inside and outside of the institution. If we want to develop more innovators, we need to provide spaces that allow for innovators to develop. The Importance of Developing Innovators For people to be innovative in their work, they need to learn the skills of incremental innovation. How it happens, what it looks like, how you get from the starting point to the deployment, and to fundamentally understand that deployment is not the end of the process. This is the kind of understanding that employers are beginning to expect from their employees. Continuous improvement is using innovation skills in everyday work and required structured collaboration. It is how institutions and the alumni from them continue to be relevant in this ever-changing world. Innovations vs. Innovators Developing innovations and developing innovators are different. One is an investment in your core business (or future business opportunities) while the other is an investment in people. This investment in people will provide them some agency over the development of how they do (and develop) their own work. To support individuals to become innovators in their own areas of expertise, we need to give them the right spaces to learn those skills and then to deploy them. The necessary skills are not going to be developed in traditional classrooms or in ordinary meeting rooms. The necessary skills are not going to be developed in traditional classrooms or in ordinary meeting rooms. There needs to be environmental cues (both physical and atmospheric) that this space is different. That you are here to work differently and to learn differently. It must also indicate that we are here to work collaboratively and that we are willing to change how we interact and work together to get different results. Tailoring Spaces for Impactful Collaboration Different actions and outcomes have different needs and what the space provides. It is difficult to have a deep, personal conversation if a group of people are sitting at desks looking in one direction (away from each other and at the back of heads). Different configurations are needed for different parts of any innovation process whether this is in a company, an educational institution, or in a public service. Discussion When there is a discussion, whether it is for learning new things or for sharing knowledge, a circle is often the way this should be done. Everyone can see each other, it promotes communication, and it isn’t hierarchical. Research shows that if you want people to be more collaborative, feel a sense of belonging, and participate more, you should seat them in a circular pattern. This gathering pattern is something that is quintessentially human. When we imagine small groups gathering at all times through history, we imagine circles. We see circles everywhere information is shared and discussions are had: campfires, grade school storytelling, the United Nations, U.S. Congress, the Finnish Parliament, indigenous peoples’ gatherings, healing circles, etc. Gathering in circles is essential to humans feeling seen and heard. “Circular physical arrangements such as these endure because of the powerful influences that people can have on each other when participating in these formations.” - J. Falout, 2014 Ideation When we need to do some intense ideation, we may or may not need tables. Or we may need a small table space to write or draw our idea and some clear wall space to display our ideas. This one part of the process will need to use two different kinds of spaces. This flexibility in spatial design becomes a catalyst for fostering flexible minds. If there is a need to create more innovative and flexible people in our organisations, then the spaces that they work in also need to reflect this. Traditional office setups, with cubicles and open offices, fall short in being able to cultivate true innovators. Small group work Ideas are often developed by small groups. Individuals can be too myopic (seeing only their own ideas) while too big groups will become unwieldy and stagnate as it becomes difficult to find consensus to move on. This means that there needs to be spaces where groups of 3-5 people can develop ideas into concepts. These concepts will need to be developed further into something that can be prototyped. This can only happen in smaller groups. This is a great opportunity to either have multiple different ideas taken to the prototype stage or to have different versions of the same thing be created. This gives everyone a chance to fully participate in the development and prototyping stages as well as to see the options that different groups can produce. There is never one solution to any given problem. Building/prototyping When an individual and a group wish to build a prototype or even two or three, having spaces and tools available to accomplish this is important. Prototypes, for both products and services, come in all shapes and sizes - from room-sized cardboard layouts to handheld tools and Lego floor plans. This means that you can never be sure if people will need tables to display their final prototypes or just need them in the building phase. If they just need them in the building phase, they may need a larger open bit of floor space to roleplay the service/product or to walk people through it. This means that tables need to be easily stored away. Presentations/Pitches Presenting as a skill, whether to your peers or to co-workers, is an important part of finding buy-in and being understood. Presenting to a group can be done either while they are seated in the circular position or in a more standard theatre pattern. But what research tells us is that a circular seating pattern “can activate fundamental human needs and consequently affect persuasion.” When you are pitching an idea to a group, a circular pattern can help persuade them to agree with you. Interesting research finding that may be useful for those people who find themselves in that situation and can affect the environment and how people are seated. All Spaces Are Designed It is important to understand that spaces are always designed. Someone makes a decision about what kind of furniture will be used, where the focus of the room will go, how much furniture is to be ordered. Each little decision is the design. Determining how the space will be used will define what is available for the users. When Static Spaces Fail to Meet Dynamic Needs Consider this: what happens when the needs of the space are dynamic and change even within the confines of one 3-hour block? What happens to those in the room when the space is not changeable? At some point a decision was made to define the space's purpose, closing the door to any alternative considerations. This is most of the built spaces around the world. When we look at learning and teaching environments, they are primarily organised so that the students look at the teacher or to teach professional skills. Neither of these are appropriate for learning or developing innovation skills. The next evolution was to make desks movable, so students could participate in group work. But still the desks took up most of the classroom floor space. Again, what happens when you don’t really need the desks and what you need is for people to do less listening and more doing? Now the desks are a bit of a liability. It reminds me of the poster that compared different modes of transportation and the space they take up (car vs bus vs bicycle). It exemplifies how much space “things” take up in the surrounding space. In their example it was cars, in mine, it is desks. Many are expecting different results from the same environment. I don’t disagree that there are still concepts that need to be learned individually and, in an orientation, where you are looking at a teacher. But it is important to remember that this is not how everything needs to be taught. Increasingly, spaces are being set aside for different ways of learning. But they are rare and maybe not fully understood. This is the same problem in many corporate settings. Many are expecting different results from the same environment. In big companies there may be open spaces available but they are not necessarily set up for impactful collaboration, some will be meeting spaces, some will be presentation spaces. Shaping Tomorrow’s Innovators We all need to make sure that our learning spaces are future focused and fit for purpose. The goal is to make sure that both inside and outside educational institutions people are able to confidently face and address the challenges ahead. We all need to make sure that our learning spaces are future focused and fit for purpose. At the beginning of allocating learning spaces and planning teaching, it would be important to considering the five above needs: discussion, ideation, group work, prototyping, and presentations, to achieve the best learning outcomes. Writer Pamela Spokes, BA, MA, MBA, AmO works as a Service Designer in Metropolia’s RDI team. Originally from Canada, Pamela has many years of experience working in higher education institutions in different countries and in different roles. She teaches the English Pre-Incubator Programme and Service Design in different Schools.

19.1.2024

vierailija

In order for all students, regardless of their background, to be able to take part in international learning opportunities, the opportunities have to be inclusive and comprehensive. What does this mean and how can we enhance students’ equal opportunities to develop multicultural and global competences during their studies? To increase and improve inclusivity of internationalisation activities of students, diversifying international learning opportunities is a must, as this blog post explains. We will introduce two useful ways to do this, along with new ideas for professional development. To increase inclusivity of internationalisation activities of students, diversifying international learning opportunities is a must. Multicultural competence is one of the working life competencies that each degree programme must take into account in their curricula. It refers to a student's ability to work in a multicultural professional community and customer environment, the ability to take into account the effects and opportunities of global developments and phenomena in the field and having necessary language skills. In addition, sustainable development goals related to one’s professional field are more or less international and global in nature and hence also linked to international and multicultural competencies. Internationalisation is for all, or is it? Semester-long student exchanges have traditionally been seen as the main way for students to develop their international competencies, but the world and the students are changing. In the past years, already prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the UAS sector in particular has witnessed a somewhat steady decline in the volume of semester-long student mobilities. Despite the numerous opportunities and travel grants available, not every student finds a long-term mobility period abroad a viable option. We can also see changes in the student body with an increasing number of adult students and students with children, making semester-long absence from home impractical. Not every student finds a long-term mobility period abroad a viable option. Furthermore, there has been discussion about inclusivity in internationalisation activities. Many studies are indicating that participation is, on the one hand, inherited, meaning that students coming from an academic background are more likely to take part in international opportunities. On the other hand, participation in international opportunities tends to accumulate so that students with international experiences are more likely to take part in these activities even more. Barriers preventing participation can vary from institutional factors, such as insufficient funding and lack of information about opportunities, to environmental obstacles, such as low income and society not valuing international experiences. They can also be attitudinal, viewing international activities as something for others, not for everyone, and certainly not for me. (Siekkinen, 2013; Siltala, 2013; Alliens, Gabriels, 2021). Co-creating an international classroom through virtual exchanges Virtual exchange is a form of internationalisation at home. It is a way to internationalise the curriculum and offer teachers and students an opportunity to interact and collaborate online with peers from partner institutions abroad. It also provides a good way to introduce a different language, such as English, into the students’ professional vocabulary. Virtual exchanges can make internationalisation more equal and inclusive for all students, as international learning can now be built and experienced in one’s own classroom without travelling. Virtual exchange can be an instrument for providing highly relevant international and intercultural learning experiences to students. One should, however, understand the distinction between different forms of “international learning on-line”, and when mere online lecturing transforms into a multicultural learning experience for students and teachers involved. Through co-creation with colleagues from partner universities, virtual exchange can be “an instrument for providing highly relevant international and intercultural learning experiences to students, but it also allows these experiences to be integrated in the curriculum through bottom-up implementation”, as Sake Jager from the University of Groningen points out. In order to take the leap from a virtual lecture to a virtual exchange, collaborative teaching and learning should be put in the centre of activities. COIL, short for Collaborative Online International Learning, is a good model to use. Metropolia staff have been offered training on how to develop COIL opportunities for students into already existing courses and modules through the U!REKA network since 2021, and a new set of training sessions are planned for spring 2024. One can start to integrate virtual exchange and COIL into one’s classroom by taking small steps at a time. How about beginning with a short, collaborative segment in an existing course module? There are no set minimums or maximums of what it should be, it can be one assignment or one theme. Start small and build from there. Two basic principles are as follows: students work online under the direction of teacher/-s, together with students and teacher/-s from a partner institution, and the project is planned and taught in collaboration with teacher/-s from the partner institution. At its best, the teachers have a community to design, plan and execute teaching and the end result provides students with an opportunity to interact with peers, so they can develop intercultural competences and digital skills while working together on subject-specific learning activities. For more inspiration, see Niina Huovinen’s blog post on “Creating International Classrooms through Virtual Exchange”. Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP’s) To expand the student and teacher experience one step further, is to engage in an Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme, or BIP. BIP is a more flexible form of mobility where short-term physical mobility abroad is combined with virtual co-learning, hence the term blended. Universities are able to engage in Erasmus+ BIPs in two ways, either as an organiser that hosts a group of teachers and learners from partner universities, or as a partner that sends participating teachers and learners. BIP is a more flexible form of mobility where short-term physical mobility abroad is combined with virtual co-learning. The central idea of a BIP is that it brings learners together to work collectively and simultaneously on specific assignments that are integrated in the blended intensive programme, both counting towards the overall learning outcomes. The physical mobility duration of 5-30 days makes it more accessible to those unable to participate in semester exchanges. A BIP can give students positive experiences in international projects, providing perhaps the first international classroom experience abroad, and encouraging them to seek more, and longer-term exchange options. But it's not just students who benefit from a BIP, as it provides teachers an opportunity to build upon their earlier experiences with virtual exchanges and add on new components. It can also provide fruitful experiences, building their intercultural teaching skills and global networks. In the spring 2023 a survey of 196 academic coordinators of BIP’s studied how BIP’s are being employed in European Higher Education and what the experiences of the coordinators have been to date. (RobertO'Dowd, University of León, Spain and Sina Werner, Ruhr-University Bochum,Germany) The students and staff benefits included: Having the opportunity to work in international teams (33%) Developing a professional network (27%) Developing intercultural skills and an intercultural perspective (23%) Experiencing new ways of teaching and new perspectives on the subject matter (16%) Where to go from here? Diversifying student population and improvement of inclusion in mind, we need to widen the scope of international learning opportunity options available to students. Virtual exchanges and blended international learning opportunities with short-term physical mobilities are some of the new ways for teachers to bring global learning experiences in the classroom. Consider these: Check out your institutional info for any announcements on virtual exchanges and BIPs. Work with your International Relations Adviser to identify options Finding colleagues to collaborate with is a common challenge. Start with your institution’s partner network. At Metropolia, you can start with our Erasmus+ EUI network U!REKA Shift. Don’t forget that semester exchanges are still available to your students as well. Metropolia is currently a partner in Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership project Inclusive Comprehensive Internationalisation (ICI) that aims to find new solutions as well. ICI staff training will be offered for Metropolia staff in the spring of 2024 aiming to help teachers, degree programmes and other staff to develop inclusive and comprehensive international learning opportunities accessible to all students. The journey towards multicultural competence requires innovation, inclusivity, and a willingness to embrace the ever-expanding landscape of global learning. Education continues to evolve and so should our approaches to internationalisation. As we see it, the journey towards multicultural competence requires innovation, inclusivity, and a willingness to embrace the ever-expanding landscape of global learning. Writers: Tia-Maria Sjöblom works as an International Relations Adviser in the School of Culture and Creative Industries. She has been coordinating many BIP:s as a sending and hosting role and is passionate about facilitating positive impact that BIPs can have on the students and teachers. Tiina Piipponen works as an International Relations Adviser in the field of technology and as a Project Manager for the Inclusive Comprehensive Internationalisation project at Metropolia. All things related to international and intercultural competence, diversity, inclusion and equity inspires her. Terhi Topi works as an Erasmus Institutional Coordinator. She is responsible for Metropolia’s Erasmus mobility funding and reporting. She has been actively involved in developing BIPs at Metropolia. The ability to unlock doors for international options for students and staff is close to her heart. References: Huovinen, Niina: “Creating International Classrooms through Virtual Exchange”. In Metropolia blog Hiiltä ja timanttia. Rogler, Andreas, Elina Lehtomäki, Johanna Lampinen: Unlocking the potential of online learning in the internationalisation of higher education. Finnish National Agency for Education. Reports and surveys 2023:3. Jager, Sake: “Digitalisation in International Higher Education, Online International Education: The Case for Virtual Exchange”. ACA Think Pieces. Oct 2022. Article 6. European Commission: Blended mobility implementation guide for Erasmus+ higher education mobility KA131. European Commission 18-07-2022. O'Dowd, Robert and Sina Werner: “Blended mobility in European Higher Education: A survey of Blended Intensive Programme. Summary of the main findings (preliminary results). 2023. Allinson, K., Gabriels, W.: Maybe it will be different abroad: Student and staff perspectives on diversity and inclusion in student exchanges. SIEM Research Report. 2021. Siekkinen, Taru: Kansainvälistymismahdollisuuksien tasa-arvo koulutuksessa. Jyväskylän yliopisto. Koulutuksen tutkimuslaitos. Työpapereita 29. 2013. Siltala, Anne: Kuuluuko kansainvälisyys kaikille?: Kansainvälistymismahdollisuuksien tasa-arvo CIMOn ohjelmissa. Taustaselvitys, 08/2013. Kansainvälisen liikkuvuuden ja yhteistyön keskus CIMO.

22.12.2023

vierailija

In recent years, sustainability has gained significant attention in education. Universities of Applied Sciences have taken sustainability in education seriously. Why this shift? It comes down to various factors, including government reforms recognizing global challenges and educational institutions collaborating to find innovative solutions. In Finland, a commitment to sustainability in teaching aligns with the need to balance economic growth with finite environmental resources and address challenges like climate change and equality. Universities of Applied Sciences educate future professionals that can be in the forefront of solving sustainability challenges in the society. Universities of Applied Sciences educate future professionals that can be in the forefront of solving sustainability challenges in the society. In December 2021, The Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences Arene published, that highlight sustainable development as one of the competencies for both bachelor’s and master's degrees. Metropolia officially introduced Arene’s shared competencies into all of its degree programmes in the autumn 2022. In this text, we explore the importance of sustainability in education and introduce the steps taken at Metropolia to support its teaching staff in integrating sustainability into curricula. Sustainability in education must involve both staff and students People tend to have various views on what sustainability is. Building a common understanding on what sustainability actually means and its systemic nature was identified as the starting point for Metropolia. The goal was set, that every Metropolian, whether a member of staff or a graduating student, will receive sustainability know-how that can be implemented in working life and society. The goal is that everyone will receive sustainability know-how that can be implemented in working life and society. To achieve this goal, sustainability is being integrated into all degree programmes. The vision is clear: every graduate should possess relevant sustainability expertise tailored to their specific field and profession. A current state analysis was conducted in all degree programmes in 2022. The aim was to identify how sustainable development is part of the teaching by analyzing the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how the themes of the goals are part of courses. Based on the analysis the degree programmes have conducted plans for continuing the integration of sustainability into the curricula and everyday teaching in the years to come. Sector-specific specialists from Metropolia's Sustainability in Education team have offered sparring, when conducting these analyses and working on integration. Sustainability know-how of the teaching staff is key to be able to integrate sustainability aspects into teaching. Parallel to the current state analysis, a basic course on sustainable development for the entire staff was launceh. The online course presented the basic concepts and systemic nature of sustainable development, its three pillars and how sustainability is managed at Metropolia. By the end of September 2023, 726 staff members had completed the course, which is around 70 % of Metropolia’s full-time staff. The course has helped in shaping shared understanding on what sustainability in higher education context means. Clean and sustainable solutions Innovation Hub offered to all students of Metropolia and other universities of applied sciences 30 ECTS credits of free electives from the training package of clean and sustainable solutions. The package consists of five courses, of which one can complete one or more according to their own interest and schedule. The contents are designed to be suitable for students of all fields, and the implementation is such that it enables experts from different fields to work together and learn from others in multidisciplinary environments. Promoting collaboration between teachers is vital for sustainability in education Collaboration between teachers is key to success in integrating sustainability into the everyday life of teaching. Teachers have limited resources which is why peer-to-peer sparring, sharing best practices and truly focusing on the practical level of teaching is important in sustainability work. Sharing best practices and truly focusing on the practical level of teaching is important in sustainability work. Metropolia’s Sustainability in Education Team organized an event for teaching staff in September 2023. The aim was to share new practical knowledge and expertise on how to integrate sustainability in education, to provide time for discussion and collaboration in education development. It was aimed at Metropolia's Heads of Degree, teaching staff, study coordinators, guidance counselors and others working with educational development. There were somewhat 80 people enrolled for the event. In the joint session Metropolia’s work towards sustainability in education, Arene’s work for sustainability competencies and the EU's Green Comp Framework were presented. Event continued in four field-specific sessions, where lecturers from each field shared their best practices on integrating sustainability into teaching. Feedback of the event was positive, and participants wished for similar opportunities for discussion also in the future, but with a multidisciplinary approach so that participants can learn from different fields. Key take-aways from field-specific sessions: Culture Various courses were presented: the innovation course in design, the sustainable design course, the circular economy and design course, the courses and course plans related to fashion and clothing. Discussion was held on the contents and the possibilities for cooperation between different degrees and majors as well as future plans. Several points of convergence were identified. Technology Development of a sustainable development module as part of all students' orientation was discussed. The idea is to progress after this to the knowledge of sustainable development of the different training programs in the field with different courses. In this way, it is possible to acquire sustainability competence at three different levels: the basics of sustainable development at a general level, sustainable development in one's own field and sustainable development as part of one's own professional competence. Innovation projects were identified as a good way to integrate sustainability thinking into the studies of degree programmes. Project- and learning environments like Carbon garage, IoT garage, Urban Farm Lab, Hymy village provide more opportunities. Social and Health Services Social and Health Services campus actively integrates sustainable wellbeing into operations and teaching methods, aligning with a broader commitment to holistic sustainability in education. Emphasizing self-awareness and responsibility, Collaborative Storytelling is key to teaching sustainability as theory and practice. In September’s joint session, diverse topics were discussed, from student innovations reducing hospital carbon emissions to participation in the EU project SDG4BiZ and efforts to infuse sustainability into osteopath practices. The sustainability in education team has orchestrated impactful events, fostering a meaningful exchange of stories among teachers, students, and practitioners. These discussions inspire collaborative efforts towards Metropolia's strategic goals for 2025, showcasing the community's dedication to sustainability in social and health services education. Business Presentations from different topics in the field of business were held: responsible business, economy, marketing and finance. Each gave listeners new perspectives and ideas for integrating sustainability into their own courses. Responsible Business is a comprehensive overview of the theme of sustainable development and responsibility. The course includes a wide range of expert lectures and small group discussions. This type of implementation has received really good feedback from students. The ideas of sustainable economy and climate change were discussed with concrete examples. In marketing courses sustainability is embedded into the business cases that the students solve. A new course Responsible Finance and the background to its development. The course is very up-to-date and responds well to the changing needs of the financial sector. The journey towards sustainable education continues Collaboration and time for discussion and reflection among peers is vital, if we want to succeed in sustainable education. To respond to this need, Metropolia will set up a network of teachers invested in sustainability in their own teaching. The network will operate in 2024 with an idea of changing ideas with peers as well as sparring and helping colleagues in their own fields to integrate sustainability into curricula and courses. Collaboration and time for discussion and reflection among peers is vital, if we want to succeed in sustainable education. In light of the gigantic megatrends and societal challenges ahead such as climate crisis, biodiversity loss as well as threats to democracy and wellbeing it is clear that there is still much work ahead of us. As Helen Keller once wisely noted, "Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much." These challenges require collective effort and an unwavering commitment to change. Rebecca Solnit, in her work "When the hero is the problem," reminds us that it is often not heroes but ordinary individuals working collaboratively who bring about transformative change. The road ahead may be long and arduous, but with unity, determination, and a shared vision, we can remain hopeful and continue to aspire towards a sustainable future for all of us. Universities of Applied Sciences have a responsibility in educating future professionals that can solve these challenges. Writers Elli Ojala (MBA) works as Metropolia’s Sustainability Manager. Elli is in charge of integrating environmental, social and economic sustainability into Metropolia’s everyday operations. Tricia Cleland Silva serves as a senior lecturer and holds a PhD in Management and Organization. Her co-created method of Collaborative Story Craft and Story Mediation inspires her roles in sustainable development and inclusion within higher education and community of practice. Riitta Lehtinen, Licentiate in Technology (Chemical Engineering) works as a principal lecturer in the Department of Clean Technologies in Metropolia. Her favorite aphorisms are: Look at systems - think globally, act locally! Waste is a choice, the choice is (y)ours! and Less is more! Juha Ainoa, MA (Design), is a senior lecturer and head of major in the design degree in Arabia Campus. Anne Perkiö, M.Sc. (Econ.) and Licentiate in Education, works as a Principal Lecturer and Head of Business Administration Programme in Metropolia Business School. Her motto is: Always learning! Additional information Metropolia’s sustainability website Shared competencies for universities of applied sciences. Arene.