Toward Edification in Professional Higher Education

Author(s):

Katariina Raij

Conference:

ECER 2009

Network:

22. Research in Higher Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

22 SES 02 B, Student Expectations and Competencies in Higher Education

Paper Session

Time:

2009-09-28

11:15-12:45

Room:

HG, HS 30

Chair:

Yann Lebeau

Contribution

In professional higher education the learning objectives are set according to the demands of certain professions, but they also include the demand of professional growth. In this study professional growth is supposed to lead toward edification which is defined as professional wisdom by utilizing Toiskallio’s ideas of practical wisdom. The interest is in identifying the content of edification in professional higher education context as future oriented generic competences cut by subject specific competences in a matrix curriculum. This study has been conducted in a university of applied sciences, which defines its basic task as producing welfare, business, ICT and sustainable development competences. The curriculum is developed applying the matrix curriculum model of the European Tuning project. In this study, however, the identification of generic competences is not based on existing models or theories regarding the status quo, but on a vision of how things should be and what might make up correct action in the future. Initially I consider professional wisdom in relation to the concepts of theoria, poiesis and praxis proposed by Aristotle. I then go on to define the concept of edification as a competence, utilising Toiskallio's research findings of a teacher as a knowledge producer. He gives a hermeneutical-pragmatist concept of edification as practical wisdom, to replace the concept of a teacher’s subject-specific knowledge referring to the Rorty’s pragmatism and Gadamer’s hermeneutics. Once placed in the context of a university of applied sciences, the concept will be related to the types of knowledge and orientations of competence. According to Raij competence is a whole constructed of the following elements: 1) the knowing, 2) the understanding that provides significance to the knowledge, 3) the processes related to doing, and 4) an ability to manage situations that is closely related to praxis, where knowing, understanding and skills in doing are integrated so that the actor can act well in a practical situation. The Learning by Developing action model (Raij) will then be considered as a model of how professional wisdom can be built from generic competences. The LbD centres around a research and development project that is genuinely rooted in the world of work. It is in line with the theories of learning based on pragmatic knowledge theory. The LbD model, which requires research-oriented and developmental collaboration between lecturers, students, work life experts and clients, will then be modified from a point of view of living through identified competences.

Method

A written questionnaire focusing at first on welfare competence was sent out to all the full-time lecturers (n= 249). 1) What do you understand by the concept of welfare?, 2) What kind of competence will future welfare workers need to support people’s well-being? and 3) What will be the focal points of welfare competence and development in the future? In the second part the questions were repeated now in relation to business, ICT and sustainable development competence. Results were analysed and classifications were created for each competence area, after which repeated and shared classes were identified. Finally, the descriptive competence classifications derived from the data were collated into broader classes. Of the initial 111 classes, we resulted in six classes of competence. An expert team, mostly with PhDs, was set up. The generic competences were defined as corresponding to meta-skills which led to confirm five of them as generic competences.

Expected Outcomes

The five generic competences were identified as ethical, reflective, globalisation, network, and innovative competence. Specific competence descriptions were made based on research conducted by specialists. This led to develop a shared language with which to define edification at a university of applied sciences. The competences were presented as three levels of competence requirements. The five generic competences that corresponded to abilities for developing the future working life were then joined to each degree programme’s subject-specific competence development. The competence grows through living. In the LbD action model a workplace-oriented R&D project progresses, discussions and reflection take place and meanings are sought, which develops the students’ knowledge-based and skill-based professional competence. While creating edification, the R&D projects live through ethical, reflective, network, innovation and globalisation competence. The members of the R&D project environment work together so that the competence to be achieved can be identified and is evident to all.

References

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Author Information

Katariina Raij

Laurea University of Applied Sciences

Active Life Village LtD

Espoo

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