My Learning Experiences going on in Brazil

My Learning Experiences going on in Brazil

My expectations when I came back to Brazil were great, I've worked in a department where the most part of teachers are open mind and eager for news. When I arrive I realized the changes could be greater that I had imagine. Teachers from different campus called me and tried to exchange ideas and experiences, it has been amazing. On the other side, my time needed to be divided in class planning and execution, research, presentations and development work. It's not been easy, but I've enjoyed.

I've applied some techniques and methodologies I learn, or especially I could see in practice in Finland, in my classes. I have planned my courses focusing on students, in order to keep them active, besides giving them more responsibility. I've studied deeper some active learning methods, like PrBL, Peer Instruction, Flipped Classroom, and also I've searched more collaborative and social tools, with the purpose of engage more my students and awaken them to some 21st century skills.

Jamylle, me and Alexandre have made some presentations about our experience in Finland, and it has been very instigator because it has been an amazing opportunity to discuss common problems and propose solutions. I'll offer a 4h workshop in two campus of IFPB, whose title is "Enriching the learning process through social and collaborative tools".

Talking about our development work, it has been so hard, but also very promising. Our group, Design lab, will offer a course "Methods and Tools for Agile Process Management: A Practical Approach" in six different Federal Institutes, they are IFPB, IFES, IFSC, IFSul, IFS and IFB. Our course is supported by standards and principles like Learning by doing, Project based Learning and Active Learning. The main objective of that course is changing the mindset of students and teachers involved, besides developing skills to be applied in future LabDesigns that will be open in those Institutes.

We've worked together, one or two meetings per week, since early July. We've followed the plan drawn up in Finland, with some additions and work phases. First of all, we decided to offer an online course to all teachers related with the course: Petrônio, Paulo, Lukese, Márcio, Flávio (HAMK), Wlamir (HAMK) and Paula (HAMK). This initial course has had two objectives: share the knowledge among members group (practical approach) and prepare templates, repositories and course dynamic, in addition to refine presentations and materials. This first course will finish this week. We welcome three teachers who've been in HAMK and will apply a similar Design Labs idea, they will attend the course.

The next phase is the course itself. It will start on October, 03 and it will end on November, 15. It will be composed by four presencial classes (2 hours each one), six coaching meetings (15 min each) and a Final Project presentation. The number of students and teachers involved with the course depends on each site, for example, at IFPB it will be two coaches (Petrônio and a colleague), and 20 students (divided in five groups of three courses, Internet Systems, Electrical Engineering and Computer Network). In some sites, the course students are IF's teachers too.

Learning experiences in Finland: knowledge has changed, difficulties, surprises, important activities and mindset changing about education.

I consider I have had a complete immersion in Finish culture during these three months here in Finland. My wife and my son that come back first to Brazil are doing a great struggle to adapt to their usual life and cutting the link with the Finish lifestyle focused mainly in equity and respect. I decided to write this introduction because is exactly this that I've felt the education in Finland. I will organize this post in sessions, each one to summarize a different aspect.

Experiences and activities were the most important in facilitating my own learning.

One very important experience I've lived here was the opportunity to be and to behave as a student after more than 15 years I became a teacher. In this period here I had enough time to read, reflect, being in contact and feel learning experiences. I could realize some learning activities and situations that are not more suitable for my subjects and for my students, and I was applying. I could perceive how it was important learning by doing (PrBL, E-activities creation, learning methods) and seeing what is the real function of the teacher, so distant what I had made, as a transferring information, and what I intend to be, a facilitator.

I have faced the two coin faces in the case of work in groups. During the activities performed by my first group (microteaching, PrBL, and others), although I've realized everyone tried to contribute of some manner, there were different levels of commitment and it disappointed me a lot, maybe the blame was mine by creating a greater expectation regarding the activities that I should have built. That situation has encouraged me to search scientific and general articles about workgroup and teamwork, it has been enriching. On the other hand, my development work group has an awesome synergy, similar interests and commitments. I'm really enjoying and extremely motivated to conduct this work in Brazil.

Others excellent experiences I had were: a fantastic networking with my colleagues from Brazil and with teachers and other professionals from Finland, I hope this could be so fruitful in the future; Finnish culture considering general aspects; opportunity I've had to deepen a subject that interests me through teacher and students talking; visit specific labs, freedom to change the timetable in order to achieve my learning expectations (in some cases); interaction with my son's teachers and staff toward to achieve a better comprehension about Finnish education and relationships; sharing experiences and foster discussions about various educational issues with my housemate Daniel and our neighbors Igor and Karina, as well as with my colleagues and advisors during our lunches at TAMK restaurants (I'll miss them!).

Skills and knowledge has changed or increased during my stay in Finland

Focus on Student centered learning and the real dimension should be released on student motivation and engagement in order to achieve the learning outcomes. We were exposed to many strategies directly linked with that, like MIRAMI Method, Carpe Diem, Design Thinking, Proakatemia, Demola, development work, autonomy etc. Other method I've learnt and I'll apply in my disciplines is Project based learning. PrBL is indicated to a variety of subjects, but I consider it is very suitable for ICT courses. I fell happy to realize as I was instigated to go deeper is this topic and mainly the amount of resources we've been presented about PbPL.

It'll be a great challenge integrating students, teachers, society and University around some projects, that is the further work of our development team. I've seen different initiatives in TAMK, Aalto and other Universities in this way and I've been encouraged by my friend Paulo through his amazing experience in IFES. I consider this project and these ideas appropriated for the Brazilian Economic moment regarding the Brazilian government proposal to stimulate entrepreneurship in Universities, Institutes and schools as a way to re-grow the economy.

I've heard about teacher as a facilitator as well as about student centered learning for a long time in my life, but it was like a distant dream impossible to reach. Now, I've felt confident and motivated to change my disciplines and the way of managing them. I've reflected a lot about me as a teacher and what it would be more fruitful and important for my students. I've been put in touch with many interesting tools applicable to be used in education and I expect I could use them in a good and efficient way.

Difficulties, surprises and memorable experiences

I am a proactive person and I hope that who is working with me has this same attiribute, therefore I had some frustrations during some work in groups. I've tried police me to realize that everyone is different from the others, at the same time that I've reflected that as much as I study, read and work, more I will learn and seize the opportunity to acquire new knowledges I'll be able to apply in my life and to provide a better class for my students. 

I faced a great difficult after 50 days here in Finland because my family needs to come back to Brazil, I think that my productivity fell down during some weeks, but my colleagues encouraged me to retrieve my internal motivation and I got it.

I had two big surprises during my time in TAMK: the first one was Proakatemia, how it has been possible to concentrate different concepts and method focused on student, like PbBL, learning by doing, flexibility, self-assessment and others. I've been surprised also about how BIS and ICT courses has conducted the first year of their courses focused on subjects integration, learning by doing and projects in order to motivate the students and as consequence decrease the dropout rates, that is a big challenge in ICT courses around the world.

I've had countless memorable experiences that is impossible to resume in a paragraph. The most part of them is related with the education of the Finnish people and how the are always ready to help us everywhere and all the time. I could not forget to talk about TAMK staff that has provided an awesome atmosphere. Talking about annoyed moments I'd say they're associated with repetitive experiences, like Proakatemia (not coaching training, it was amazing), some company visits and about our lack of choice to experience something that we'd have more interested in some moments.

Thank you so much, you are really inspiring teachers. I hope do my postdoc here in Finland soon.

Aalto Design Factory: Sharing the passion for doing.

Aalto Design Factory: Learning by doing, research and innovation.

Even though our large amount of work on development work project, a group of IF's teachers planned a trip to Espoo city to visit Aalto University Design Factory, a physical and mental working environment for product developers and researchers focusing in the learning process. We were hosted by Paivi Oinonem, that is the Design Factory Global Network strategist.

Before our arrival, I thought that the main focus of Aalto Design Factory was the product development and a kind of relationship between Aalto University and enterprises, but just in the beginning of our visit, I could realize that the huge effort spent to put together teachers, researchers, modern laboratories, prepared staff, enterprises, other Universities, "much money", was to improve the learning process through master's degree and extra courses focused in Product development, innovation, student centered learning and learning by doing.

In resume, Aalto design factory (ADF) offers five possibilities to students, from Helsinki and surroundings as well as abroad. The key course which was responsible by the idealization and creation of ADF is Product Development Project (PDP). It is a one academic year course where students from different fields of studies are joined in groups of 10 to develop a innovative project coming from a local or an international companies. Students have worked in a real-life problem as a basis for learning. At the end of the academic year the groups show their products at Product Design Gala. During our visit, Paivi showed some past projects' posters and explained some of successful projects to us.  

Beyond PDP, Allto Design Factories has provided a Design Thinking Master degree course in partnership with Stanford University, named ME310. This course has special emphasis on user centered innovation and it's organized around full time nine months and in collaborative workgroup of 8 from two Universities (4 + 4). Likewise PDP course, the problem come from global companies and they are usually bigger. Companies must invest between 50 to 100k euros.

Aalto Design Factory also offers summer courses through an initiative named Summer Studio, as well a support to students develop Bachelor's and Master's Thesis and a Bachelor's degree minor studies programme in Interdisciplinary Product Development. ADF also provide a pedagogical support to teachers create a course that includes the planning, implementing and evaluating process. Working methods are individual and group supported with pedagogical mentoring.

ADF infrastructure is awesome, each detail has been thought to foster an inspiring environment. Paivi walked with us around all rooms and labs explaining their purpose and affording us the chance of talking to staff and gather essencial information in order to understanding the ADF modus operandi. My development workgroup was attending that visit and it is impressive as the ideas were flourishing in our minds. Four staff members talked to us about the students' enthusiasm, they've tried to encourage the students putting their hands dirty and be present to help the students wherever and whenever they need.

Aalto Design Factory was born in 2008 based in a interdisciplinary Product Development Project course and today has been spread around five continent, 10 factories and 15 hug points. Inside the main building there is a cefeteria where they have encouraged everyone (students, teachers, staff, researches and clients) to collaborate and to enjoy that space to get together. As shown below, some TVs present others design factories in real time, it's really a inspiring space.

As Paivi told us, as much as they increase the collaboration with others Universities and countries, more significant, challenger and valuable the projects have become. Companies will be more interested and consequently will sponsor much more money, as a result, a larger number of students will benefit from the various courses offered. I could realize that two of the most important features they aim are interdisciplinarity, groups are compulsorily formed by students from different areas, and internationalization, the official language of ADF is english and more and more the groups are formed at least with a foreign member. The picture below shows as the Design Factory has spread around the world. It is missing Brazilian hub yet.

I've reflected a lot about that visit and I'd like to share some points I consider extremely relevant to ADF successful. (i) encouraging interdisciplinary teams; (ii) cafeteria strategy, opportunity to put together stakeholders from different projects; (ii) openness, Paivi told us every teacher or researcher can come in and use ADF dependancies; (iv) engaged and motivated staff; (v) many facilities to students: sauna, cafeteria, flexible use 24/7, printshop, machineshop, paintshop, and others; (vi) startups, supporting and being supported by ADF.

In my opinion, one sentence is able to resume Design Factory proposal: Sharing the passion for doing. 

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Courses: How have Finnish Universities made different?

In my opinion there are excellent ICT courses in Brazil, specially in public Universities, even tough there are good ICT courses in private Universities too. In Brazil, there are deep holes among different levels of education, for example from upper secondary school to higher education. With rare exceptions, students have not been prepared to choose the career to follow and I had though it was the main point that could explain the high dropout rates in ICT courses. IFPB, campus João Pessoa, has provided to students two different ICT courses, Internet Systems Technology and Computer Network Technology, both the students are able to conclude the courses at least 3 years.

Regarding ICT courses of IFPB, teachers have been concerned to provide an updated curriculum for students and I consider IFPB has tried to supply our laboratories with good equipments, softwares and technical staff, and affordable to all students. Although the good environment teachers and students have, the dropout rates have increased year by year. The dropout rates is one of the two research questions of the VET CNPq project I've worked during my technical cooperation in Tampere University of Applied Sciences.

I've observed ICT courses of TAMK: Business Information Systems (BIS) and ICT Engineering, also I've talked to some teachers of that courses, mainly Tony Torp and Rami Lehtinen. I was really interested in seeing the courses' curriculum and learning strategies adopted. Considering everything I've seen, I could realized two main differences between TAMK courses and ours at IFPB: the first one is the organization of the 1st year of the courses, TAMK has focused on a big project involving some subjects aiming to motivate students, even though in my opinion, penalizing some computer science fundamentals (as I could see, that CS fundamentals are taught in others semesters after). The second difference, both in BIS and in ICT Engineering, the students only choose the specialization they will follow at the end of the first year, after be exposed to some introductory subjects and a big project involving all them. 

Dropout rates have decreased so much since these initiatives have been implemented. Students have had the opportunity to experiment different areas before making the important decision of choosing what they'll study until the end of the course. Students have been motivated through a methodology of learning by doing (integrated project). I realized talking to teachers that the students have carried extra skills like teamwork and learning by themselves, essencial skills expected in ICT professionals. In BIS 1st year project, the project client usually has been an institution not related to the University.

Proakatemia and Y-Campus: Focus on Entrepreneurship

Last week we visited two TAMK's initiatives very successful related with entrepreneurship. Proakatemia is a Business college totally focused on providing support to create entrepreneurs, or at least developing enough skills to their students acquire a entrepreneurs behavior along theirs careers. The students attend some subjects in the first year and from the second year forward the students are divided in groups of 20, working as partners in a real company.

Although the students have different preferences and skills, they must conduct their companies in all areas: financial, marketing, CRM, planning, etc. Regarding the course methodology, students necessarily will act like different business roles in some projects and they'll able to face specific situations they'll experience in their workplaces after University.

In Proakatemia, the students' timetable are split in training sessions, planning meetings, coaching sessions, projects' working, and others. The most part of the student's time is filled out with issues of their companies, they usually have prospected some projects at the same time (for each project there is a manager). I've realized the groups (companies) have the tendency to increase competition about profits, clients, prestige over time. At the same time, as the companies really exist, the students are constantly encouraged to behave professionally and try to overcome day by day struggles, with the advantage of being supported by experienced coaches.

Proakatemia infrastructure is incredible. The building is very cozy and vibrant, it is divided in some inspirational rooms, unlike traditional classrooms. The students and coaches have the freedom to move around the broad space depending of their necessities: meeting rooms, cafeteria, offices, training rooms, working environments, etc. It is a dynamic place when everyone has the opportunity for matching contacts, flourishing creativity, acquiring knowledge and developing competences.

During the course, the companies are not registered to an specific purpose, which makes it possible for the them offers any service or sells any product, providing to students learn by doing. Even though the learning process involved, the students have taken the companies very seriously and they have tried earning much money as they are able to. Prospecting new clients is a responsibility of the students, although in some situations clients request Proakatemia for an indication and Proakatemia has tried matching a company and that demand.

Proakatemia has been a successful for more them one decade, but it has reached a small group, 40 persons per year. Based on Proakatemia goals, TAMK created a widely entrepreneurship program, called Y-Campus. It is a multi-purpose space that uses learning by doing approach to teach entrepreneurship for students from different areas in multidisciplinary projects. Y-Campus focus also in partnership for companies, consulting and training, research and development, recruit students. Every TAMK students can attend a Y-campus course or be oriented by a coach in a specific idea or company. 

Conceptions of my students, knowledge and learning in my subject

Conceptions of my students, knowledge and learning in my subject

We’ve have studied different pedagogical theories, each one provide a view about the teacher and learner posture within learning process as well the methods that must be used to reach effective learning outcomes. I think all theories have contributed in some way to provide the set of tools available to teach, the biggest obstacle is the teacher realize that the most important actor of the learning process is the learner and what should be done is figured out how to construct a cozy and stimulant learning environment that keep learners motivated.

I’ve changed and evolved my conceptions about learning in the last few years. I understand learning as a process where the learner is provoked to reflect, collaborate and make choices, supported by a teacher that act as a facilitator. In my opinion the main factor to achieve the learning goals is motivation, both learners and teacher.

Motivation: A Key Factor in Second Language Learning’ by Reena Mittal.

Considering I’ve taught practical subjects of the last half of the course, my students are very related with their careers, determined, appreciate learning by doing and most enjoy working in groups. I think the students construct knowledge through experience, collaboration, challenges and reflections. There are information in everywhere, teachers are agents who should lead theirs students to transform the big amount of information in adequate knowledge. 

Available in "http://www.growthengineering.co.uk/3-tips-to-make-learning-social/"

Let’s increase the collaboration among our students? A brief view about some collaborative tools for different educational purposes.

I’ve been presented to some collaborative tools that could be very interesting to apply in my classes toward to motivate and engage students in different ways. I’ve realized the teachers of Tampere University of Applied Sciences try to introduce their classes with a warm-up activity using some of these tools. Beyond the using of specific collaborative tools to make their classes more attractive, all TAMK teachers I’ve seen have used a learning management system (Moodle) to foster a blended learning environment.

The padlet tool (padlet.com) é a platform that allows people to collaborate their thought on a common topic. We used this tool in two situations, at the first one Sisko asked us to write our name in a Brazil map to represent where we live and at the second situation Leena requested us to resume in few words one relevant learning experience of a colleague in the last six months. This tool seems extremely suitable to ice breaking of students at the beginning of the course and to engage students in specific situations of the class.

I have used tools to construct mind and conceptual models for a long time especially in research tasks. Assuming the role of student, I have realized that I could use this tool to resume and to structure ideas from readings, presentations, discussions and others. The tool coogle.it allows that users work collaboratively designing mind maps and I have made a lot this.

There is a world tendency to apply gamification in education and I have seen this process a lot with different teachers in TAMK.  Leena organized a game, like a pop quiz, using a tool called kahoot (kahoot.it). I have thought it should be an excellent strategy to start some classes, addressing contents read by students previously. Kahoot tool foster some king of competition among students at the same time that the teacher is able to accompany the overall knowledge about a specific content. There are two user interfaces, one is offered to the person who will create the game (survey) and another to the game’s participants. Participants must create a nickname and immediately he becomes a game player. The game’s owner has different visualizations to accompany the players’ performance. If the game’s owner desires, he/she can exhibit the participants ranking after each question.

Sami show us a tool very interesting for collaborative interpretation of texts (prism.scholarslab.org). He provided an scientific paper on prism tool and asked us to mark parts of the text that we agree, parts that we disagree and parts that we believe should not have enough information. After that, we could see the marked parts of the text considering the suggestions of everyone who had collaborated.

Sami and Hanna offered us a workshop about Flipped classrooms where they could show us many authoring tools with different examples. After that, they divided us in groups to create an object learning that could be used in a flipped class. It was an amazing experience when I could learn a lot, in addition to seeing the amount of possibilities to apply that acquired knowledge in my classes in Brazil. Flipping some of my classes’ materials will allow the students to develop more practice during the classes and foster environments for them learn by themselves. In this activity we use different resources from Powerpoint, YouTube, Screencast-o-matic and Playposit. The result of our work can be seen in:

https://www.playposit.com/delivery/206400/405872/why-is-good-teams-communication-important-in-a-project