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Mutual Quality Enhancement and Innovation in University and Companies - through Integration of Research and Continuing Education. Experience from Norwegian pilot projects Toril Eikaas Eide, Centre for Continuing Education, UiB, Norway. Pilot projects co-operated by two Norwegian universities:.
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Mutual Quality Enhancement and Innovationin University and Companies -through Integration of Research and Continuing Education. Experience from Norwegian pilot projects Toril Eikaas Eide, Centre for Continuing Education, UiB, Norway
Pilot projects co-operated by two Norwegian universities: • The Norwegian University for Life Sciences (UMB) • The University of Bergen (UiB) Managed by their respective ’Centre for Continuing Education’,(SEVU), here represented by: Toril Eikaas Eide, Adviser, SEVU, UiB.
Project background – motivation – challenges: • Companies:Limited scale of LLL and University Continuing Education (UCE) activity • University and company:Little experience from applying recent research results directly/quickly in professional development in companies • University:Limited knowledge about real life and important challenges in companies, - and about their need for competence development
Background – motivation – challenges (cont.): • UiB: Too little direct feedback from companies about their problems and demands for knowledge • UMB: Not sufficiently following up / implementing results of research when collaborating with companies (criticism in customers’ survey) • Collaboration fragmented - between university and companies – not integrated or functioning as a whole
Overall project quality aim: To stimulate increased innovation • through a more wholistic and long-term collaboration in research and professional development between university and companies (economic life / working life)
Project aim(cont.): Stimulate learning and competence development through • collaboration • exchange of experience • mutual knowledge construction innovation = quality improvement in: • Company • Network of companies, • University, • Region
’Innovation’ / quality enhancement seen as: • New products • New / changed processes, working methods • Models/methods of organising work and working place – in company / university • Pedagogical development
Core project feature: • Running continuing education activities / professional development • in networks of regional companies • combined with and/or integrated in research or R&D projects * Supported by The Research Council of Norway
Four pilot projects – two each: • Roses and cucumber (UMB) • Cod health in fry and brood fish production (UiB) • Operational meteorology (UiB) • wawe theory and wave forecasting • extreme events(forecasting of wind/precipitation) • Competence development in social and cultural entrepreneurship in Aurland (UMB)
Four pilot projects - two each • Roses and Cucumber • Cod health in production of • Extreme weather (Oceanography
What did we do – and how? Our model for our practical approach:
Pilot project aims: • Establish arenas for wholistic and long-range R&D collaboration between companies and university • Mutual competence development between companies and university through • Dialogue • Mutual exchange of practical and theoretical knowledge and experience • Joint planning, development, running and evaluation of • Concrete learning activities/courses • Research projects
Our model for mutual and double loop learning Theory + new research problems COMMON LEARNING PLACE Research results Theory-based Research institute Company Increased competence Increased competence KNOWLEDGE Experience-based innovation Practice + new problems
SEVU’s role: • Project leader • Process leader and facilitator • Pedagogical coach and adviser • Evaluator
Practical approach:Integrating professional development activity in R&D collaboration: At the beginning of the project: strengthen the users’ competence basis to participate actively in the project In the course of the project: establish meeting places for systematic and mutual learning and exchange of experience Towards the end of the project: tailor learning activities for groups of employees to support practical implementation of new knowledge
Pedagogical approach: • Learner based • Problem based – work place / company • Experience based • Theory based
MODEL FOR COLLABORATIVE CONSTRUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE IN R&D PROJECTS • EXPERIMENTS • In production halls • In laboratories PLANNING New experiments? New research problems? New action in the company? PRELIMINARY RESULTS Dialogue between researchers and collaborators (ie company managers and supervisors) representing Theory-based and Experience-based knowledge GENERAL CONCLUSIONS INTERPRETATION ANALYSIS
Results and outcome - quality enhancement: More traditional outcome: • Courses • Learning materials • Meetings Company representatives report: • Increased knowledge • More focus on and real change of working practices • Improved and more frequent contact and dialogue with university • Easier to contact university • Increased interest in research initiatives and results
Results and outcome - quality enhancement(cont.): University representatives / faculty report (cont.): • Easier to contact companies • Increased knowledge about working practices and challenges in companies • Improved and more frequent contact and dialogue with companies • New experience with applying problem based learning (PBL) in work place / companies • Feasible with immediate integration of research results in courses • - and also quickly let practical experience in companies influence research
Results and outcome - quality enhancement (cont.): University representatives / faculty report (cont.): • Permanent areas for dialogue with companies • Better access to more and interesting research materials • Input from companies about possible / necessary research fields • Establishing (and funding) more research projects
Results and outcome - quality enhancement(cont.): Centre for continuing education (SEVU): • Improved and more frequent contact between SEVU and research groups - which stimulates and facilitates more courses and professional development initiatives • New experience with applying problem based learning (PBL) in work place / companies • Experience with and learning from trying out new roles and tasks
Results and outcome - quality enhancement(cont.): Centre for continuing education (SEVU): • Improved competency in managing and facilitating learning processes - and coaching faculty • Promotion of SEVUs competency, functions and tasks to new users: • Companies (external) • Faculty and departments at the university (internal) Particularly positive feedback about the usefulness of the function/role as process leaders!
Questions?Comments?Other input?Similar projects?Your experience?