Circular economy teaching and project learning environments at TUAS, Virta 21.3.2019

1. Turku University of Applied Sciences
Marketta Virta
marketta.virta@turkuamk.fi
Circular Economy Teaching at TUAS

2. We educate practical top professionals.
Turku University of Applied Sciences is
a community of 10 000 experts
a technological university of the future
and a developer of well-being.

3. Education
Services for
business
Research,
development
and innovation
Three core activities
Services for business offer
a diverse range of expert
and training services for
the development of
organizations and
individuals. Our students
are a great resource and we
encourage companies to
take advantage of students’
knowledge, fresh ideas and
enthusiasm.
Studies at TUAS are working
life-oriented, combining
theoretical studies with
professional skills.
Our RDI projects are executed
in collaboration with working
life, and they can be anything
from short development
projects designed for
individual organizations
to international projects
spanning several
years, and involving
a wide network
of partners.

4. CE in TUAS:
Strategy2015-2025
The competence spearheads are:
• A Multitechnological Marine Cluster
• Circular Economy
• Sales
• Digitalization

5. Circular Business Models Research Group
Key numbers in 2019:
• Turnover: appr.700.000€
• 10+ projects
• Staff: 10+ and also work
by students
• ECTS: about 3000 a year
Main focus areas
Circular economy in companies
Circular business models
Development of circular economy teaching
Student-Company co-operation

6. Problem-solving project work
Assignments from companies
Circular Economy 2.0
Project Learning Environment
Multidisciplinary student teams
www.kiertotalous2.fi

8. The working life of the future requires
strong professionalism, responsiveness,
active participation, multiprofessional
collaboration and continuous learning
from professionals. Turku University of
Applied Sciences supports the build-up
of these skills through the Innopeda
operational model.
Innopeda emphasizes the learner’s own
responsibility and the significance of
continuous collaboration with working
life as a foundation of learning.
tuas.fi/innopeda
MINNA SCHEININ,
Head of Future Learning Design:
Innopeda is learning to become an expert of tomorrow.It’s
the courage to try out new things with new people,with an
eye firmly on the future.”

9. A multidisciplinary group of students
working together to reach a goal.
Real-life assignments from companies
related to CE.
Optional course (3-10 ECTS): contains both
independent work and weeklymeetings.
Aim is to develop: Professional and project
skills, group work, communality,
networking, presentation skills.
a cradle for innovations
Research Hatchery

10. Research Hatchery

11. Research Hatchery
• Developed since 2004 at TUAS
• Concept for combining learning,
innovation and research
• Functional learning environment,
collective learning
• Diversified teams
• Students, student assistants, RDI
experts, teacher
Further reading
Methods for circular economy teaching – a method guide and a tool kit
Inka Mäkiö & Marketta Virta (eds.)
Research hatchery as a cradle for new innovators – Handbook for implementation
Meiju Räsänen & Annariikka Kyllönen (eds.)

12. Planning phase
• Client with a real need (survey,
study, development, innovation…)
• Define the subject
• Build a team
• Book spaces and equipment if
necessary
Student from research hatchery:
Compared to non-research hatchery studying, this is such a
nice way to learn skills for working life.
Räsänen & Kyllönen 2013

13. Working phase
• Use teamwork exercises
• Agree on rules and roles
• Arrange meetings together with
students
• Monitor how the timeline, planned
actions and goals are going
Lead by example!
Trust the students and the process!
Teacher from research hatchery:
If you compare this kind of working with our traditional
classroom teaching, you have to be much more flexible as a
teacher and as a student, because when you’re doing this
kind of project, all things come up that are not foreseeable.
Räsänen & Kyllönen 2013

14. Closing phase
• Presentations of findings: seminar
presentation, written report, video report
• Feedback discussions
Teacher from research hatchery:
Some people with a lot of experience may think they know a
lot and some people may think they know nothing – both are
wrong because nobody knows everything and nobody knows
nothing.They have to adjust.
Räsänen & Kyllönen 2013

15. Thank you! Grazie! Tack! Shukran! Merci! Danke! Dank U! Paldies! Takk! Gracias!
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Kiitos!