I MPLICATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

For purposes of exploring the theoretical and practical implications, and the needs for further study, I argue here for three related development needs. Firstly, there is a clear need to develop an RDI competence framework for UAS students and faculty. Secondly, based on the competence framework, RDI pedagogies need to be further developed to support the development of these competences. Thirdly, there is a need for a new model of collaboration in RDI projects. These three measures can eventually help solidify UAS bachelor students’ competence and position as the RDI actors that they should be, and as future professionals consuming and conducting RDI.

The discussion of these propositions below is intertwined.

RDI is fashionable and powers economies according to a myriad of policy papers and innovation theorists. Yet, incredibly, in spite of many efforts, I was unable to locate an RDI competency model or framework either in Finnish or foreign literature. Clearly, there is a need to develop one. To ensure faculty’s and future graduates’ ability to consume and conduct RDI in their daily work, they must have the opportunity to learn the RDI competences needed in future working life. These competences cannot be taught without an understanding of what they are. Extending the results of this study to RDI competence model development, at least twelve existing concepts, skills and competency sets need to be analyzed and condensed to form a preliminary model. These include existing models of

- general goals of research, development and innovation - research literacy

- research ability - research ethics - reflective researcher - information literacy - academic writing skills - innovation skills - negotiation skills

- business consultancy skills - media skills

- emotional management

- social relationship competences

The question of RDI competences is linked to the concept of research self-efficacy. The concept of research self-efficacy has been defined and investigated (e.g. Holden et al. 1999;

Lambie et al. 2014). But more research is needed to establish in more detail what it is and how its development can be nurtured. Specifically, in the context of RDI competences, the concept RDI self-efficacy needs to be defined in such detail that pedagogues can start developing and nurturing it purposefully.

Building on the above preliminaries, I suggest that the key findings discussed in chapters 3 and 4 be summarized into a quadripartite system of collaboration and development (figure 14). The dominant tripartite model of interaction between students, HEIs and working life organizations is deficient in an age where pedagogy is as socio-constructivistically oriented as it currently is. The quadripartite model suggested below adds student’s peers into the interaction process as a new forceful dynamic that is currently too often underused or totally overlooked. The model is applicable to any educational institution collaborating with working life through faculty- or learner-led RDI projects irrespective of the size of the project or the educational institution.

FIGURE 14. The quadripartite system of collaboration and development

To ensure success in the form of mutual learning and benefits in RDI and thesis projects in this quadripartite system, it is essential that all parties are motivated, committed and competent to play their part, and keenly aware of the stumbling blocks hindering effective collaboration and development. Based on the findings in the context of this study, it can be argued that the stakeholders in the quadripartite system are too often outside their ZPDs. This results in feelings of unnecessary uncertainty, inadequacy, fear and stress, and, consequently, possibly also in

Representatives of working life organizations

Student’s peers Student

QUADRIPARTITE SYSTEM OF COLLABORATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Faculty

ineffective and inefficient RDI activities, and delays in studies and graduation. Measures need to be taken to develop the RDI competences of all the stakeholders.

The competence development process must start with faculty. Firstly, faculty needs to know what RDI competences they should teach to UAS bachelor’s students and through what pedagogical interventions. Secondly, students need to be taught RDI competences throughout their studies starting from the freshman year. This ensures that students are – at least close to – their ZPDs when RDI competences are needed for course, thesis or project purposes. Thirdly, working life organizations need to be clearly and briefly informed of what is expected of them as collaborators. When all stakeholders are motivated, committed and competent, true CoPs can develop at all the tips of the diamond, and between the stakeholder communities.

Let’s start with the faculty, who in educational institutions is the party in charge of functional pedagogic and advising arrangements. For faculty to function effectively and efficiently in the quadripartite system, it is important both from the viewpoint of theory and practice to implement further studies on those faculty attitudes and competences that nurture student learning and development in dissertation processes, and mutually beneficial collaboration between students and working life. Specific attention should be given to the development of models that support collaboration between faculty and working life organizations and representatives. Some models exist, but the efficiency and effectiveness of such collaboration still often leaves much to hope for in the current realities of institutional life. Additionally, there are currently no competence models explicating the competences faculty needs to master to collaborate and liaise successfully with working life, and between the student and working life. Current supervision guides for faculty are not adequate without the inclusion of these competences. Management in educational institutions need to develop resourcing models for faculty that do not require faculty to squeeze working life relationship development and management into the standard resource given for developing and implementing teaching. Lack of resourcing can be a major hindrance for the development of such relationships.

Secondly, the student as the primary learner in the education process needs to be prepared to function meaningfully in the quadripartite system, specifically, in the role of a dissertation project manager. Successful management of a typical UAS thesis, which is a commissioned RDI project, requires a wide variety motivational, cognitive, emotional and social skills. There is a wealth of literature on IL competences and competence development, and hundreds of research and dissertation guides written for students. Yet, there is a shortage of curricula that develop these competences in an organized and consistent step-wise manner from the first year of study to graduation. More research is needed to develop competence models of what the student needs to

master to approach, negotiate and collaborate with working life organizations so that mutual learning and development becomes a reality. Working with a challenging cognitive task with several stakeholders involves for most students a heavy component of emotional experience. Since so much stress and anxiety is related to the dissertation processes in general, as well as in the thesis processes reported here, new methods of supporting the student are needed. I would suggest modelling specifically the emotional aspect, that is, the fear, anxiety and stress experiences in more detail, and developing emotional scaffolding methods for faculty and student use to complement the many cognitive methods already in use.

Intervention studies are needed to model the grassroots processes that support the tripartite collaboration between student, faculty and working life representatives. The management of a tripartite relationship is always more complicated than that of a bilateral relationship. The findings also indicated that the metacognitive and cognitive strategies needed to develop, formulate and demarkate a topic were elusive to students. Since topic definition is the seed from which any RDI process starts and that directs the process, it is crucial to research how students can learn these skills efficiently and effectively. The negative motivational and emotional impacts of getting stuck on the first stages of the RDI process must not be underestimated. If getting the RDI ball rolling is too difficult, students keep putting it off or experience much distress in the starting phase. The solution lies in facilitating the learning of RDI competences in slow increments through out studies, so that eventually the student’s sense of self-efficacy in RDI tasks is adequate enough for engaging in the thesis and other RDI projcts.

Thirdly, when national RDI policies urge educational institutions and students to collaborate with working life to further the development of both for-profits and non-profits regionally or at a wider scope, it is crucial to develop and incentify the representatives in working life organizations to take these opportunities to heart. Research needs to be undertaken to model the competences working life representatives need to possess to collaborate successfully with both faculty and students engaged in RDI projects with a binary purpose of education and organizational RDI.

Additionally, intervention studies are needed to experiment with the best ways to develop these competences with minimal loss of working time needed to engage in “actual” organizational duties. Yet, commissioning organizations need to understand that some time and effort is needed from them also to ramp up such collaborative processes.

Fourthly, peer learning and advising needs to be taken into more effective use. Leaving each student to experience the stumbling blocks of the RDI or dissertation process alone is discouraging – at times, even to the most gifted student. It could also be considered unethical of educational institutions and their faculty whose duty it is to adequately prepare the student for working life and

RDI tasks. From the viewpoint of faculty resourcing, it is also highly ineffective use of working time to advise students individually in matters that could be taught more effectively and insightfully in larger groups utilizing peer learning and example. Several successful intervention studies have been reported in the literature, and need to be taken into active use.

Dissertations and RDI projects offer excellent opportunities for authentic professional learning both of substance specific and generic working life skills. Students themselves, faculty, working life representatives and peers can together create dissertation spaces in various groupings of the quadripartite system of collaboration and development. These social learning opportunities support the student also through the individual learning that always forms and essential part of a dissertation journey.