Living Labs for Higher Education Institutes
Living Labs as an educational environment for business education in higher education institutes
BACKGROUND/HISTORY AND CONTEXT OF THE WORKSHOP
Living labs and co-production could potentially be very powerful strategies for universities to address sustainability challenges and to provide a strong, effective and motivational learning environment. Yet there are still relatively few examples of using real living labs in education , especially in sectors such as business studies. This workshop discusses the potential of living labs to provide a holistic and iterative framework for the co-production of knowledge.
The challenge is to turn the University into a Living Lab or to transform the surrounding environment into a real-life Living Lab for higher education. The goal is to explore and provide a framework for students and academics to engage with the opportunities to work with the surrounding environment in a mutually beneficial manner where learning occurs alongside the “business-as-usual” of the living lab. This workshop explores discusses the generation of living lab projects, the design of the campus as a living lab, and institutional visibility, identifying the key strengths of the living lab approach and the challenges of applying it more broadly
MAIN AIM / OBJECTIVE
The main goal of the workshop is to share and explore best practices in using living labs as an educational environment or tool in higher education especially in the domain of business programs and business education. Specifically, we aim to provide a roadmap of key considerations and building block to address the issue of how to employ living labs in the learning process at the HEI level for studies in business, management, sales, finance, etc.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
The participants will gain an understanding into: What is the role of living labs in higher education in business studies? What are the key considerations when planning a living lab as an educational environment for business students?
How to build and design the living lab to support higher education in different educational sectors and curricula? What methods to use? How to design and select ways of working within the living lab to support business and management studies?
Can the living lab be used as a platform to connect R&D more closely with education? What are the most crucial elements in creating a living lab for business studies and how does it differ from project based learning or commissioned assignments?
BRIEF OUTLINE / METHODOLOGY
We will use different co-creative brainstorming methodologies, including learning cafe’s and the lotus blossom as well as roadmapping for the conclusion..
Workshop Facilitators
Minna-Maari Harmaala
Principal Lecturer
Minna-Maari Harmaala
Principal LecturerPh.D. Minna-Maari Harmaala works as principal lecturer of Corporate Responsibility at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences. She has over ten years of practical industry experience from consulting in sustainability management, especially in the electronics sector. She has worked with a number of multinational clients prior to joining Haaga-Helia and is currently active in public-private partnerships at the University. She is a seasoned facilitator and promoter of experiential learning. She has robust international experience both from living and working abroad. Her areas of interest and expertise are corporate responsibility, sustainability marketing and communication, strategic CSR and environmental management.
Sakariina Heikkanen
RDI Senior Expert
Sakariina Heikkanen
RDI Senior ExpertMs. Sakariina Heikkanen is a Senior Lecturer and Research, development & Innovation (RDI) Senior Expert in Haaga-Helia. The past 11 years she has worked for various RDI projects in close collaboration with company partners representing a wide spectrum of sectors. Ms. Heikkanen coordinates the Finnish Network of Living Labs and is a member of the European Network of Living Labs. Haaga-Helia has a great experience in managing both domestic and international Living Lab related RDI projects in a professional manner.
Kati Takaluoma
RDI Specialist
Kati Takaluoma
RDI SpecialistDr Kati Takaluoma works as a Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) specialist in Haaga-Helia. She has a strong research background with a PhD focused in Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Kati has a demonstrated history of working in international projects having been involved in the preparation, execution and reporting of several projects funded e.g. by EU framework programmes (from FP6 to Horizon 2020). Nationally she has managed two PhDs to Business Life projects partly funded by EU Structural Funds. These projects trained PhDs in different business skills and helped them in the career transition from academic to non-academic sector.