TY - JOUR
T1 - LAB studio model
T2 - Developing external networks for learning entrepreneurship in higher education
AU - Heikkinen, Kari-Pekka
AU - Seppänen, Ulla-Maija
AU - Isokangas, Jouko
AU - Education in the North
A2 - Martin, Helen
N1 - Acknowledgements
The Oulu App LAB was supported by The Finnish Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, ELY-keskus, in Finnish.
PY - 2015/11/1
Y1 - 2015/11/1
N2 - This article summarises a study of the purposefulness, structure and amount of external learning networks formed during an interdisciplinary higher education programme based on a LAB studio model. The LAB studio model is a learning model, which develops connections between working-life based problems and the recognition and development of the related business prototypes and startups. The LAB studio model is theoretically grounded in a constructivist view of learning with a project-based education at its core and has a key goal of educating entrepreneurship competences. The data for the study was collected through semi- structured interviews with six student teams (N=35) during May 2015. The data analysis took place through mixed methods, which as a method focuses on collecting, analysing, and mixing both quantitative and qualitative data. Findings show that the LAB studio model challenges and enables students to develop new learning networks external to the traditional university environment. New learning networks are created due to the demanding problem - solving process used in the teaching activities. Overall, the education programme broke down barriers between the education environment and external business environment through the establishment of learning networks. In conclusion, the learning networks formed during the education programme were wide-ranging, and the role of students was active and self- directive. Furthermore, we suggest that social capital was increased during the educational process.
AB - This article summarises a study of the purposefulness, structure and amount of external learning networks formed during an interdisciplinary higher education programme based on a LAB studio model. The LAB studio model is a learning model, which develops connections between working-life based problems and the recognition and development of the related business prototypes and startups. The LAB studio model is theoretically grounded in a constructivist view of learning with a project-based education at its core and has a key goal of educating entrepreneurship competences. The data for the study was collected through semi- structured interviews with six student teams (N=35) during May 2015. The data analysis took place through mixed methods, which as a method focuses on collecting, analysing, and mixing both quantitative and qualitative data. Findings show that the LAB studio model challenges and enables students to develop new learning networks external to the traditional university environment. New learning networks are created due to the demanding problem - solving process used in the teaching activities. Overall, the education programme broke down barriers between the education environment and external business environment through the establishment of learning networks. In conclusion, the learning networks formed during the education programme were wide-ranging, and the role of students was active and self- directive. Furthermore, we suggest that social capital was increased during the educational process.
KW - LAB studio model
KW - interdisciplinary education
KW - entrepreneurship education
KW - learning network
KW - social capital
U2 - 10.26203/600j-v446
DO - 10.26203/600j-v446
M3 - Article
VL - 22
SP - 49
EP - 73
JO - Education in the North
JF - Education in the North
SN - 0424-5512
IS - 1
ER -