The project “Growth in the Work-Based Learning Triangle (GRIT)” is a cross sectoral project between VET and HE institutions developing work-based learning practices. A specific focus of the project are the interactions between the three parties: the school, the student and the employer. Project aims to improve the interaction and develop new innovative tools to support work-based learning (formal and non-formal). The better interaction is also supposed to bring innovative ideas for recognition of the learning.This 5-party project is lead by Haaga-Helia UAS (HE, Finland) and the other 4 parties are Omnia (VET, Finland), HoGent (HE, Belgium), Tartu Kutsehariduskeskus (VET, Estonia) and Ikaslan Gipuzkoa (VET, Spain).The immediate target groups of the project are the teachers, students and contact persons in involved companies.The project organizes two international training events related to Service Design and Digital tools for teachers and several local trainings for all the target groups to involve and integrate the target groups to the project goals. The aim is to improve the professional competences of the teachers and boost the digital competences of all target groups.The project takes two major approaches to improve the communication between the three parties of Work Based Learning. First of all, Service Design (SD) thinking and methods are used as a training tool. SD offers the participants ways to improve the content of their mutual communication. All three parties (teachers, workplace coaches and students) learn and practice how to think of others as customers, which means that instead of seeing different situations only from one’s own viewpoint the participants practice the skill of understanding others and their needs. The project narrows the generation gaps and empowers the parties to collaboratively and respectfully work for common goals. Secondly, the project experiments the use of several digital tools that can be used by regular smartphones.The goal is to increase the amount of interactions in the WBL triangle and innovate, how e.g. WhatsApp or Periscope or Instagram can be used as a reflection tool for learning outcomes by the students. As a result the self-confidence of students, attitudes and other transversal skills (e.g. ability to work collaboratively, think critically, take initiative and problem solve) develop. Specific outcomes of the project include:Students with better employability (due to gaining also transversal skills in addition to professional skills in their WBL)Increased cooperation between the WBL employers and the schools that are sending students to the WBL period (especially in international WBL context)New and innovative support the learning material inspired by Service Design to be used in WBL New, innovative, rewarding and fun communication methods and ready-to-use, evaluated digital interaction toolset for WBL contexts.
The project “Growth in the Work-Based Learning Triangle (GRIT)” was a cross sector project between VET and HE institutions developing work-based learning practices. A specific focus of the project was the interactions between the three parties: the school, the student and the employer. Project aimed at improving the interactions between the WBL parties and taking digital tools into use to support work-based learning. The project was led by Haaga-Helia UAS (HE, Finland) and the other 4 parties were Omnia (VET, Finland), HoGent (HE, Belgium), Tartu Kutsehariduskeskus (VET, Estonia) and Ikaslan Gipuzkoa (VET, Spain). The immediate target groups of the project were the teachers, students and contact persons of involved organizations. The project hold two international training events related to Service Design and Digital tools. The number of local trainings for all the target groups to involve and integrate them to the project goals was over 20. The project improved the professional competences of the teachers and boosted the digital competences of all target groups.The project took two major approaches to improve the communication between the three parties of Work Based Learning: 1) Service Design (SD) thinking and methods were used as a training tool. SD offered the participants ways to improve the content of their mutual communication. All three parties (teachers, workplace coaches and students) learned and practiced how to think of others as customers (instead of seeing different situations only from one’s own viewpoint, the participants practiced the skill of understanding others and their needs). The project narrowed the generation gaps and empowered the parties to collaboratively and respectfully work for common goals. 2)The project experimented the use of several digital tools (such as Slack, Padlet, Trello, Popplet..) that could be used by regular smartphones to - increase interactions in the WBL triangle and innovate, how e.g. WhatsApp could be used as a reflection tool for learning outcomes by the students. - boost the self-confidence of students and impact attitudes and develop transversal skills (e.g. ability to work collaboratively, think critically, take initiative and problem solve). Long term outcomes and benefits of the project included - Increased cooperation between the WBL employers and the schools that were sending students to the WBL period. - New and innovative methods were used in the learning materials, inspired by Service Design. - In addition, introducing innovative, rewarding and fun communication methods and evaluated digital interaction tools were demonstrated for WBL contexts.