Know-how and scientific knowledge

23,000

STUDENTS

AROUND 50

SUBJECTS

24%

SHARE OF FINNISH OPEN UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

130,000

ECTS CREDITS

← Tuisku Takala and Anna Kaikkonen

Know-how and scientific knowledge for increasingly more people

At the Open University, you may study for yourself, a career, degree education, to get acquainted with university studies or even as a hobby. The studies are open to everyone and they inspire students to develop their competence and set goals. Just like other studies, Open University studies both challenge and reward.

Continuous learning is in demand and the COVID-19 period has even increased it. There are now more students in Finnish open universities than ever before, and about 25% more studies were completed this year than in 2019. More studies were completed at the University of Jyväskylä Open University in 2020 than ever before, with a 35% increase from the year before.

“High-quality and mostly online-based studies, good supervision and opportunities for studies in different life situations brought around 25,000 students to our Open University and its partnering schools during the last year,” says Anna Kaikkonen, vice director responsible for education. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, the continual development of our online education has been one of our strengths.”

The operation is being developed actively and extensively in the Open University. The study selection and the operations model of the services meet the needs of continuous learning better than before.

Student supervision and the prerequisites of learning are being reorganised by the Open University pedagogical development team, which includes both teachers and staff members in charge of study services as well as managers and coordinators. The main objects of educational development include increasing the interactivity of studies, developing supervision practices as well as phasing study units so that students are able to receive more frequent intermediate feedback on their assignments.

GOOD SUPERVISION HELPS STUDENTS MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

“Our goal is to improve the student experience,” says Tuisku Takala. “In the Open University, both learning and supervision are its essential features. Our students have very different life situations, some of them study independently and for others this is the first time they participate in academic studies. Every one of them is entitled to get the support they need in their studies.” Takala is a teacher of business science in the Open University as well as a member of the pedagogical development team.

As part of the supervision development, Takala started a voluntary study skills workshop where students can get peer and other support for the challenges they face. These low-threshold workshops attracted so many participants that the number of them had to be increased in the various Open University courses.

“When students have access to support, their issues can be addressed and it even eases some of their fears regarding studies. Good supervision helps students move in the right direction. I believe that the development of supervision has also increased the number of completed courses in the Open University.”

“It is a wonderful feeling to see that I was able to do this. The teacher’s feedback confirms a meaningful development. These studies have really educated me.”

Minna Rekonen | Open University student at the end of basic studies in adult education