A puzzle of professional competences : Working life projects as learning environment

Abstract

This article aims at finding best practices of working life related studies from the learners’ point of view. The use of working life projects as a real learning environment was based on promoting future working life needs. The implementation described took place on the Bachelor of Social Services programme studies at Laurea University of Applied Sciences (UAS), Finland. The data for this article is the feedback collected from the students during the academic years 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. The feedback was collected using a questionnaire including statements and open questions. The data was processed using SPSS Statistics and the open questions were categorized. The main results from the students’ feedback dealt with diversity of opportunities, the role of the team as an asset to learning and development of time management. As a whole, this pedagogical solution seemed to provide a real learning environment that served the development skills needed in working life.