Engineering Programmes in English Language in Finland

Finland is a good choice for a foreign student willing to study engineering studies in English. There is a wide range of programmes and even more single courses taught in English. The number of courses and programmes in English is increasing rapidly annually. For foreigners, it is very easy to adapt to the atmosphere of Finnish universities of technology, while the students have a command of around three to four foreign languages on average (all of them speak English). The student unions and clubs in universities of technology also provide lots of leisure activities for foreign students. Economically it is easy to adapt to studies in Finland. For most of the programmes, one does not have to pay anything or the price is very reasonable. This article describes the current situation. New programmes are being developed all the time.     

Fostering Students’ Collaborative Learning Competencies and Professional Conduct in the Context of Two Gross Anatomy Courses in Veterinary Medicine

Collaborative learning has been used in anatomy courses to support students’ learning of challenging topics but the success of group work depends significantly on the students’ ability to communicate in a professional manner. Veterinary students’ experiences with tasks related to collaborative learning and professional conduct were studied by comparing learning collaborative competences and pedagogy, as well as perceived positive and challenging aspects, in two gross anatomy courses. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from students’ experiences of course assignments and collaboration, as well as from self-evaluated collaboration competence development. Trying things out oneself, practical application and professional conduct were positively highlighted particularly in the first-year course (myology and arthrology) group work and learning from others more in the second year (topographical anatomy). Various group work challenges, often relating to practical matters or communication, were the key concerns for students. The main difference between the two courses in learning of collaborative knowledge work competencies appeared to relate to the nature of the group work assignment. The topography course included the element of collaboration in preparing a presentation and teaching session for the rest of the class. Interestingly, students on the myology and arthrology course gave more positive comments on professional conduct than the students on the topography course despite the fact that the latter course included more practical elements relating to their future profession.     

Effects of resistance training on expression of IGF-I splice variants in younger and older men

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and its splice variants Insulin-like growth factor-I isoform Ea (IGF-IEa) and mechano growth factor (MGF) may play an important role in muscular adaptations to resistance training (RT) that may be modulated by ageing. It has been suggested that IGF-I induces cellular responses via AKT8 virus oncogene cellular homolog (Akt) and Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) signalling pathways. Therefore, resistance exercise-induced changes in skeletal muscle IGF-IEa and MGF messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), and MGF, Erk1/2, Akt and p70S6K protein expression were investigated before and after 21 weeks of RT in younger (YM, 20–34 yrs., n?=?7) and older men (OM, 51–71 yrs., n?=?10). Experimental resistance exercises (RE) of 5?×?10 repetition maximum leg presses were performed pre- and post-RT. Muscle biopsies were obtained before and 48?h after REs, to study the late response to muscle loading. The muscle proteins or mRNAs of interest were not systematically influenced by the REs or RT, except for MGF mRNA expression which was increased (p?相似文献   

Fostering organizational change through deliberations: the deliberative jury in a university setting

Universities in Europe face a variety of reform initiatives, and university reform can be seen as a wicked problem that should be resolved through collaborative efforts. In Finland, there has been considerable resistance to proposed reforms, with university personnel complaining that they have not been heard. Students, on the other hand, seem reluctant to participate in the debate. The situation does not lend itself to the collaborative resolution of wicked problems. Organizational changes are liable to failure, if wicked problems are not addressed effectively. This article presents a deliberative jury method in a university setting as a participative way to solve wicked problems and to pave the way for change. The method is tested through two cases in a Finnish university. These cases suggest that students and staff working together can devise and explore more comprehensive solutions to wicked problems, overcome the participation dilemma and generate change in their organization.     

Agents of responsibility in software vulnerability processes

Modern software is infested with flaws having information security aspects. Pervasive computing has made us and our society vulnerable. However, software developers do not fully comprehend what is at stake when faulty software is produced and flaws causing security vulnerabilites are discovered. To address this problem, the main actors involved with software vulnerability processes and the relevant roles inside these groups are identified. This categorisation is illustrated through a fictional case study, which is scrutinised in the light of ethical codes of professional software engineers and common principles of responsibility attribution. The focus of our analysis is on the acute handling of discovered vulnerabilities in software, including reporting, correcting and disclosing these vulnerabilities. We recognise a need for guidelines and mechanisms to facilitate further improvement in resolving processes leading to and in handling software vulnerabilities. In the spirit of disclosive ethics we call for further studies of the complex issues involved.     

Education returns of wage earners and self-employed workers: Comment

In a recent paper, García-Mainar and Montuenga-Gómez [García-Mainar, I. & Montuenga-Gómez, V. M. (2005). Education returns of wage earners and self-employed workers: Portugal vs. Spain. Economics of Education Review, 24(2), 161−170] apply the generalized IV model of Hausman and Taylor to estimate education returns of wage earners and the self-employed in Portugal and in Spain. Our examination reveals several problems which relate to the validity and documentation of the instrumental variables, as well as the robustness of the results.     

Using Linked Open Data to Enhance Subject Access in Online Primary Sources

Using online primary sources is both rewarding and challenging for users. Improving subject access is essential as these sources become increasingly important in educational curricula. A user needs assessment with humanities users showed improving findability and context for historical subjects were major needs. Linked Data can help by linking related concepts in the sources using specialized vocabularies, enriching them with outside resources, and enabling semantic services that empower users. This article discusses a project to enhance subject access in an online World War I collection by deep linking historical data on the civilian experience in occupied Belgium and France.     

Narrating the good life: illuminations

At present, the Western world is characterized by several profound crises which have meant many redefinitions of people's lifeworlds. If the crises are not a question of material reproduction but of cultural reproduction, it is imperative to know how people interpret their ordinary lives and what their conceptions of the good life are. In this article the question of the good life is dealt with from two different perspectives. The first source of discussion comes from theoretical texts. The second sources of discussion, or empirical illuminations, are adult learners' written narratives about their conceptions and meanings of the good life and how they tell about it. In conclusion, the future of adult education on the basis of preceding discussion will be considered.     

OpenURL: making the link to libraries

The background and theory of the open URL are described and examples given of its usefulness. An account is then given of the OpenURL system and its relationship to CrossRef.