Study Guide

Objective

After completing the course student:
- masters the basic concepts of circular economy
- understands the limited scope of resources
- knows the most important business models of circular economy
- understands how circular economy links to own field of studies
- knows how to allocate resources for tasks to be done, and to take into account the objectives set by supervisor or client
- can construct a concise and informative presentation

Content

Principles and functions of circular economy from the perspective of sustainable development. Benefits and opportunities of circular economy for society and companies, and business models of circular economy.

Evaluation scale

H-5

Qualifications

No need for previous studies.

Objective

After completing the course student:
- masters the basic concepts of circular economy
- understands the limited scope of resources
- knows the most important business models of circular economy
- understands how circular economy links to own field of studies
- knows how to allocate resources for tasks to be done, and to take into account the objectives set by supervisor or client
- can construct a concise and informative presentation

Content

Principles and functions of circular economy from the perspective of sustainable development. Benefits and opportunities of circular economy for society and companies, and business models of circular economy.

Materials

All the materials available on Itslearning platform.

Teaching methods

The course is based on independent work. Assignments are related to writing an exploratory essay, innovating and implementing a circular economy business plan, and practicing overall project and time management. In addition, the course exercises critical examination skills and working life connection is promoted through real-life company examples.

The work happens mainly in online course platform (Itslearning) but three voluntary online meetings will be offered during the course to give the students a chance to get guidance to the work.

Exam schedules

In this course the grading is numerical from 0-5.

Final grade consists of 90 % teacher assessment based on following tasks (please see the assessment criteria for each assignment in Itslearning):

Tasks 1A+1B, 40 %
Task 2B, 50 %

The final 10 % from self-assessment (task 3B).

International connections

The course is implemented in accordance with innovation pedagogy, where study is based on the development of innovation skills. During the course, the student must play an active role and take independent responsibility for his or her own learning and the implementation of learning tasks. The course is based on individual work, where the role of teacher is to support and guide the work.

Completion alternatives

There are no alternative ways to complete the course.

Student workload

The course consists total of six obligatory tasks:

Phase I: tasks 1A & 1B
Phase II: tasks 2A & 2B
Phase III: tasks 3A & 3B

More detailed descriptions of learning tasks and instructions are available on the course's own Itslearning platform.

The course is 5 credits and 1 credit equals 27 hrs of student work. Total workload is appr. 135 hours.

Content scheduling

The course focuses on the principles and functions of circular economy from the perspective of sustainable development. Benefits and opportunities of circular economy for society and companies, and business models of circular economy.

The course lasts 5 weeks, starting from Monday 29.8.2022 and ends 29.9.2022. The course is mainly online but during the course there will be three separate online course meetings for students to ask about the tasks etc. (participation is voluntary).

Timetable for Online course meetings (link to join the Teams is shared in Itslearning platform):
online clinic 5.9. klo 10.30-11
online clinic 15.9. klo 10.30-11
online clinic 26.9. klo 10.30-11

Further information

Campusonlinen kautta voimme ottaa max 20 opiskelijaa.
Avoimen kautta voimme ottaa max 20 opiskelijaa.

Evaluation scale

H-5

Assessment criteria, fail (0)

Not completing the course.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

The student barely masters the basic concepts of circular economy and understands the limited scope of resources. The student is poorly able to identify the most important business models of circular economy and not able to describe them in detail. The student can vaguely perceive how the circular economy links to their own field of studies. The student poorly allocates resources for tasks to be done and is not able to take into account the objectives set by supervisor or client. The student is poorly able to construct a concise and informative presentation.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

The student masters the basic concepts of circular economy and understands the limited scope of resources in a good level. The student is able to identify and describe the most important business models of circular economy. The student can perceive how the circular economy links to their own field of studies. The student knows how to allocate resources for tasks to be done, and to take into account the objectives set by supervisor or client. The student is able to construct a concise and informative presentation in good level.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The student masters the basic concepts of circular economy and understands and is able to describe the limited scope of resources excellently. The student is able to identify and describe the most important business models of circular economy in an excellent level. The student can perceive how the circular economy links to their own field of studies. The student knows how to allocate resources for tasks to be done, and to take into account the objectives set by supervisor or client in an excellent level. The student is able to construct a concise and informative presentation in excellent level.

Qualifications

No need for previous studies.

Objective

After completing the course student:
- masters the basic concepts of circular economy
- understands the limited scope of resources
- knows the most important business models of circular economy
- understands how circular economy links to own field of studies
- knows how to allocate resources for tasks to be done, and to take into account the objectives set by supervisor or client
- can construct a concise and informative presentation

Content

Principles and functions of circular economy from the perspective of sustainable development. Benefits and opportunities of circular economy for society and companies, and business models of circular economy.

Materials

Literature:

Pre-task reading: Towards a circular economy: Business rationale for an accelerated transition
Lecture material, webpages etc.

Teaching methods

Lectures, group work, project work, report, presentations, company visits.

Exam schedules

No exam, the course is based on tasks.

International connections

Intensive course, based on Innovation pedagogy.

Completion alternatives

There are no alternative ways to complete the course.

Student workload

Pre-task 15h, lectures, company visits and mentoring 60h, project work in groups 50h, individual work 10h = 135 h

Content scheduling

Course takes place on 1–30 August 2022

Contact teaching in Turku 8–19 August (appr. 6 hours of contact teaching each day).

Before that you will do the pre-task on your own and by 30 August you need to return your individual work task.

Pre-task: you get the task by email at the beginning of August.
Individual task: you can return it on the final day of the course or at the latest 30 August.

Further information

Part of Turku Summer School

https://turkusummerschool.turkuamk.fi/courses-2022/circular-economy/

Evaluation scale

H-5

Assessment methods and criteria

Assessment
Pre-task on pass/fail basis.
Project work in groups on scale 0 -5 (0=fail – 5=excellent) (60% of the grade)
Individual work: on scale 0 -5 (0=fail – 5=excellent) (40% of the grade)

Assessment criteria
Pre-task: Depth of discussion.
Group work: Creativity, Critical thinking, Initiative and Teamwork skills
Individual work: Depth of discussion.

Qualifications

No need for previous studies.