Future Operating Environments (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

Hyväksytty/Hylätty

Content scheduling

The course is compulsory for all Turku UAS Master Students. It will be implemented partly in groups comprised of students across the various study programmes, and partly as team and individual work within each study programme.

There are three contact days (Zoom-meetings: 1.9.2025, 25.11.2025 and some other day one hour meeting) common to all students of the various study programmes, and further, there are common study materials and assignments in the itslearning course platform. In addition, the study programmes may add and cover discipline specific topics. This will be guided by the tutor teacher during the programme’s contact days.

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THEME 1: CHANGING WORLD AND WORKING LIFE
• Common starting day 1.9.2024 for all students of the various study programmes: orientation to the course, a keynote talk on the future working life and competence requirements, and group work with SITRA’s megatrend cards (tutor teachers will guide working of the groups).
• Students familiarize themselves independently with the materials in the itslearning course platform.
• Orientation assignment: Futures consciousness and attitudes towards future
• (Each study programme may arrange lectures by TUAS specialists on themes such as new technologies, circular economy etc. during the programme’s contact days.)

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THEME 2: FUTURES STUDIES AND ANTICIPATION
• Students familiarize themselves independently with the materials in the itslearning course platform.
• Scenario assignment: imagining alternative professional futures

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THEME 3: CHANGING WORKING LIFE IN MY FIELD
• Reading groups: reading and discussing research articles in groups that meet virtually or face to face, and creating a visual presentation based on the key ideas of the discussion. Readings are related to the changing work, working environment and competence requirements in the field of the study programme. The visual presentation will be shared in the itslearning course platform.

• Tutor teacher organizes the reading groups and compiles the list of readings (or guides students to find relevant research articles and reports).

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THEME 4: SHAPING MY OWN FUTURE
• Students familiarize themselves independently with the materials in the itslearning course platform.
• Common Hackathon day 24.11. (a pre-meeting of the hackathon) for all students of the various study programmes: group working to solve real working-life problems related to sustainable future. Students will familiarize themselves with the Hackathon instructions and assignments before the Hackathon day in the itslearning platform and submit their team reports there after the Hackathon.

There are two possible ways to participate in the hackathon:
1) as a commissioner or
2) as a student solving working life problems in a multidisciplinary small group.

• Final assignment: a reflective report on utilizing futures thinking and anticipation methods in one’s own work.

Objective

After completing the course, the student is able to:

- analyse changes in the operating environments and anticipate future developments applying the concepts and methods of futures studies
- evaluate impacts of the changing operating environments on their work, work community and organization, as well on the industry/field at large
- develop one’s competences and expertise in a focused and goal-oriented way in anticipation of the future competence requirements in the work life
- improve and innovate operations and work processes in their work community, taking into account environmental, social and economic sustainability, and using multidisciplinary and multiprofessional futures knowledge.

Content

- Future of work and income
- Future competence needs
- Changing career paths and professional identities
- Future technologies, human–technology interaction
- Sustainable future and ecological reconstruction
- Theories and methods of future studies and foresight
- Importance of foresight for innovations and strategic planning and decision-making

Materials

In the itslearning course platform.

Teaching methods

Studying instructed learning materials, individual written assignments, group work in multidisciplinary groups, reading and discussing in reading groups in your own study programme.

Exam schedules

Opintojaksoon ei liity tenttejä, joten opintojaksoa ei voi uusia eikä arviointia korottaa.

International connections

Osallistuminen ja annetut tehtävät.

Student workload

Contact days and lectures: 15 h
Online and virtual working individually and in groups: 120 h

Group work and assignments:
• Starting day 1.9.2024: multidisciplinary groups working with SITRA’s megatrend cards.
• Reading groups within each study programme: reading and discussing research articles/papers/reports, creating a visual presentation of the key ideas and publishing it in a discussion forum in the itslearning course platform (tutor teacher evaluates, pass/fail).
• Hackathon 24.11.2025 (a pre-meeting of the hackathon): multidisciplinary groups work to solve real working-life problems.

Individual work and assignments:
• Orientation assignment: Futures consciousness and attitudes towards future (in the itslearning course platform; tutor teacher evaluates, pass/fail).
• Scenario assignment: imagining alternative professional futures (in the itslearning course platform; tutor teacher evaluates, pass/fail).
• Reflective report on utilizing futures thinking and anticipation methods in one’s own work (in the itslearning course platform; tutor teacher evaluates, pass/fail).

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

Opintojakson suorittaminen hyväksytysti edellyttää kaikkien oppimistehtävien suorittamista hyväksytysti sekä osallistumista kontaktipäiviin (tai pakottavan poissaolon tapauksessa korvaavan tehtävän suorittamista hyväksytysti). Opettajatuutori kirjaa kontaktipäivien osallistumissuoritukset (ja arvioi poissaolijoiden korvaavien tehtävien suoritukset).

Qualifications

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Further information

Sirpa Erkkilä-Häkkinen