This book provides a Finnish perspective on high-quality teaching in higher education and explores Finnish approaches on teaching, learning and supporting students. It addresses the concepts of quality in teaching, teaching excellence and effective teaching in today’s higher education in which the student body has become increasingly international and heterogenous. The book discusses how the role of the teacher has changed from authority to facilitator in the past decades while many students still value their university experience based on the teachers they encounter. The book provides a practitioner view on how students can be supported through communication, compassion and expertise and how professional and pedagogical development are essential for high-quality teaching in an increasingly competitive, diverse and online world of higher education. The book introduces the principles of Finnish higher education and universities, and the Finnish education system in connection with the approach to teaching, teacher education and the highly valued profession of a teacher. What is good teaching in higher education? It can consist of the learning environment, the location, the students and the teacher, and many studies show that effective, compassionate, skilled and humanist teachers will leave their mark on students. It is also equally important for teachers to invest in pedagogical training and conduct research on teaching practices, experiments and students’ perceptions as part of professional development. International classrooms also require specific considerations, as does online learning. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a substantial transfer to online and blended learning in higher education, but can quality teaching exist online, or have we passed the baton to students to be in charge of their learning, to study even more independently?
Dr Satu Tuomainen has taught in Finnish higher education for 20 years is an Adjuct Professor and currently works as a Senior Lecturer of academic and field-specific English, with a PhD in Applied Education. She teaches courses using a variety of methods through classroom, blended and online learning. Recently her teaching has focussed on scientific writing and presentation skills and university pedagogical training for teaching staff. Her teaching has been recognised with accolades such as Teacher of the Year, Excellent Teaching Practitioner and Honourable Mention for Equality and Equal Opportunities in Teaching. Her research interests are varied within higher education and include approaches on both teaching and learning as she cares deeply about high-quality teaching and the student experience. With students, she has researched non-formal and informal learning, perceptions of learning, the role of reflection, learning difficulties and anxiety, and quality in university teaching.With teachers, her studies include effective teaching practices, the role of communication in teaching, professional development of university lecturers, and English-medium instruction.
