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Membership of IUFRO is open to any institution concerned with the promotion, support or conduct of research related to forests, trees and forest products.
past
Start Date
02 Oct 2023
Description
A continuous discussion in forest education has been so-called gaps, there are differences between students’ learning outcomes or graduates’ competences and working life needs (Arevalo et al 2012). It is evident that gap analysis has its roots in aims and methods of teaching which are behind the learning outcomes. Therefore, the discussion about gaps is a debate on curriculum, teaching practices, theoretical studies and professional working life.
It has been found that professionals continuously perceive larger gaps both in learning outcomes and in curricula of forest education than teachers and students (Rekola & Sharik 2022). It can be asked first, why professionals are more critical towards education than others or in which extent perceived gaps in education are real and in which extent biased. A hypothesis is that more interaction between teachers and professionals might create common ground among participants regarding teaching evaluations and thus reduce differences in gap perceptions. A particular question is could any digital tools such as platforms or online discussions work towards common understanding of educational aims and achievements.
The IUFRO Symposium on Forest Education consisted of invited keynotes and seminars, voluntary papers and round table discussions, short communications, field visits and teaching observations. These activities took place in Helsinki and other places in Southern Finland. Most activities were also communicated in hybrid mode.
Symposium participants discussed gaps in forest education at university and college level including further education, curriculum of forest education such as Forest Education Global Core Curriculum (FEGCO), and digital tools and platforms. The aim of the symposium was especially to discuss about
how education could find best ways to combine theory and practice
how digital tools could be used to enhance forest education.
Online degrees and micro-certificates offer an efficient approach to delivering forest education, particularly to professionals in the field. For instance, Oregon State University, a leader in this space, currently provides over a hundred online degree programs. However, integrating theory with practical experience necessitates the involvement of a wide array of stakeholders, additional instructional design resources, and the engagement of faculty members. Leveraging modern digital and mobile technologies has demonstrated the feasibility of online forest education, as showcased during the IUFRO 2023 Symposium on Forest Education in Finland.
Units
22 Oct 2024 Forest Education – Merging theory and practice with help of digital tools - Proceedings
The Symposium discussed gaps in forest education at university and college level including further education, curriculum of forest education such as Forest Education Global Core