Webinar: Ecosystems of learning and continuous learning

Senior Researcher Maarit Virolainen, from Finnish Institute for Educational Research, University of Jyväskylä, will speak at the webinar. 

As societies undergo rapid technological transformation, education systems are challenged to evolve and take benefit from organizing learning through dynamic, digitalized learning ecosystems. This presentation explores four interconnected themes shaping the future of vocational education and training (VET) in Finland and beyond. 

1. The presentation examines the broader societal shift toward digitalization and its implications for learning environments, pedagogical practices, and institutional structures.
2. Secondly it addresses how education responds to these changes by fostering generic and 21st-century skills—such as collaboration, critical thinking, and adaptability - that are essential for lifelong learning and employability combined with work-related learning.
3. The presentation will also take a look how artificial intelligence and digital competencies challenge VET.
4. Finally, the presentation reflects on the development of Finnish VET system to increase understanding about the challenges and opportunities organizing VET meets in the present era.

Webinar series 

The Research Insights into Vocational Teacher Education (VTE) webinar series offers new research-based perspectives on current issues and future directions in vocational teacher education.
The series explores themes such as learning losses, competence-based education reform, sustainability, continuous learning, and digital pedagogy. 

In particular, the series provides listeners with a deeper understanding of the current educational landscape in Ukraine and of how resilience, diversity, and pedagogical expertise in teacher education are being developed amidst crisis through international collaboration.