3.2. Pedagogy at Universities In contemporary education and schooling, pedagogy with curriculum is of key importance to the execution and implementation of studies. It is defined as both the science of education and strategies of methodologies and instructions strategies in teaching (Chen, 2015). Traditional classroom teaching with its long history from the Middle Ages was very successful up until the 20th century, however, service and knowledge industries need novel ways to teach and learn. Furthermore, perceptions of “knowledge”, “man” and “learning” have evolved and emphasis has shifted from how to discuss knowledge to how to apply knowledge (Ritalahti, 2015). it has been argued that pedagogy is therefore no longer strictly about teaching as according to Smith (2012), pedagogy should focus on the learning processes of learners. Nevgi, Lonka and Lindblom-Ylänne (2011) noted that the semantic origin of ‘pedagogy’ refers to the process of bringing up and guiding children and young people. However, the students at Higher educational institutions (HEI) are grownups, thus we could more appropriately make use of the HEI andragogy concept from Greek language originating from the words ‘man’ and ‘guiding’. Traditionally, andragogy has been interpreted as an approach that is student-centric and problemoriented. It has also been found to enhance the self-steering learning of adults. According to this short description, andragogy can be easily linked to various, more novel pedagogical strategies with a focus on experiential learning. Paideia is also a concept from Ancient Greece that means to train learners to reach all their potential in order to contribute to the well-being of their societies. Yet, the use of different concepts and interpretations can be questioned as people learn in many diverse ways that are not dependant on their age. Pedagogical activities in HEIs signify many things including curriculum work and the development of teaching, planning and implementation of teaching, supervising as well as academic advising and supportive services around them (Korhonen, 2007). Future challenges in HEI pedagogy are focused on solutions that enhance the learnings of competences that are needed in life and work life. As such, certain activities can change in the process, for example, there is perhaps no longer a need for traditional classroom teaching or lecturing to preside as the only implementation of a course. Leaning into this shift also means evolving the traditional teaching culture and the role of teachers (Kolkka & Karvinen, 2012; Bound, 2022). Everyday activities in HEIs are steered by the agreed upon pedagogy which comes to life especially in the practical implementation of the curriculum. According to Kullaslahti, Nisula and Mäntylä (2014), practical questions in pedagogy are, for example, pedagogical methods in use, the transparency of learning processes, 23
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