Study Guide

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Important dates

Week 6, 8.2. Starting the process
Week 10, 4.3.-8.3. Sprint week
Week 12, 21.3. Guidance
Week 13, 25.3. Guidance
Week 14, 4.4. Guidance
Week 16, 15.4. Guidance
Week 16, 18.4. Final seminar

Grading scale

H-5

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Teaching methods

The first steps in thesis preparation are the selection and analysis of the topic. Read more about the process on the Student intranet. The thesis preparation includes acting as an opponent to another student’s thesis, presenting one’s own work, evaluation discussion and completing the maturity test.

Step-by-step instructions for Safety, Security and Risk Management students are available in Canvas workspace. You can join the workspace from this link: https://canvas.laurea.fi/enroll/L4ETRF

“The maturity test, which is part of the thesis, is taken by the student in Finnish or Swedish, in accordance with the Decree on Universities of Applied Sciences. Students who have received their formal education outside of Finland or in a language other than Finnish or Swedish take the maturity test in either Finnish or English.” (Laurea degree regulations.)

Location and time

[This field is not used at Laurea.]

Learning materials and recommended literature

General instructions for thesis as well as referencing guidelines are available in Student intranet:
https://laureauas.sharepoint.com/sites/studentEn_thesisandgraduation/SitePages/Thesis.aspx

A thesis template is available on Student intranet: see Document templates (or Thesis)
The Urkund program is used to detect plagiarism (unauthorised quoting of other authors’ text).

Alternative completion methods of implementation

When applying for accreditation of prior learning,you should contact the Head of Student Affairs or the thesis coordinator.

Co-operation with working life and/or RDI

The thesis is expected to demonstrate a clear connection to workplace development. For example, the goal may be to develop a service, action models or a new work culture. The thesis may be part of the research and development activities of the University of Applied Sciences.

Important dates

Every semester will begin with a session to provide necessary information for the Thesis process.
All other contact sessions during the semester will be Thesis plan and final Thesis presentation seminars.

Otherwise completion of the Thesis will be scheduled by the student, in cooperation with the Thesis supervisor.

If you are graduating, please note the important dates concerning the submission of the thesis.

The actual implementation schedule is directly visible to students in Pakki as calendar reservations.

Students workload

One credit equals approximately 26.7 hours of work performed by the student.

Further information for students

The study unit corresponds to the requirements of Bachelor's level education.

Grading scale

H-5

Evaluation methods and criteria

The thesis evaluation guidelines are provided on Student intranet and in Canvas. The evaluation criteria are included in Laurea’s thesis guidelines.

All staff and students of Laurea are expected to adhere to good scientific practices, which includes appropriate referencing. Familiarise yourself with the practices and, if needed, ask for more information. All study assignments are to be done as individual work unless otherwise instructed. Turnitin is used when assignments are checked for plagiarism.

Evaluation criteria, fail (0)

Requirements of grade 1 are not met.

Evaluation criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

Workplace development

Collaboration:
There has been some collaboration with the workplace during the thesisproject.
Development:
The thesis project aims to develop an area designated by the workplace or one that has been recognised together with the student.

Innovativeness and creativity
Novelty: The thesis project demonstrates little effort to produce new information and expertise.

Research-oriented approach and implementation

Guidance:Research-oriented approach and implementation

Guidance: The student has made minimal use of guidance.
Process: The thesis project has partly proceeded in a logical manner.
Reporting: An effort has been made to write the report in a coherent manner.
Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework utilises some literature that is applicable to the subject.
Use of methods: The methods used in the thesis project have been described.

Evaluation criteria, good (3-4)

Workplace development

Collaboration:
The different stages of the thesis project have been carried out in collaboration with the workplace.
Development:
The thesis project has succeeded in developing an area designated by the workplace or one that has been recognised together with the student.
Workplace assessment of usefulness:
The workplace has determined that the process and its results are useful.

Innovativeness and creativity
Novelty: During the thesis project an effort has been made to produce new information and expertise that the workplace did not expect.

Research-oriented approach and implementation

Guidance: The student has taken the initiative to seek and utilise guidance during the thesis project.
Process: The thesis project has mostly proceeded in logical manner.
Reporting: The report is clear.
Theoretical framework: The report demonstrates knowledge of the essential literature on the subject.This has been utilised to justify the outcomes of the project.
Use of methods: The methods used in the thesis project were applied appropriately to the subject.

Evaluation criteria, excellent (5)

Workplace development

Collaboration
The different stages of the thesis project have been carried out in close collaboration with the workplace.Changes and problems were discussed with the thesis supervisor and the workplace representatives.
Development
The thesis project has succeeded in significantly developing an area designated by the workplace or one that has bee nrecognised together with the student.
Workplace assessment of usefulness:
The workplace has determined that the process and its results arev very useful.

Innovativeness and creativity
Novelty: During the thesis project new information and expertise,have been produced which the workplace did not expect. The results can be utilised beyond the context of the thesisproject.

Research-oriented approach and implementation

Guidance: The student has taken the initiative to seek guidance during the thesis project in a goal-oriented manner.The student has demonstrated the ability to act independently.
Process: The thesis project has proceeded in a logical manner.
Reporting: There port is well-structured and convincing.
Theoretical framework: The report demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the essential literature applicable to the subject of the thesis.This has been utilised extensively to justify the outcomes of the project.
Use of methods: The methodological choices have been justified extensively and applied extremely well.

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Grading scale

H-5

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Teaching methods

The first steps in thesis preparation are the selection and analysis of the topic. Read more about the process on the Student intranet. The thesis preparation includes acting as an opponent to another student’s thesis, presenting one’s own work, evaluation discussion and completing the maturity test.

Step-by-step instructions for Safety, Security and Risk Management students are available in Canvas workspace.

“The maturity test, which is part of the thesis, is taken by the student in Finnish or Swedish, in accordance with the Decree on Universities of Applied Sciences. Students who have received their formal education outside of Finland or in a language other than Finnish or Swedish take the maturity test in either Finnish or English.” (Laurea degree regulations.)

Location and time

[This field is not used at Laurea.]

Learning materials and recommended literature

General instructions for thesis as well as referencing guidelines are available in Student intranet:
https://laureauas.sharepoint.com/sites/studentEn_thesisandgraduation/SitePages/Thesis.aspx

A thesis template is available on Student intranet: see Document templates (or Thesis)
The Urkund program is used to detect plagiarism (unauthorised quoting of other authors’ text).

Alternative completion methods of implementation

When applying for accreditation of prior learning,you should contact the Head of Student Affairs or the thesis coordinator.

Co-operation with working life and/or RDI

The thesis is expected to demonstrate a clear connection to workplace development. For example, the goal may be to develop a service, action models or a new work culture. The thesis may be part of the research and development activities of the University of Applied Sciences.

Important dates

Every semester will begin with a session to provide necessary information for the Thesis process.
All other contact sessions during the semester will be Thesis plan and final Thesis presentation seminars.
Otherwise completion of the Thesis will be scheduled by the student, in cooperation with the Thesis supervisor.

If you are graduating, please note the important dates concerning the submission of the thesis.

The actual implementation schedule is directly visible to students in Pakki as calendar reservations.

Students workload

One credit equals approximately 26.7 hours of work performed by the student.

Further information for students

The study unit corresponds to the requirements of Bachelor's level education.

Grading scale

H-5

Evaluation methods and criteria

The thesis evaluation guidelines are provided on Student intranet and in Canvas. The evaluation criteria are included in Laurea’s thesis guidelines.

All staff and students of Laurea are expected to adhere to good scientific practices, which includes appropriate referencing. Familiarise yourself with the practices and, if needed, ask for more information. All study assignments are to be done as individual work unless otherwise instructed. Urkund is used when assignments are checked.

Evaluation criteria, fail (0)

Requirements of grade 1 are not met.

Evaluation criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

Workplace development

Collaboration:
There has been some collaboration with the workplace during the thesisproject.
Development:
The thesis project aims to develop an area designated by the workplace or one that has been recognised together with the student.

Innovativeness and creativity
Novelty: The thesis project demonstrates little effort to produce new information and expertise.

Research-oriented approach and implementation

Guidance:Research-oriented approach and implementation

Guidance: The student has made minimal use of guidance.
Process: The thesis project has partly proceeded in a logical manner.
Reporting: An effort has been made to write the report in a coherent manner.
Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework utilises some literature that is applicable to the subject.
Use of methods: The methods used in the thesis project have been described.

Evaluation criteria, good (3-4)

Workplace development

Collaboration:
The different stages of the thesis project have been carried out in collaboration with the workplace.
Development:
The thesis project has succeeded in developing an area designated by the workplace or one that has been recognised together with the student.
Workplace assessment of usefulness:
The workplace has determined that the process and its results are useful.

Innovativeness and creativity
Novelty: During the thesis project an effort has been made to produce new information and expertise that the workplace did not expect.

Research-oriented approach and implementation

Guidance: The student has taken the initiative to seek and utilise guidance during the thesis project.
Process: The thesis project has mostly proceeded in logical manner.
Reporting: The report is clear.
Theoretical framework: The report demonstrates knowledge of the essential literature on the subject.This has been utilised to justify the outcomes of the project.
Use of methods: The methods used in the thesis project were applied appropriately to the subject.

Evaluation criteria, excellent (5)

Workplace development

Collaboration
The different stages of the thesis project have been carried out in close collaboration with the workplace.Changes and problems were discussed with the thesis supervisor and the workplace representatives.
Development
The thesis project has succeeded in significantly developing an area designated by the workplace or one that has bee nrecognised together with the student.
Workplace assessment of usefulness:
The workplace has determined that the process and its results arev very useful.

Innovativeness and creativity
Novelty: During the thesis project new information and expertise,have been produced which the workplace did not expect. The results can be utilised beyond the context of the thesisproject.

Research-oriented approach and implementation

Guidance: The student has taken the initiative to seek guidance during the thesis project in a goal-oriented manner.The student has demonstrated the ability to act independently.
Process: The thesis project has proceeded in a logical manner.
Reporting: There port is well-structured and convincing.
Theoretical framework: The report demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the essential literature applicable to the subject of the thesis.This has been utilised extensively to justify the outcomes of the project.
Use of methods: The methodological choices have been justified extensively and applied extremely well.

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Teaching methods

Your thesis project starts from the idea of a thesis topic. The topic should come from a client company that you need to find out yourself. In practise, you work in a company, identify a development opportunity, formulate and agree on a topic with the company, write a thesis proposal and return it in Optima. That is when your thesis project has been initiated (step 1).
The proposal will be developed with a lecturer until it is approved and agreed with the client company (step 2). The supervisors from Laurea and the client company are confirmed in the agreement.
Commitment to the project schedule is confirmed in step 3.
The key milestones are listed below. The details of each step as well as the supporting templates and documents are given in Optima.
0. Ideas from previous study units, placements, projects etc.
1. Proposal (why, what, how) -> presentation (optional)
Supervisor nominated, kick-off meeting with the supervisor
2. Thesis agreement with the client
3. Project time plan (dates for key milestones)
4. Project report drafts (TOC, background, theory base)
5. Complete project report (Abstract, content, source references, conclusions)
6. External feedback from
a. Opponent (peer review) - send email to all students in this workspace to find an opponent to your presentation. Note that you have to act as an opponent to some other student at any point of your project.
b. Language teachers (abstract review)
c. Urkund (plagiarism review)
7. Presentation (mandatory)
8. Maturity test (like re-taking an exam, registration instructions)
9. Final Thesis report
10. Assesment by the client and the supervisor
11. Storage in public database (Theseus)
12. Credits issued

Location and time

Virtual implementation, remote support available, timing to be agreed.

Grading scale

H-5

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Teaching methods

The first steps in thesis preparation are the selection and analysis of the topic. Read more about the process in student intranet and Canvas. The thesis preparation includes acting as an opponent to another student’s thesis, presenting one’s own work, evaluation discussion and completing the maturity test.

Thesis guidance takes place in group guidance sessions/thesis seminars either in Group A or Group B.

“The maturity test, which is part of the thesis, is taken by the student in Finnish or Swedish, in accordance with the Decree on Universities of Applied Sciences. Students who have received their formal education outside of Finland or in a language other than Finnish or Swedish take the maturity test in either Finnish or English.” (Laurea degree regulations.)


NOTE: The Thesis coordinator adds you manually to this course

Location and time

ZOOM or Campus

Learning materials and recommended literature

Relevant R&D-literature, scientific articles

A thesis template is available on intra see Document templates (or Thesis)
The Urkund program is used to detect plagiarism (unauthorised quoting of other authors’ text).

Alternative completion methods of implementation

When applying for accreditation of prior learning,you should contact the Head of Student Affairs or the thesis coordinator.

Please see student intranet for more information.

Co-operation with working life and/or RDI

The thesis is expected to demonstrate a clear connection to workplace development. For example, the goal may be to develop a service, action models or a new work culture. The thesis may be part of the research and development activities of the University of Applied Sciences.

Important dates

Please, check Pakki for thesis starts, topic analysis workshops and group guidenace sessions/thesis seminars.

If you are graduating, please note the important dates concerning the submission of the thesis.

Students workload

One credit equals approximately 27 hours of work performed by the student.

Further information for students

Please note the Research and development methods course 5 credits needs to be done prior to starting the Bachelor`s Thesis process!!

Grading scale

Approved/Failed

Evaluation methods and criteria

The thesis evaluation guidelines are provided in intra. The evaluation criteria are included in Laurea’s thesis guidelines.

All staff and students of Laurea are expected to adhere to good scientific practices, which includes appropriate referencing. Familiarise yourself with the practices and, if needed, ask for more information.

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Grading scale

Approved/Failed

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Teaching methods

Please notice this course is for social care students studying in English in Tikkurila.

According to Section 4 of the Government Decree on Polytechnics (1129/2014), the aim of studies leading to a polytechnic degree is that a person who has completed the degree:

Has extensive practical basic knowledge and skills and a theoretical foundation for working in expert tasks in their field
is capable of following and promoting the development of their professional field
is capable of developing their vocational skills and engaging in lifelong learning
has adequate communication and linguistic skills for tasks in their field as well as international activities and cooperation.

The thesis is expected to be clearly linked to development of working life. The goal may be, for example, to develop a service, action plans, or a new working culture. The thesis may be part of the university's research and development activities.

The thesis process contains
- A Thesis Start
- Topic Analysis workshop
- Guidance sessions
- A Plan Seminar
- A Final Thesis Seminar
- Opposing another student´s Thesis Plan or Final Thesis
- A Maturity Test

In order to start your Thesis process the student has to first pass the course YY00BT40 Research and Development Methods.

Students are kindly asked to contact Thesis Coordinator Maria Normann or Thesis Supervisor Riikka Kanervo for enrollment.

When enrolled for the course the student finds the scheduled guidance sessions and seminar dates in the calendar. No guidance is offered between the scheduled guidance sessions taking place approximately every third week.

Generally, all course activities take place online.

Important dates

The schedule can be found in the course calendar in Canvas when the student is enrolled.

Students workload

15 cr

Further information for students

Degree students produce their Bachelor´s Thesis in English. Products and workshops can be produced in Finnish, reporting is done in English.

Grading scale

H-5

Evaluation methods and criteria

The assessment criteria can be found in Student Intra and in the Canvas workspace.

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Teaching methods

The first steps in thesis preparation are the selection and analysis of the topic. Read more about the process in student intranet. The thesis preparation includes acting as an opponent to another student’s thesis, presenting one’s own work, evaluation discussion and completing the maturity test.

The maturity test, which is part of the thesis, is taken by the student in Finnish or Swedish, in accordance with the Degree on Universities of Applied Sciences. Students who have received their formal education outside of Finland or in a language other than Finnish or Swedish take the maturity test in either Finnish or English. (Laurea degree regulations.)

Learning materials and recommended literature

Students are encouraged to find large number of relevant theories according to their Thesis topic. Suitable books and articles will be discussed in detail in class. Please, take into consideration Laurea writing guidelines and visit Finna.

Co-operation with working life and/or RDI

The thesis is expected to demonstrate a clear connection to workplace development. For example, the goal may be to develop a service, action models or a new work culture. The thesis may be part of the research and development activities of the University of Applied Sciences.

Important dates

If you are graduating, please note the important dates concerning the submission of the thesis.

Students workload

One credit equals approximately 26.7 hours of work performed by the student.

Further information for students

The study unit corresponds to the requirements of Bachelor level education.

Grading scale

H-5

Evaluation methods and criteria

The thesis evaluation guidelines are provided on LINK (Study path > Evaluations and Retakes). The evaluation criteria are included in Laurea’s thesis guidelines.

All staff and students of Laurea are expected to adhere to good scientific practices, which includes appropriate referencing. Familiarise yourself with the practices and, if needed, ask for more information. All study assignments are to be done as individual work unless otherwise instructed.

Assesment criteria in detail you´ll find in student intra, please follow this link: https://laureauas.sharepoint.com/sites/studentEn_thesisandgraduation/SitePages/Thesis.aspx#assessment-criteria-and-targets

Evaluation criteria, fail (0)

Assesment criteria in detail you´ll find in student intra, please follow this link: https://laureauas.sharepoint.com/sites/studentEn_thesisandgraduation/SitePages/Thesis.aspx#assessment-criteria-and-targets

Evaluation criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

Assesment criteria in detail you´ll find in student intra, please follow this link: https://laureauas.sharepoint.com/sites/studentEn_thesisandgraduation/SitePages/Thesis.aspx#assessment-criteria-and-targets

Evaluation criteria, good (3-4)

Assesment criteria in detail you´ll find in student intra, please follow this link: https://laureauas.sharepoint.com/sites/studentEn_thesisandgraduation/SitePages/Thesis.aspx#assessment-criteria-and-targets

Evaluation criteria, excellent (5)

Assesment criteria in detail you´ll find in student intra, please follow this link: https://laureauas.sharepoint.com/sites/studentEn_thesisandgraduation/SitePages/Thesis.aspx#assessment-criteria-and-targets

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Location and time

There are no contact lessons. All the guidance is given by your thesis supervisor. Please send an email to juhani.kettunen@laurea.fi if you don't have a supervisor and are willing to start the thesis process.

Grading scale

Approved/Failed

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Teaching methods

The first steps in thesis preparation are the selection and analysis of the topic. Read more about the process in student intranet and Canvas. The thesis preparation includes acting as an opponent to another student’s thesis, presenting one’s own work, evaluation discussion and completing the maturity test.

Thesis guidance takes place in group guidance sessions/thesis seminars either in Group A or Group B.

“The maturity test, which is part of the thesis, is taken by the student in Finnish or Swedish, in accordance with the Decree on Universities of Applied Sciences. Students who have received their formal education outside of Finland or in a language other than Finnish or Swedish take the maturity test in either Finnish or English.” (Laurea degree regulations.)

Location and time

ZOOM or Campus

Learning materials and recommended literature

Relevant R&D-literature, scientific articles

A thesis template is available on intra see Document templates (or Thesis)
The Urkund program is used to detect plagiarism (unauthorised quoting of other authors’ text).

Alternative completion methods of implementation

When applying for accreditation of prior learning,you should contact the Head of Student Affairs or the thesis coordinator.

Please see student intranet for more information.

Co-operation with working life and/or RDI

The thesis is expected to demonstrate a clear connection to workplace development. For example, the goal may be to develop a service, action models or a new work culture. The thesis may be part of the research and development activities of the University of Applied Sciences.

Important dates

Please, check Pakki for thesis starts, topic analysis workshops and group guidenace sessions/thesis seminars.

If you are graduating, please note the important dates concerning the submission of the thesis.

Students workload

One credit equals approximately 27 hours of work performed by the student.

Further information for students

Please note the Research and development methods course 5 credits needs to be done prior to starting the Bachelor`s Thesis process!!

Grading scale

Approved/Failed

Evaluation methods and criteria

The thesis evaluation guidelines are provided in intra. The evaluation criteria are included in Laurea’s thesis guidelines.

All staff and students of Laurea are expected to adhere to good scientific practices, which includes appropriate referencing. Familiarise yourself with the practices and, if needed, ask for more information.

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Grading scale

Approved/Failed

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Teaching methods

Online (zoom /teams)
Digital learning environment (canvas)
The thesis seminars will be held in June at Tikkurila campus (depending on the Covid19 situation).

The thesis is expected to be clearly linked to development of working life. The goal may be, for example, to develop a service, action plans, or a new working culture. The thesis may be part of the university's research and development activities. The thesis would need to be related with the field of early childhood education and care.

You may do the thesis alone, with a pair or in a group of three students.
You may choose to do a more traditional theoretical thesis or a functional thesis with a theoretical framework. In functional thesis the report and the end product can be collected and shared in a blog or digital portfolio.

It would be important to find a partner kindergarten / day care office whose work you can support / develop by your thesis in cooperation with them. Accordingly, it would be good to find a topic which is relevant for developing early childhood education in practice. In your plan, take the possible Covid19 restrictions into account (you might not have an access to kindergartens).

The objectives of a thesis is that the student
- has extensive practical basic knowledge and skills and a theoretical foundation for working in expert tasks in their field
- is capable of following and promoting the development of their professional field
- is capable of developing their vocational skills and engaging in lifelong learning
- has adequate communication and linguistic skills for tasks in their field as well as international activities and cooperation.

Learning materials and recommended literature

In the thesis process you would need to learn to acquire, evaluate and analyze the appropriate knowledge from the perspective of your topic and implementing the thesis:

Research literature (research methods, tools)
Finnish early childhood education documents (Act on ECEC, VASU, Declaration of the child's rights, etc.)
Research literature and other materials related with your topic

You can start processing your study / topic by searching information by using Google search and Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com/. For example: "qualitative study (in early childhood education)", "quantitative study", "mixed methods", "your topic in early childhood education"

The supervisors will help you in this process.

Alternative completion methods of implementation

The progress of the thesis is based on your own committed, self-directive and responsible activity during the thesis process. You will be supported by the supervising teacher and your peer group as well as your working life partner. According to the principle of self-directiveness, you recognise your guidance needs and seek guidance. Responsible activity includes that you are willing and capable to benefit from guidance in the thesis process.

The thesis supervisor will monitor and support the progress of your thesis, and the development of an appropriate partnership with working life. Thesis supervision can be arranged, for example, in thesis workshops, in which supervisors, partners and other students support the progress of the theses.

Co-operation with working life and/or RDI

The thesis is expected to be clearly linked to development of working life. The goal may be, for example, to develop a service, action plans, or a new working culture. The thesis may be part of the university's research and development activities.

Important dates

The first meeting will be online (zoom) on Monday 24th January 2022 at 12.30–15.45. In that meeting we will discuss and agree the guidance process, meeting groups and times and deadlines. The goal is that the thesis will be ready in June 2022.

Forms of internationality

You can make a thesis where you e.g. compare early childhood practices between Finland and some other country.

Students workload

15 ECTS means about 405 hours workload for student.

January-February 2022
- finding a partner kindergarten / day care office & discussing with them about their needs
- choosing a topic and making a study plan
- getting to know the basic research methods and evaluating their suitability for your work
- applying for a research permit from the city / municipality / company
- reading earlier studies and theory about your theme

March 2022
- collecting data
- starting to write the theoretical part of your report

April 2022
- analyzing your data
- connecting the results with theory
- continuing with writing your report

May 2022
- finalysing your report

June 2022
- presenting and opposing your thesis in a seminar
- being an opponet for another student's thesis in a seminar
- getting feedback
- getting a final grade!

Content and scheduling

During the implementation stage, you must take part in the required seminar presentations, workshops and guidance meetings. You can also participate in joint events organised by other degree programmes or campuses. You must interact with both the working life representative and your thesis supervisor. This means, for example, that you must send your thesis supervisor drafts of your report for comments.

Grading scale

H-5

Evaluation methods and criteria

The student chooses the topic for their thesis. When choosing the topic, the student should familiarise themself with the assessment criteria. The dimensions assessed in the criteria include:

1. Workplace development
2. Innovativeness and creativity and
3. Research-oriented approach and implementation (see the section on Thesis assessment for details about the standards outlined in the criteria).

An authentic partnership with working life can be implemented, for example, by the student completing their thesis as part of a development project at their workplace or work placement. Your tutor teacher, thesis supervisors or any other teacher will provide help with finding a topic. Thesis topics can also be found from JobTeaser. You will get a thesis supervisor after finalising a topic analysis.

The assessment of the thesis
The completed thesis report will be assessed by two assessors, of which one can be a person not involved in the guidance process, such as the reviewer of the language and style used in the report. The assessors write a joint statement, which will be signed by both.

If the thesis has been completed as a joint effort by two or more students, each student will be assessed separately. If the student is not satisfied with the assessment of the final thesis report, they have the right to appeal to the Examination Committee. The principles of assessment must primarily be discussed with the assessors in the assessment discussions.

Levels and dimensions of assessment will be presented more closely during the first meeting.

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Teaching methods

Your thesis project starts from the idea of a thesis topic. The topic should come from a client company that you need to find out yourself. In practise, you work in a company, identify a development opportunity, formulate and agree on a topic with the company, write a thesis proposal and return it in Optima. That is when your thesis project has been initiated (step 1).
The proposal will be developed with a lecturer until it is approved and agreed with the client company (step 2). The supervisors from Laurea and the client company are confirmed in the agreement.
Commitment to the project schedule is confirmed in step 3.
The key milestones are listed below. The details of each step as well as the supporting templates and documents are given in Optima.
0. Ideas from previous study units, placements, projects etc.
1. Proposal (why, what, how) -> presentation (optional)
Supervisor nominated, kick-off meeting with the supervisor
2. Thesis agreement with the client
3. Project time plan (dates for key milestones)
4. Project report drafts (TOC, background, theory base)
5. Complete project report (Abstract, content, source references, conclusions)
6. External feedback from
a. Opponent (peer review) - send email to all students in this workspace to find an opponent to your presentation. Note that you have to act as an opponent to some other student at any point of your project.
b. Language teachers (abstract review)
c. Urkund (plagiarism review)
7. Presentation (mandatory)
8. Maturity test (like re-taking an exam, registration instructions)
9. Final Thesis report
10. Assesment by the client and the supervisor
11. Storage in public database (Theseus)
12. Credits issued

Location and time

Virtual implementation, remote support available, timing to be agreed.

Grading scale

H-5

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Grading scale

Approved/Failed

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Grading scale

Approved/Failed

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Grading scale

Approved/Failed

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Teaching methods

The first steps in thesis preparation are the selection and analysis of the topic. Read more about the process on the Thesis page on LINK. The thesis preparation includes acting as an opponent to another student’s thesis, presenting one’s own work, evaluation discussion and completing the maturity test.

Step-by-step instructions for Safety, Security and Risk Management students are available in Canvas workspace.

“The maturity test, which is part of the thesis, is taken by the student in Finnish or Swedish, in accordance with the Decree on Universities of Applied Sciences. Students who have received their formal education outside of Finland or in a language other than Finnish or Swedish take the maturity test in either Finnish or English.” (Laurea degree regulations.)

Location and time

[This field is not used at Laurea.]

Learning materials and recommended literature

General instructions for thesis as well as referencing guidelines are available in LINK:
https://laureauas.sharepoint.com/sites/linken/studypath/thesis/Pages/default.aspx

A thesis template is available on LINK: see Document templates (or Thesis)
The Urkund program is used to detect plagiarism (unauthorised quoting of other authors’ text). The Urkund user instructions for students and the guidelines for handling plagiarism cases at Laurea are provided on page Study progress > Plagiarism on LINK.

Alternative completion methods of implementation

When applying for accreditation of prior learning,you should contact the Head of Student Affairs or the thesis coordinator (if the campus has one).

Please see LINK for further information: Study Path > Thesis

Co-operation with working life and/or RDI

The thesis is expected to demonstrate a clear connection to workplace development. For example, the goal may be to develop a service, action models or a new work culture. The thesis may be part of the research and development activities of the University of Applied Sciences.

Important dates

Every semester will begin with a session to provide necessary information for the Thesis process.
All other contact sessions during the semester will be Thesis plan and final Thesis presentation seminars.
Otherwise completion of the Thesis will be scheduled by the student, in cooperation with the Thesis supervisor.

If you are graduating, please note the important dates concerning the submission of the thesis.

The actual implementation schedule is directly visible to students in Pakki as calendar reservations, so this information does not need to be repeated in this field.

Students workload

One credit equals approximately 26.7 hours of work performed by the student.

Further information for students

The study unit corresponds to the requirements of Bachelor's level education.

Grading scale

H-5

Evaluation methods and criteria

The thesis evaluation guidelines are provided on LINK (Study path > Evaluations and Retakes). The evaluation criteria are included in Laurea’s thesis guidelines.

All staff and students of Laurea are expected to adhere to good scientific practices, which includes appropriate referencing. Familiarise yourself with the practices and, if needed, ask for more information. All study assignments are to be done as individual work unless otherwise instructed. Urkund is used when assignments are checked.

Evaluation criteria, fail (0)

Requirements of grade 1 are not met.

Evaluation criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

Workplace development

Collaboration:
There has been some collaboration with the workplace during the thesisproject.
Development:
The thesis project aims to develop an area designated by the workplace or one that has been recognised together with the student.

Innovativeness and creativity
Novelty: The thesis project demonstrates little effort to produce new information and expertise.

Research-oriented approach and implementation

Guidance:Research-oriented approach and implementation

Guidance: The student has made minimal use of guidance.
Process: The thesis project has partly proceeded in a logical manner.
Reporting: An effort has been made to write the report in a coherent manner.
Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework utilises some literature that is applicable to the subject.
Use of methods: The methods used in the thesis project have been described.

Evaluation criteria, good (3-4)

Workplace development

Collaboration:
The different stages of the thesis project have been carried out in collaboration with the workplace.
Development:
The thesis project has succeeded in developing an area designated by the workplace or one that has been recognised together with the student.
Workplace assessment of usefulness:
The workplace has determined that the process and its results are useful.

Innovativeness and creativity
Novelty: During the thesis project an effort has been made to produce new information and expertise that the workplace did not expect.

Research-oriented approach and implementation

Guidance: The student has taken the initiative to seek and utilise guidance during the thesis project.
Process: The thesis project has mostly proceeded in logical manner.
Reporting: The report is clear.
Theoretical framework: The report demonstrates knowledge of the essential literature on the subject.This has been utilised to justify the outcomes of the project.
Use of methods: The methods used in the thesis project were applied appropriately to the subject.

Evaluation criteria, excellent (5)

Workplace development

Collaboration
The different stages of the thesis project have been carried out in close collaboration with the workplace.Changes and problems were discussed with the thesis supervisor and the workplace representatives.
Development
The thesis project has succeeded in significantly developing an area designated by the workplace or one that has bee nrecognised together with the student.
Workplace assessment of usefulness:
The workplace has determined that the process and its results arev very useful.

Innovativeness and creativity
Novelty: During the thesis project new information and expertise,have been produced which the workplace did not expect. The results can be utilised beyond the context of the thesisproject.

Research-oriented approach and implementation

Guidance: The student has taken the initiative to seek guidance during the thesis project in a goal-oriented manner.The student has demonstrated the ability to act independently.
Process: The thesis project has proceeded in a logical manner.
Reporting: There port is well-structured and convincing.
Theoretical framework: The report demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the essential literature applicable to the subject of the thesis.This has been utilised extensively to justify the outcomes of the project.
Use of methods: The methodological choices have been justified extensively and applied extremely well.

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- present justified suggestions for development in relation to working life
- conceptualize phenomena related to working life based on research results
- use proper research and development methods in order to produce new knowledge
- act in development projects cooperatively and in a responsible manner with working life and other partners
- evaluate their own activities and solutions critically
- understand concepts in an extensive scale and present topics logically and based on arguments

Teaching methods

All information will be in Canvas; Canvas will be opened latest 1st of September 2021.
Also in Student Intra is information of The thesis process.

Location and time

In Leppävaara Campus (cl ?) on Wednesdays from 9 to 11.30.
The timetable will be in Canvas and Peppi.

Learning materials and recommended literature

All material will be in Canvas; Canvas will be opened latest 1st of September 2021.

Students workload

15 cr

Grading scale

H-5

Evaluation methods and criteria

All information of the Evaluation criteria will be in Canvas and it is also in Student Intra.

Evaluation criteria, fail (0)

All information of the Evaluation criteria will be in Canvas and it is also in Student Intra.

Evaluation criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

All information of the Evaluation criteria will be in Canvas and it is also in Student Intra.

Evaluation criteria, good (3-4)

All information of the Evaluation criteria will be in Canvas and it is also in Student Intra.

Evaluation criteria, excellent (5)

All information of the Evaluation criteria will be in Canvas and it is also in Student Intra.