Preparedness and resilience in educational institutions and communities (5 cr)

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- update, apply and share current knowledge on preparedness with their colleagues and in the local community of their educational institution
- plan for local and societal crisis situations from the perspective of their own educational institution
- discuss information on preparedness with children, youth and their carers age-appropriately
- reflect on their own place as educational professionals in a society prone to disruptions (e.g. blackouts, electricity shortages)

Materials

The course literature, mostly in Finnish, will be available on the Canvas platform before the course begins.

Teaching methods

This continuing education course is an online training carried out on the Canvas platform. Online lectures are organised using the Zoom online meeting tool.

The general objectives of the Vary continuing education course are to familiarise students with a work culture that promotes safety in educational institutions and to inspire people to think about preparedness and maintaining community resilience in their own educational institutions and local community. The course includes four online lectures and written assignments. The course assignments focus on maintaining and sharing security skills in one's own workplace.

Spring 2024:

Wed 24 Jan 13.00-15.30 Preparedness for emergencies in educational institutions and simulation game (Training Manager Mikko Poutala, Finnish Association of Fire Officers)
The participants will receive an up-to-date overview of educational institution safety and will familiarise themselves with maintaining preparedness skills among professionals in their own workplace. The lessons learned in the training section are applied to the built and working environment of your own educational institution and a preparation session is planned for your own workplace.

Wed 14 Feb 13.00-15.30 Preparing for in educational institutions (lecturer Anja Aatsinki, Laurea UAS)
The students familiarise themselves with preparedness for potential disruptions and safety planning in educational institutions due to the ripple effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The aim is to delve deeper into safety and rescue plans of the educational institution, maintaining common safety competence and updating safety documents.

Thu 7 Mar 13.00-15.30 Discussing preparedness with children and young people (Lecturer Jonna Brandt and RDI Specialist Linda Hart, Laurea UAS)
The participants familiarise themselves with discussing preparedness topics with children and young people, latest research and the formation of communal resilience in various emergencies. The aim of the training section is to plan functional and age-appropriate exercises (e.g. blackouts, home emergency supplies) for children and youth in your educational institution.

Wed 27 Mar 13.00-15.30 Educators as crisis actors in a disturbance-prone society (RDI specialist Linda Hart and lecturer Jonna Brandt, Laurea UAS)
The aim of the training section is to study and analyse professional educators as crisis actors in various local and societal disruptions. The students reflect on the construction of preparedness skills and communal resilience in their own educational institution and professional field for the educational, social and societal needs of the 2020s in the form of a written final assignment.

Employer connections

The course is a continuing education course (in Finnish) for employees of early childhood, preschool, primary and secondary education, as well as some forms of adult education, funded by the Finnish National Agency for Education (RDI project)

Project webpage: https://www.laurea.fi/en/projects/v/varautuminen-ja-resilienssi-oppilaitoksissa-ja-yhteisoissa-vary/

Exam schedules

Autumn 2023:

Online lectures:
Week 4 Poutala Wed 24 Jan13.00-15.30
Week 7 Brandt & Hart Wed 14 Feb 13.00-15.30
Week 10 Aatsinki Thu 7 Mar 13.00-15.30
Week 13 Hart ja Brandt Wed 27 Mar 13.00-15.30
Assignment due: 10 Apr
Assignments evaluated by 24 Apr

International connections

This is a course funded by the Finnish National Agency for Education for staff in Finnish educational institutions, no specific international dimension

Completion alternatives

Alternative assignments are given during the course to cover absences from online lectures.

Student workload

One credit equals on average 27 hours of input

Content:
Parts 1-3 (online lectures): 1 cr each, 3 cr in total
Part 4 (online lecture): 2 op (includes a final essay)

Content scheduling

To complete the course you will need:
• Participate in four online teaching events or complete alternative assignments. Some lecture segments can be saved and made available for the duration of the course.
• Familiarise yourself with literature related to online teaching events and completing assignments individually and in groups on the Canvas platform.
• Course assignments (learning diary) and final essay, submitted to the Canvas platform for evaluation.

Evaluation scale

H-5