The usability of the online journal of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences www.uasjournal.fi Mervi Friman, Häme UAS & Mauri Kantola Turku UAS & Lotta Linko, Häme UAS EAPRIL Conference 21-25 November 2016

Agenda UAS Journal Digitalization in higher education Action research, methods, and data Interventions and results Conclusions

Aim of the study How to develop UAS Journal to be a national and international window to UASs´activities for public networking platform for UAS staff and companies testing and piloting platform in the digitalization process for HE institutions as a whole

UAS Journal in a nutshell Online journal on education, research and development activities in practice-oriented higher education Published by the Finnish UAS Rectors’ Conference Financed by the universities of applied sciences (24) Open-access, free-of-charge, four issues a year since 2011 Mission of the journal: Provide information (‘general’ public) Provide a network (applied universities & world of work) Global changes in the economy, world of work, technologies (particularly the D word or digitalization); national changes in education funding, institution profiles and cooperation, degree programme structures and the role of R&D. UAS’ task of regional development The main target groups of the UAS Journal are the staff members of Finnish higher education institutions and their interest groups in the related world of work

www.uasjournal.fi

Digitalization in higher education The main principles of EU DigCompOrg -paper Aims and methods in Finnish higher education policy Vision written by rector Tapio Huttula

#DigCompOrg European Framework for Digitally-Competent Educational Organisations Applied to UAS Journal as a national network

Digital competence of UAS Journal Leadership&governance practices ✔ Teaching&learning practices ✔ Professional development ✔ Assessment practices ✔ Content ✔ Collaboration and networking Infrastructure ✔ Research, development and innovation ✘ Some examples: Leadership and governance practices - the Rectors’ conference owns, funds, and follows the activities of the journal, has a representative in the board, receives annual reports and initiates developments. Teaching and learning practices - a new approach to co-writing, co-producing an co-publishing Professional development - roles of readers, writers, theme editors promotes professional development Assessment practices - assessment and reviews done in the editorial board, by theme editors, co-writers; also data on use is constantly followed Content - all contents is open access and digital, multimedia encouraged Collaboration and networking - all activity is based on volunteer collaboration and networking, online presence developed also through personal networks, new partnerships emerged Infrastructure - resources allocated, responsive implementation

Finnish National Digital Policy in Higher Education Implementation of digitalization in all teaching and learning Utilization of digital databases Co-operation between universities, UASs and Research Centres International co-operation (Open Science, Global data, Mooc etc.)http://www.minedu.fi/opencms/ opencms/handle404?exporturi=/export/sites/default/OPM/Tapahtumakalenteri/2014/05/ICT_opetus/Kosunen_12.5.2014.pdf

Tapio Huttula´s “declaration” = digitalization as a window of possibilities Higher education institutes would be birth places of new knowledge and know-how have wide and cellular relation to society localy, regionaly and globaly prioritize and manager data and information to the usable form and level Profile as key actors in responsibility of education and civilatization Tapio Huttula 2016. Digitalisaatio ja uusi korkeakoulu. (Digitaliztion and new higher education). In Jukka Määttä & Titta Pohjanmäki & Päivi Timonen (ed.) Kohti digikampusta. Humanistinen ammattikorkeakoulu, julkaisuja 22. Helsinki: Humanistinen ammattikorkeakoulu. ISBN 978-952-456-242-3 (printed), ISSN 2343-0664 (printed), ISBM 978-952-243-0 (online publication), ISSN 2343-0672 (online publication), s. 12-23

UAS Journal’s role in digitalization Common project amont UASs Instead of the local journals National (and international) tool for UAS implementation Tool of internationalization Good national practice

Methods and data Action research as framework Three processes: production, marketing, networking Qualitative interviews User survey User statistics

Action research Planned and documented self-evaluation Researchers are part of the research process Helps in focusing the interventions Strips the processes Forces to make planned interventions Enables measurable results

User survey User survey on the renewed site 23 May - 10 June 2016 296 answers, 85% of respondents UAS staff or students The expectations of 91% of readers were met Questions included opinions on the user interface and the platform (user experience, visuals, response time) and the contents (Are the contents relevant, do they show expertise, are they up to date, would you share the pieces?). There was also a free text field, and some useful ideas for development came up.

User statistics 2016 Page views 45,363 Visits 20,381 Unique visitors 14,957 Figures not comparable to those of previous years as older issues are no longer available on the new platform.

Conclusions Activities in research and development activities are missing More detailed data from the users is needed Internationalization process is worth continuing Data from foreign users is needed