Creating competence - Innovations in Learning and Development

The EAPRIL 2012 Conference will be hosted by the JAMK University of Applied Sciences in Jyväskylä (Finland) from the 28th until the 30th of November 2012. Please find more information here.
All professionals are unceasingly encountered by rapid changes which challenge our skills and competences. The increased demand for continuous professional development emerges from global economy, expanding technological progress, requests for more sustainable development concerning the environment and individuals, and the need to improve education and all these challenges within the context of Lifelong Learning. Transformations appearing in all fields of everyday life and business accordingly call for innovativeness in educational solutions.
Promoting innovations is of special interest as education and research are expected to contribute not only to learning taking place within education but also to development in business and working life. The expectations focus on issues such as interlinking work and learning, raising entrepreneurship, constructing new jobs and better utilisation of developments gained. Generation of innovations is linking teachers, practitioners, researchers, scientists and students but also education with such practices as custom or employee driven innovations or Living Labs. Thus, also research aiming at enhancement of innovations should be designed to be conducted in a way not only of practice but also for practice.