Taina Civil

Contact me regarding following subjects

• Educational and social inequality
• Sociology of education and educational policy
• Learning at wrok and workplaces as learning environments
• Wellbeing in higher education
• Sociology
• Tutoring and peer mentoring in higher education
• Higher education pedagogy
• Learning analytics and MyData
• Qualitative research

My projects

BeComE (Be More Competent in Entrepreneurship) (2020-2022)

The main goal of the project was to develop entrepreneurial skills of higher education students and entrepreneurship education in European countries. In this previous role, the organization led a work package where we developed the partner companies’ workplaces as learning environments which support learning at work. In doing so, I organized research-based online workshops for partner companies and universities from Italy, Poland, Estonia, Finland, and Portugal. We also created a research-based report on best practices and what practical actions can be taken to create expansive learning environments at the workplace. Additionally, I was responsible for developing an online platform for competence development for a Finnish partner company.

RUN-EU (2020– )

The main goal of RUN-EU is to collaboratively develop high-quality education and research that meets the needs of the future. In the latter part of the first phase of RUN-EU, I conducted research on the connections between teaching, learning, and well-being in the higher education context.

Development of the expertise of university and university of applied sciences educators and developers in pedagogy (2021–2023)

The aim of the project was to deepen the expertise of university and university of applied sciences educators and developers regarding digital and collaborative learning environments. The main objectives of the project were implemented through four sub-objectives. During the project our team conducted and facilitated training, webinars, presentations, and discussions on themes related to the wellbeing and a sense of community in higher education. We also conducted surveys to examine who identifies as educators and developers in the context of higher education pedagogy and how they develop their expertise. We also examined the benefits provided by the project and how the expertise of educators and developers could be further developed in the future.

LearnWell – Research and development program (2021–)

The goal of the research and development program was to improve the teaching, learning, and well-being within the academic community. My role in it involved mainly research regarding the well-being of higher education teachers and how it can be enhanced as well as the impact of pedagogical training for higher education teachers.

OA – Development of Learning Analytics in Vocational Education (2022–2023)

The project aimed to develop learning analytics in the context of vocational education and training and promote digitalization in general. Our team was responsible for the research component of the project related to personalization of studies and guidance. During the project, we examined how learning analytics has been utilized in previous research and development projects and how students’ MyData should be used in vocational institutions.

Voimala (2022–2023)

The project aimed to develop tutoring in higher education, increase awareness within the higher education community about wellbeing-related issues, and diversify student wellbeing services. My primary tasks during the project were related to research. During the project, we examined, among other things, how tutoring in should be developed in higher education, what motives guide students to become tutors, and what dreams and fears newly recruited international tutors have about their upcoming tutoring year.

Others

• In 2023, we conducted an investigation on the education serviceability in freight forwarding and logistics sectors. The study examined all levels of education using survey data, interview data, and registry data.
• In the research project initiated in 2024, we will the reasons behind the unemployment of IVET graduates by combining qualitative and quantitative data.