Wicked Problems of Educational Institutes – Erasmus week in action

A group of our lecturers and teacher- and guidance counsellor students spent a week in the Netherlands on an Erasmus mobility. The visit was a part of an optional course in professional teacher education called Wicked Problems of Educational Institutes.

As part of the Wicked Problems course, international and multidisciplinary teams explore complex educational challenges through design thinking, building shared understanding together. During the first phases of the course, the students from Finland, Netherlands and Portugal had a face-to-face days in Finland in January, followed by online sessions throughout the spring. Now in April, we are at the final phase of the Wicked Problems course.

We spent much of the week at NHL Stenden, our host and partner institution, in Leeuwarden, combining local visits and activities. On Monday, we got to know the campus and its practices, were introduced to the Dutch school system, took part in a media literacy escape room in teams, and experienced a reflective exercise focusing on universal design for learning and perspectives on privilege, setting the tone for the week.

On Tuesday, we visited De Diken school in Sneek, where learning takes place both in classrooms and in hands-on environments such as kitchens, workshops, gardens and outdoor settings. Students were engaged in practical tasks from food preparation to operating forklifts and maintaining outdoor areas, offering a concrete look at authentic, practice-based learning.

The rest of the week focused on finalising the Wicked Problems process, with teams building on their earlier work in the design thinking process to refine their ideas, develop prototypes and prepare their final presentations. The teams then presented their work to the group, showcasing a range of thoughtful and well-developed ideas. Working across countries and disciplines brought new perspectives, challenged assumptions, and built shared understanding.