IMPROVING WORKING LIFE SKILLS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: CASE GIS DATA PROCESSING

This article describes a co-operation project between university students and a municipality in using GIS (Geographic Information System). Environmental engineering students from Lahti University of Applied Sciences produced a GIS dataset about oil risk destinations for a municipality in Finland. The created dataset can be used to locate oil tanks and assess their locations in relation to groundwater areas. The dataset also includes attribute information about each oil tank. The aim of the co-operation project was to produce the dataset for the municipality and at the same time increase the students' practical knowledge of GIS and improve their project skills through cooperation with working life. In this paper, project-based learning and the co-operation process, including its outcomes, are described from the points of view of the working life partner, students and teacher. The participating municipality did not have the time or resources to construct the needed dataset about the oil tanks. This increased their interest in co-operation. From a teacher's point of view, this kind of project gives a very good chance for engineering students to train GIS skills in practice. The students got to train how to prepare and organize data for GIS and how to put it on the map. The students stated in their feedback that the project increased their GIS skills in a more intensive way than training in class with given data and without an actual need-based aim. These kinds of working life projects increase the co-operation skills of university students. Projects give the students an opportunity to practice real working life skills and collaboration with each other and a third party. Project-based learning builds up the students' own expertise in a more comprehensive way than projects done only for practice. Working life projects are essential for universities to enable the graduated students to meet the needs of their future employers. Project-based learning also benefits the universities of applied sciences through increasing the know-how of teachers and developing contacts with working life. Furthermore, project-based learning is one of the ways in which universities of applied sciences can take their role in supporting regional development.