Teachers’ broader expertise in special education would benefit teaching and studying also in higher education institutions. At best, it could even affect employment.
Erkko Sointu is, in the academic circles, known as a researcher of the flipped classroom. For instance, a flipped classroom project led by Sointu at the University of Eastern Finland a while back gained recognition in both Finland and abroad. Since then, his research has expanded into a more challenging approach to the flipped classroom, i.e., flipped learning. Learning analytics, too, have entered the picture and found use in teaching especially on the more challenging courses.
This September, Sointu was appointed as Professor of Special Education at the University of Eastern Finland, focusing especially on the development of teaching methods and support for learning. The focus of the professorship is entirely new, and no special education professorship with the very same specification apparently exists anywhere else in the world.
“The specification is very well aligned with the research profile at the University of Eastern Finland, and I find this emphasis to be very important in today’s society,” Sointu says.
He refers to the fact that universities, too, must better accommodate all learners despite their possible challenges with learning or studying in earlier levels of education, or at university. In the past, there may have been a misconception that students entering university would not need learning support when it comes to studying or academic skills.
“Yet, as student intake grows and the need for support in earlier levels of education is different from what it used to be, we are faced with the fact that universities, too, now have many different learners. And the way education has been delivered in the past is no longer working for everyone.”
Sointu emphasises that having a need for support is not in any way an obstacle to learning. If something is difficult and things aren’t working out, then support for strengths and things that indeed are working out must be made available.
“I’m living proof of that! I had trouble learning to read, and now I’m a professor. I’ve had excellent teachers and mentors throughout my school and education who, in retrospect, have known how to support my strengths,” he commends.
In the past, there may have been a misconception that students entering university would not need learning support when it comes to studying or academic skills.
Erkko Sointu
Professor
Learning analytics reveal how studies progress
“Our studies show that roughly 14% of university students today have needed pedagogical support in their earlier levels of education. That is a high percentage, and it is clear that in a country the size of Finland, we cannot afford to lose this many students because of their challenges with learning.”
Here, Sointu’s expertise in special education starts to play an important role.
“To my delight, my current role allows me to combine my knowledge of special education with my research on how people learn new things and what challenges they may face.”
As a practical example, Sointu picks courses he’s dubbed as “Mordor courses” which have, throughout their existence, been difficult for some students. One such course deals with quantitative research methods and was also included in Sointu’s study.
“My colleagues and I specifically wanted to focus on a course that has been a stumbling block for great many students, and one that has also been feared in advance.”
Sointu began approaching the course using flipped learning and learning analytics. Learning analytics refer to digital traces a student leaves when completing a course in a digital environment, ones that a teacher can easily make use of in remote teaching too.
“For example, these traces allow the teacher to see where the student is progressing fast and where they start to slow down. Slowing down usually means that the assignment is challenging, and help provided by the teacher at that point is accepted with gratitude.”
Less anxiety, more activity
“On this particular course, I also used extended learning analytics to support teaching, which means that at the beginning of each class, I asked all students to take a short questionnaire charting their studies-related emotions, for example.”
These emotions-related statements were then used by Sointu, alongside learning analytics, to support students. If a student already at the beginning or later on found the course to cause anxiety or to be boring, and learning analytics also revealed that things weren’t progressing smoothly, it was easy for the teacher to intervene and offer help.
“In those cases, I would contact the student and ask how they were doing, and usually they would confess to not coping with the assignment alone and needing help. Sometimes, the emotional reaction was very strong, involving even crying and fears of the difficult course preventing graduation.”
Some students also reported that their earlier learning challenges had an impact on the completion of this particular course.
Sointu was then able to apply his skills as a special education teacher, i.e., to listen, discuss, offer support and apply various teaching approaches. If necessary, he and the student would go through everything step by step and think about how to pass the course as well as possible.
“According to our research data, this approach clearly reduced students’ anxiety. It also improved learning, and previously passive students became more active.”
According to Sointu, negative emotions can be either activating or passivating. When teachers have the right know-how, emotions can be steered in a desired direction. In a best-case scenario, a student will pick up the courage and start using their strengths. In other words, they evolve from a passive learner to an active student.
“This is one of the reasons why the development of, and support for, education should be partially based on special education also in universities.”
Knowledge of learning is needed throughout life
Sointu says that over the past few years, many of his colleagues have noticed an increased need for support in universities. Besides learning difficulties, students may struggle with mental health, for example. In those cases, teachers need to set boundaries with regard to their role.
“Teachers are teachers and not psychologists. However, teachers can be trained in methods that support as many different learners as possible and that prevent studies-related anxiety and other problems. This is now being addressed at the University of Eastern Finland both in the form of a new study by Sointu and colleagues, and in the form of university pedagogy education that is about to be launched."
Sointu also points out that universities aren’t the only institutions that should be thinking about these things. Learning starts from early childhood and continues throughout life – for example at work, in hobbies and in further studies. Evidence-based support, especially in basic and secondary education – including the identification and support of different strengths – is important for the future study path.
There is a need for skills and knowledge in special education in many places and, in a best-case scenario, the right kind of expertise and guidance could also affect employment.
“Special education cannot achieve this alone; instead, many things rely on interdisciplinary collaboration. It is something that has greatly enriched my work, and I hope this will only continue to grow in my new role.”
ERKKO SOINTU
Born in 1981 in Rovaniemi, Finland
- Professor of Special Education, focusing especially on the development of teaching methods and support for learning, University of Eastern Finland, 1 September 2023–
- Doctor of Education (Special Education), University of Eastern Finland, 2014
- Master of Education (Special Education Teacher programme), University of Joensuu, 2008
- Title of Docent, Quantitative Methods in Educational Science, University of Lapland, 2020
KEY ROLES
- Professor (fixed term), Special Education, University of Eastern Finland, 2021–2023
- Postdoctoral Researcher and Assistant Professor (Tenure Track), UEF, 2016–2021
- Postdoctoral Researcher (Academy of Finland PREP21 Consortium and UEF/LINE Research Area), UEF, 2014–2016
- Member of the steering committee of the UEF Learning, Everyday Life and Work in a Digitalized Society (DIGS) Research Community (RC), Director of the Learning Support and Pedagogical Development area
- Director and principal investigator of the YOTUPE Research Group, 2023 –
- Higher education work package leader and one of the Principal Investigators of the learning analytics OAHOT research project, 2020–
- Academic Director of the Flipped Learning project (part of the DigiPeda consortium), 2017–2019
- Fulbright Finland Grantee, Trainer (2015-2023) and Special Project Advisor for Novel Pedagogical Development 2021–2023
- Invited member of the EDUsummIT event in technology and education (2017 –2019), thematic work group leader (2021 –2023) and international chair (2023 –2025)
Print-quality photos of Erkko Sointu: https://mediabank.uef.fi/A/UEF+Media+Bank/60897?encoding=UTF-8 and https://mediabank.uef.fi/A/UEF+Media+Bank/60917?encoding=UTF-8
