Learning by Research and Development in
Perspective of Peer-group Mentoring
Jukka Paro
Laurea Leppävaara
Laurea University of Applied Sciences
Espoo, Finland
Abstract— The research question of this case study is to
observe the educational functionality of research and
development related (R&D) learning in externally funded (R&D)
projects in perspective of peer-group mentoring. In this study,
educational functionality of integrative learning approach called
learning by R&D for regional-global research collaboration in
externally funded R&D project integrated with vocational
teacher studies was investigated.
Keywords— Case Study; Externally Funded, Research,
Integrative Learning Space, Learning by Research and
Development, Peer-group Mentoring.
I. INTRODUCTION
An innovative educational method learning by research and
development in education engineering is studied. Learning
ecosystem is constructed using the excellence of advanced
educators operating with the perspective of collaborative
needs of research agenda and curriculum of applied science
university students. Their learning is derived from the research
agenda and deliverable data collection and preparations work.
Also learning by doing (LbD) is applied and from the
mentoring point of view peer-mentoring groups are also
induced from the preparation of research work.
This case study is to observe the educational functionality
of research and development related (R&D) learning
externally funded (R&D) projects. In this study, educational
functionality of integrative learning approach called learning
by R&D for regional-global research collaboration in
externally funded R&D project was investigated. The methods
to improve collaborative learning and practices by R&D and
can be developed in integrative learning spaces such as shared
work packages by international research consortiums were
integrated with peer group mentoring (PGM) by the means co-
operation of vocational teacher´s education programme
students in together with integrative learning purposes. The
integrative model of learning by (R&D) was applied in several
R&D projects carried out at Laurea University of Applied
Sciences (UAS) between January 2010 and March 2014.
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2015 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON)
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Jyri Rajamäki
Laurea Leppävaara
Laurea University of Applied Sciences
Espoo, Finland
jyri.rajamäki@laurea.fi
A recent, on September 2014 started INACHUS project
was applied as an objective of integrative research work
combined with vocational teacher education at HAAGA-
HELIA University of Applied Sciences. The INACHUS
(Technological and Methodological Solutions for Integrated
Wide Area Situation Awareness and Survivor Localisation to
Support Search and Rescue Teams) FP7 project is a 4-year
R&D project aiming at achieving time reductions and
increased efficiency in urban search and rescue operations.
II. LITERATURE
This paper studies the integrative way of learning by the
method of learning by research and development introduced
by Laurea UAS. From the literature is found how the peer-
group mentoring applied in engineering education applications
and what are the theories behind the peer-group mentoring
method. Also peer-group mentoring, PGM is introduced in
several popular applications. In addition, students can be
involved in preparations of the Research Development and
Innovation (RDI) project by participating in a competence
team which comprises Laurea UAS staff members, students
and partners depending on the project idea.
Reference [1] stated that teachers should participate within
the learning process: the teacher’s role should not be to stand
at the front of the room doling out bits of information to be
absorbed by passive students. Instead, the teacher’s role
should be that of a facilitator and to guide. Thus, the teacher
becomes a “partner in the learning process, guiding students to
independently discover meaning within the subject area”, cf.
[2]. Pirinen [3] has described learning by R&D as an
integrative way of learning; here, an individual learns along
with a workplace, school, and R&D community, such as a
research consortium, as well as alongside a learning
organization and across borders and disciplinary silos, as in a
collective learning space that can be regional or individual-
global oriented. It is also explained by Pirinen [3] that the term
“integrative model” or “integrative” refers to the student -
centred integration of regional development, R&D, and higher
educational functions. He has also described the learning by

Fig. 1. The components of integrative process with cyclic, thematic, linear
and relevant elements. [11]
research and development as an integrative process presented
on Figure 1. According to him [11], the integrative process is
seen as a macro-level action logic, describing operational
components and activities of body integration of knowledge,
knowledge base, and knowledge economy in everyday action.
The model of integrative pedagogy expertise [4] consists of
theoretical knowledge, practical knowledge, self-regulative
knowledge and socio-cultural knowledge and the integration
of different forms of knowledge is a key to professional
development. According to reference [4] the key ideas of
PGM are derived from the model of the Finnish way of
educational reform with a high level of teacher autonomy. It is
also mentioned that PGM is based on the constructivist view
of learning and model of integrative pedagogy and opposite to
many of the international mentoring program elements of
assessment, standardisation or control are not involved.
Working in a peer mentoring group offers opportunities to
learn together in a supportive environment promoting time for
collaboration and reflection. According to Langelotz [5] the
responsibility of teachers to develop both their own teaching
expertise and the school practice has been expected for a long
time in both Swedish and international contexts.
According to Heikkinen et al. [3] the concept of mentoring
has undergone a transformation over the past years during
which mentoring has increased in popularity. There are
currently various interpretations of mentoring and they are
used in order to achieve different goals. During a group
mentoring process teachers are supposed to develop their
professional expertise through (collective) reflections on their
practice [6, 7, 8].
Traditionally in mentoring a senior and more experienced
worker transfers "tacit knowledge" to a novice colleague,
whereas peer group mentoring is based on the sharing of
experiences and expertise. Relationships between the mentor
and the mentee are reciprocal and both parties are interacting
to each other. Dialogue is an essential element in creating
shared understanding [3].
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Sattler et al. [9] have described how the Graduate
Engineering Education Consortium for Students (GEECS)
peer mentoring works and its contribution to the growth of a
community of emerging engineering education scholars. Also
Sattler et al. [9] have carried out research work on the progress
of two peer mentoring groups through autoethnographies
based on the authors’ experiences in developing, facilitating,
and contributing to the peer mentoring groups. The possibility
of the mentorship activities becoming integrated into
curriculum at universities with sustainable engineering
education graduate programs is also envisioned by Sattler et
al. [9].
III. RELATED WORK
Along with educational task, Laurea UAS has educational
development tasks. Also among other principles the Ministry
of Education Laurea UAS is evaluated based on education and
regional development. Pirinen [10] points out the realisation of
regional development tasks of higher education in response to
new regional and national challenges, such as integration of
INACHUS project, higher education functions and regional
advances. In another study by Pirinen [11] the execution of
R&D functions in a UAS are analysed. The objective of the
research work is to improve issues relevant to the integration
of RDI related to higher education studies and the national
research agenda [10].
Another case example as an innovative R&D project at
Laurea UAS is SATERISK [12], where student-centred and
student-driven research and development (R&D) is proposed.
Pirinen and Tarkkanen [13] are defining it as a novel R&D
scope which collaborates learning, mutual discussion and
research in an interoperative way within a regional innovation
system. Pirinen [12] is also establishing the related research
investigations addressed to two questions: Firstly, how can
learning within R&D be understood, designed, defined and
actualised in a University of Applied Sciences? Secondly, how
can regional R&D be understood, designed, defined and
actualised in higher education? The current INACHUS project
is continued after the RDI related MACICO project at Laurea
UAS.
The development work at Laurea UAS is based on local
development. Learning and construction of education
development are enriched by this local development task. The
network of learning spaces establish knowledge and action
creating society. The research scientists in the innovation field
underline the importance of motivated personnel and
motivation on the innovation creation in together with all
participants. They also point out the role of individuals and
their interaction in creating innovations. The education of
information engineers at Laurea UAS has been under
development by the means of qualification management and
national qualification framework shown in Figure 2. It is also

Fig. 2. Students of higher education at the centre of the regional-global
learning process at Laurea UAS. Abbreviations: European Foundation for
Qality Management (EFGM), European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) and
National Qualification Framework (NGF) are derived from the European
Commission.
declared by Pirinen [3] that the students of higher education
are at the centre of regional-global learning process
conducting regional profiles, - capabilities, and - configuration
by bridging novel knowledge and competences in a
community of practice.
It is also presented by Pirinen [3] that the knowledge-
creation metaphor addresses a collaborative effort to enhance
some subject matter, e.g., the learning scope or integrative
components in learning, and it relies on an interaction between
individual and communal process; builds on a pragmatist
conception of inquiry and learning conceptions, e.g., as
Dewey explained. Additionally several samples of realization
of R&D functions of higher education institutions in response
to the progress of information systems, security management,
and service programs at Laurea UAS between 2010 and 2014
are reported by Pirinen [3].
IV. METHODOLOGY
The observations and data collection of this study was
carried out as a case study at Laurea UAS between September
and November 2014. The research work performed by UAS
students at INACHUS Seventh Framework Programme
project was analysed from viewpoint of peer-group mentoring.
The interactions and correlations between mentors and mentee
were analysed by the means of observations. The INACHUS
project utilised R&D oriented learning in collection of data for
deliverable preparation considering technical and ethical
considerations in field of rescue team operation and support.
During the period learning by R&D was followed in learning
spaces and compared with previous work carried out in
reported related projects at Laurea UAS as mentioned at the
last chapter. Students daily learning process of including data
collection, discussions, reporting, scientific article
preparations and presentations to peer-group and the teachers
and experienced project research scientist, vocational teacher
candidates was observed and the data was collected.
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The design of case study research is presented by Rajamäki
[14] and Yin [15] by a model five components of research
design of case studies. (1) The questions of the study; (2) its
propositions, if any; (3) it unit(s) of analysis, (4) the logic
linking of data to the propositions; and (5) and the criteria for
interpreting the findings. The observing perspective of
learning by research and development was presented for
example by [16, 17, 18] following research and observation
work. Teachers and students participate in R&D, such as
externally funded R&D projects where the rising role of
students’ own thoughts and imagination creations, leading to
realizations where creativeness is seen as an underlying ability
within the professional development context.
In comparison to the methods presented in the literature; to
deepen the focus about the goals and structure of these actions
on carrying out the research work on international R&D,
lecturers and students could be interviewed and observed. In
this study a sample group of 3 lecturers and 15 students was
observed. The data revealed that peer mentoring provides a
useful means by which both mentors and their mentees are
able to make the most of their university experiences. The
third significant survey finding relates to pedagogy and
suggests that peer mentoring has significant educational value
for mentors and mentees [19].
V. RESEARCH FINDINGS
The research question of this study was how research and
development (R&D) related learning realized in externally
funded R&D projects can be observed from the perspective of
peer-group mentoring. In addressing this question, the
traditional view found in the literature was included for the
understanding of relations between learning and real R&D in
the context of the study.
This research work revealed the new dimensions of
Learning at a R&D project. To support research development
and professional development of personnel at externally
funded research work, various forms of professional group
mentoring have been introduced and as an addition to
previously presented integrative models [4], a peer group
mentoring dimension of vocational teacher studying was
introduced to learning by doing model. Also the quality and
effectiveness of deliverable preparation of research process
work was found to have increased. As stated by [4] learning
by doing can be understood as an integrative way of learning
to the student centres of regional development and higher
education functions. This paper describes an innovative
application of tacit knowledge transfer of experienced peer
group mentoring members in educational purposes.
For the vocational student point of view, this kind of
learning by research and development method is an interesting
method to collect theories and concepts. From the perspective
of peer-group mentoring it is mentioned that according to
reference [3] the higher education institutions can increase
their contribution to the innovation system and higher
education institutions. As a global network can keep co-
creation and innovation processes alive at regional, national,
and global levels, can higher education institutions act as
incubators of entrepreneurial skills and value makers for new
competences. However, the realization of these targets
requires the competence improvement and especially
confidence, and this probably affects the action change in a
demanding way. Also the concept of mentoring has been
introduced in an increased popularity.
According to the classic definition [4], mentoring is a
professional guidance relationship in which an experienced,
intellectually and socially valued mentor acts as an adviser for
a less experienced employee and helps this ’mentee’ to
develop her/his work, and when observing the integrative way
of learning by learning by Research and Development this
aspect is existing in two dimensional levels, when mentors and
mentees interact both in teacher and experienced research
scientist groups together with Master of Business
Administration Students.
If compared to the research question: how learning by
research and development can be observed from the peer-
group mentoring point of view similar results were conducted.
While traditional mentoring takes place in one-to-one
discussions PGM is implemented in groups consisting of both
novice teachers and their more experienced counterparts.
Additionally if PGM is an integrative model, the learning
transactions and increasingly R&D consortium-related
knowledge transitions enable learners to contribute to their
collective understanding, the focused lead-led innovation
issues in accordance with the themes of an international
research consortium’s targets and the agenda is increased.
VI. CONCLUSIONS
In this paper was observed from the peer –group mentoring
(PGM) point of view. The general interest of the topic was
focused mainly on the engineering education of Master of
Business Administration. The case studied was the LbR&D at
design science research implemented at INACHUS FP7
project) collective research work organised locally by the
personnel of Laurea UAS.
In the perspective of peer-group mentoring is the learning
by research and development was found also as a suitable
application field. If the integrative learning process is
connected with motivated students and teachers with
experienced competence of externally funded research
projects and consortiums, learning space is equipped with
competence developing enhancing factors. Research work of
the project is then proceeded at an advanced level and in daily
learning process. Also research work showed that learning by
doing principles were successfully utilised in daily innovation
processes, together with multidimensional mentoring
activities, between mentors and mentee constructed from the
active visiting and local participating personnel, vocational
teacher group members and students of Laurea UAS.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to acknowledge all the participants
of the INACHUS project, colleagues at Laurea UAS, and
Tekes - the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology. Also
HAAGA-HELIA School of Vocational Teacher Education is
acknowledged.
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