Learning and teaching in the regional learning environment : enabling students and teachers to cross boundaries in multi-stakeholder practices

<p>Finding solutions for complex societal problems requires cross-boundary collaboration between multiple stakeholders who represent various practices, disciplines and perspectives. The authentic, multi-stakeholder Regional Learning Environment (RLE) is expected to develop higher education students’ capabilities for working in multi-stakeholder settings. However, the effectiveness of the RLE, including its typical cross-boundary learning environment characteristics, has not been investigated.</p> <p>This thesis shows that the RLE develops students’ domain specific expertise and various generic competencies. The learning environment characteristics of working in multi-disciplinary student groups, working highly intensive with stakeholders, and a high coaching intensity strengthen competence development. Explicit workshop-based support of students’ boundary crossing working and learning stimulates the amount of student-stakeholder collaborative activities, and activates students’ boundary crossing learning. Teachers fulfil new out-of-school oriented roles and tasks in the RLE and should master new boundary crossing competencies. Existing higher education teacher profiles should be adapted to become out-of-school proof.</p> <p>