The Members of the Report Team

Project Manager Inta Baranovska works as the head of the International Programme and Project Unit at the National Centre for Education, Latvia. She has a University degree in education and she started her work as a teacher. Since 1993 she has been working in different public administration institutions being responsible for teacher continuing professional development and international project management. She has good theoretical knowledge and real practical experience in project management and administration and excellent leadership skills. She is experienced as a project developer and manager of more than 30 EU Lifelong Learning, Erasmus+, INTERREG projects. For more than 20 years she has worked as national coordinator for the Council of Europe Pestalozzi programme for teachers and trainers.

Dr Sanna Brauer is a researcher, learning designer and teacher trainer at Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oamk), Finland. She’s active in various projects and national and international networks. As the principal investigator of Oamk’s multidisciplinary Smart Campus team, Brauer explores digital pedagogy, competence-oriented continuous learning and digital transformation in the world of work to define smart services and solutions. In 2019, Brauer completed the first doctoral dissertation (PhD in Educational Sciences) to address digital open badges and badge-driven learning. Her current research on motivation, desired competences and competence-based professional development is positioning future theoretical and practical development efforts in these areas.

MA Elina Juntunen is an educational psychologist currently working as digital pedagogical lecturer at the School of Vocational Teacher Education at Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oamk). She is working as part of the Continuing Professional Development Team that provides continuing education, counselling and support for professionals and organisations. She is involved in both national and international projects and networks. Her research interests are in competencebased education and digital pedagogy, especially digital open badges.

Dr Päivi Kilja, PhD (Ed) has worked in Oulu University of Applied sciences as a senior lecturer at a School of Professional Teacher Education since 2012. She works as a teacher educator in a Professional teacher training programme and an expert of continuous learning and development. Her research and development efforts have focused on personalised learning, and guidance and counselling, as well as workplace-oriented and competence-based training and learning.

MA, BSc Hannu Korkala has worked in Oulu University of Applied sciences as a senior lecturer at a School of Professional Teacher Education since 2007. He works as a teacher educator and assessment skills expert in vocational teacher programmes. He is also responsible for matters related to entrepreneurship education at Oamk, School of Professional Teacher Education.

PhD Researcher, MA Erja Kotimäki is a RDI manager, team manager and teacher trainer at Oamk, Finland. Kotimäki has been a senior lecturer at Oamk´s School of Professional Teacher Education since 2012, team manager of continuous learning and development team since 2018 and RDI manager since 2020. Kotimäki is involved in various national projects and networks. Her areas of competence are management and development, work-integrated pedagogy, student assessment and peer evaluation. The topic of her dissertation research (University of Lapland) is “Partnership model of Competence Management in Vocational Education”.

Dr Kati Mäenpää, PhD (Ed) has worked over 20 years as a senior lecturer and a guidance counsellor at the Oulu University of Applied, in the Health and Social Care Unit and School of Professional Teacher Education. Her research interest is in students’ self-regulated learning in digital learning environments and in competencebased vocational education. Her longitudinal, multi-method dissertation (2021) focuses on students’ regulation of motivation in learning, academic performance, study engagement, and study well-being in nurse education in blended learning settings. In recent years Mäenpää has worked in many national and international RDI-projects and networks as a specialist and developer in online/blended learning, digital pedagogy, and career guidance.