Current Issues in Experience Economy (5cr)

Objectives (course unit)

The course aims to provide the skills to utilise and apply relevant research and development data in the experience economy and one’s field. The student anticipates the effects, opportunities, and challenges of technological development in the sectors of the experience economy.

After completing the course, the student:
- source experience economy and technology related research and development data relevant to their fields
- apply research and development data in their own professional practice or workplace development
- anticipate technological changes in the business environment
- evaluate the possibilities and challenges of bringing technology into use in experientialisation, phenomenalisation or improving productivity in their field

Content (course unit)

Researching and anticipating trends in the experience economy.
The impact of technological changes, opportunities and challenges on business.
Identifying current phenomena in the experience economy and reflecting them on one’s own field.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2) (course unit)

A student can search for current information related to their field and its experiential aspects.
The student can use the information they find to assess the current state and near-future prospects of their field.
The student can address technological changes in their field.
The student can motivate oneself to identify current phenomena.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4) (course unit)

A student can apply and justify information sources in assessing the current state of experiential aspects in their field. The student can perceive near-future change prospects in their field from the perspective of the experience economy. The student can evaluate the impact, opportunities, and challenges of technological changes in the experience business. The student can inspire others in their team or work community to identify current phenomena.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5) (course unit)

A student can creatively combine and critically evaluate various information sources.
The student can structure the relationships between current phenomena in the experience economy.
The student can set goals for advancing their field based on current and future information.
The student can outline technological changes related to the experience economy in their field and weigh their impacts, opportunities, and challenges.
The student can define a future-oriented development project.
The student can develop their skills to lead a team in assessing and seizing opportunities related to current phenomena.

Location and time

The study unit begins on Mon 12 Jan, and is set to be completed by 31 May 2026.
The course includes three joint learning sessions:
- Mon 12 Jan at 10-11.30; opening session; introduction and assignments, "currently current"
- Tue 21 Apr at 13-16; a seminar or a panel discussion about phenomenalisation
- Mon 18 May at 9-12; closing session - discussion on current issues in a way or another

Students are asked to complete and share their plans by 31 Jan (or sooner in case of events to be attended in January).

Exam schedules

No exam.

Assessment methods and criteria

The evaluation is based on three aspects:
- knoweldge and information retrieval skills (e.g. professional blogging and information retrieval; use of sources)
- practical skills (participation in at least five professional events, and active networking in an event; blogging)
- responsibility and (self) leadership skills (the student's ability to reflect on one's learning), team sharing skills (discussing with others about the professional matters at hand in small groups) and ambition (caliber of events and approach / scale of professionalism in the blog posts)

Also, active attendance of the student is valued, be it the attendance in at least five events or the joint learning sessions.
The evaluation will be given on the scale 0-5. Evaluation methods vary from teacher evaluation to self evaluation.

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

The study unit discusses topical issues related to experience economy ranging from digitalization to metaverse and meaningful, transformative experiences to immersive experiences, and well-being and sustainability. The students can deal with topics and issues that resonate to their own professional field - if not cross-disciplinary and -industrially valid themes.

The study unit is a blended, mainly individual and online course consisting of:
- inspirational lectures and joint learning sessions (2 contacts)
- a seminar or a panel discussion (1 contact)
- individual information retrieval (both teacher and student driven material)
- attendance in at least 5 professional events according to the student's own professional interests and resources
- individual / social reflection and sharing via at least five professional blog posts (e.g. via LinkedIn and/or some other publication channel; a videoblog or a podcast)

Learning materials

Topical, current materials related to one's own professional field are both delivered during the course by the teacher, and acquired, searched and suggested by the students. Primary knowledge sources cover academic journal articles, scientific reports, ministry reports, professional articles, news articles, expert speeches, professional events, conferences, seminars and webinars, podcasts, video blogs, video recordings, ...etc.

Students are permitted to use AI applications to support their learning. Yellow guideline: AI use is allowed but must be declared; students can use AI such as Co-Pilot, for instance, in knowledge search (along with Andor.tuni.fi library database!) to enhance one's knowledge search of suitable sources, search of suitable conferences to attend to, planning, and finalization, stylization and rephrasing of blog articles.

On the first joint learning session, teacher will give ideas from one's own perspective about some currently current topics that may interest the students.

Student workload

1 ECTS equals 27 hours, and 5 ECTS = 133 hours of student's work, and joint learning session cover less than ten hours (as a "workload", maximum 20 hours) of the entire workload. This calls for a major investment of student's own time in terms of planning, attending events, reading through materials, and blogging about the current issues.

Content scheduling

Planning:
- the student completes a plan by 31 Jan that includes the following: 1. a selection or an overview of current issues (1-5), and how they will be tackled, handled and discussed, and how the student is intended to participate in the discussion, and with some examples of possible source materials; 2. a preliminary list of events/conferences/seminars/webinars/... with dates to be attended (and/or sources of information to find suitable events to attend to); 3. publication plan (when, where, how)

Implementation:
- the student attends at least five professional events in between January - May 2026 (or June >> the course to be completed by 31 July), networks and learns new things related to one's own professional field, and reflects on the lessons learned
- the student writes and posts at least five professional blog posts based on the choice of topics, and / or specific events; preferably about the current issues / topics content-wise, not just event diaries "I was here, too" - but what was learned and how this can be (or was) applied to one's own professional field (and experience economy in general).

Completion alternatives

Three alternative ways of execution:
1) "Academic-only"; the students can choose an option where they focus mainly or entirely on theoretical/empirical/academic discussion based on current and recent peer-reviewed journal articles. The students select 5-10 academic articles under one "umbrella theme" or some topical themes related to one's own professional field to form an overview of current academic discussion about the matter(s) at hand. The blog posts are written based on those journal articles with a person's own thoughts included.
2) "Development project"; the students can choose an option where they complete the course in a more development-oriented way. They acquire (or get) a commissioner-driven case / problem / opportunity they aim to tackle and solve as an individual or maximum pair work of two persons. The students use both knowledge sources, development methodologies and tools, and their own creativity in completing the development project. Reporting of the project is discussed in more detail when defining the project, and during the project, and the main job is to report the project towards the commissioner, but also 1-2 blog posts is kindly asked to showcase the work done / lessons learned (depending on the IPR issues regarding the project and the commissioner's requirements).
3) Recognition of prior learning (eAHOT)

Practical training and working life cooperation

The course is closely connected with the students own professional topics at hand and their own reflection of the professionally current issues in their own fields. The course is heavily based on networking and forming an overview of the current issues related to one's own professional field.

International connections

Possibly, the material acquired and the events / conferences / webinars to be attended are international. The course is mainly in English, but it can include Finnish-speaking sections and bilingual conversations. The blogposts can be written in Finnish or in English. Events can be both Finnish or English.