Welfare Technology – The Field of the Future
Leni heard about SAMK´s Welfare Technology studies from her friend and the education sounded exactly what she wanted to do in the future.
Leni works as a nurse in the surgical ward in Tampere. Studying besides work has been challenging at times but Leni has managed to conduct all her studies on time.
– A definite plus goes to SAMK for a flexible attitude towards working students as well as always getting help and answers really fast. It is not necessary to have study leave but my own employer has been very flexible and has granted me study leave, which has helped and speeded up especially the writing of the thesis. Our group has an active WhatsApp group, where we can share information and ask even the stupid questions. A particularly memorable study unit was Smart Technologies, which concentrated on practical technology and its possibilities.
– It was an eye-opening experience to realize how much can already be done with welfare technology innovations and what kind of products and applications already exist.
Combine with full-time work
Leni was positively surprised about web-based learning possibilities.
– The studies turned out to be slightly different than I originally expected. It has been a positive surprise and it has made the life of a shift worker and a mother-of-three easier. There have been fewer contact days at the Pori Campus than I expected. I have been able to study from home, at my own speed. Most of the studies are carried out online and you can follow the lectures by HILL online lecture system or listen to the recordings later. Studying would probably be possible even from abroad. Leni found independent studying difficult at first.
– It took some time to learn to read and take in knowledge when studying by a computer. Also using the English language took some time after a long interval. The students´ individual needs have been well noticed.
– It has been possible to hope for certain contents for some study units. Writing the thesis is very independent work but I feel I have got good guidance for doing it.
Thesis about children´s intelligent clothing
Leni´s thesis is commissioned by Papu Design, which is a domestic enterprise that designs and manufactures clothes for children and adults in an ethical and responsible manner.
– My thesis deals with the customers´ preferences and hopes regarding children´s intelligent clothing. In my opinion this was a new and innovative and also useful topic for the commissioner and myself.
Nurse Leni Jokela, who has been caring for patients for a long time, hopes to find work in the field of Welfare Technology in the future.