Case Study: Karelia University of Applied Sciences achieves immersive vocational training with ThingLink

How to Get Students Engaged In Online Learning Lessons from Finland

Karelia University of Applied Sciences needed a way to continue hands-on, vocational training for its civil engineering students during pandemic-related site closures. The challenge was to digitally replicate the experience of a physical workshop and construction site tours to ensure students could learn complex machinery operations and safety protocols remotely. They turned to the vendor ThingLink to create an immersive online learning environment.

ThingLink provided a solution where the tutor used a 360 camera to create virtual tours of the workshop and local construction sites. Interactive tags with videos and PDFs were added to machinery and locations, allowing students to explore and learn asynchronously. The solution included an integrated comprehension test that students had to pass to gain physical access to the workshop. The results were highly successful, with the university noting significantly improved student engagement. The virtual materials proved so effective that they continue to be used as a permanent part of the curriculum and have been expanded to facilitate virtual international conferences.

Karelia University of Applied Sciences

Ville Mertanen

Project Specialist