University Marketing without an Audience Is Futile: Value Perceptions and Expectations by Actors in University ICT Outreach Programmes for Upper Secondary Schools
Thesis event information
Date and time of the thesis defence
Place of the thesis defence
IT116, Linnanmaa campus
Topic of the dissertation
University Marketing without an Audience Is Futile: Value Perceptions and Expectations by Actors in University ICT Outreach Programmes for Upper Secondary Schools
Doctoral candidate
Master of Science Joni Rajala
Faculty and unit
University of Oulu Graduate School, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Interact
Subject of study
Information Processing Sciences
Opponent
Professor Samuli Pekkola, Univesity of Jyväskylä
Custos
Professor Netta Iivari, University of Oulu
Expectation of education collaboration between upper secondary education and higher education
The thesis examines the education institution's interest and goals for participating in education collaboration required by the changes in General Upper Secondary Schools Act in 2018.
The thesis contains interviews of students, teachers, study councillors and other parties active in education outreach programs in upper secondary schools and higher education institutions in Oulu area. They have been asked what they expect from the collaboration, what they have gained from it previously, and why they think other parties want to participate in them. The data focuses on marketing and outreach of ICT and software development, but the results should be generalizable, as the thesis views outreach programs from the point of view on institutional collaboration.
The interview data was gathered between 2020-2023, but the results are based on experiences from a longer period. This was done in order for conditions caused by the pandemic have lesser impact on the findings, and information processing sciences in University of Oulu has done outreach programs remotely for over a decade.
The data shows that the institutions are clearly interested in possibility of collaboration, but the differing needs and internal resources hinder long lasting collaboration efforts. The institutions want to focus on different students, no one wants more work, and information exchange between institutions is lacking.
There have been some successful collaborations in the past, but they have required additional resources or have been larger than a single study program.
The thesis contains interviews of students, teachers, study councillors and other parties active in education outreach programs in upper secondary schools and higher education institutions in Oulu area. They have been asked what they expect from the collaboration, what they have gained from it previously, and why they think other parties want to participate in them. The data focuses on marketing and outreach of ICT and software development, but the results should be generalizable, as the thesis views outreach programs from the point of view on institutional collaboration.
The interview data was gathered between 2020-2023, but the results are based on experiences from a longer period. This was done in order for conditions caused by the pandemic have lesser impact on the findings, and information processing sciences in University of Oulu has done outreach programs remotely for over a decade.
The data shows that the institutions are clearly interested in possibility of collaboration, but the differing needs and internal resources hinder long lasting collaboration efforts. The institutions want to focus on different students, no one wants more work, and information exchange between institutions is lacking.
There have been some successful collaborations in the past, but they have required additional resources or have been larger than a single study program.
Last updated: 2.4.2025