From coffee rooms to big crowds – Discussion is important in developing new lifewide learning content in Aalto

"He had an interest in ultrasound and I have a rather obvious interest in tattoos so he started to think about the opportunities that exist between them. This eventually led to the formulation of my dissertation topic, which looked at the effects of ultrasound on tattoo inks and the effect of tattoos on medical ultrasound images."

Ultrasound is primarily used in medicine for diagnostic purposes, but Carlson's interest in ultrasound extends to its other applications. According to him, ultrasound is commonly associated with examining a fetus in a pregnant person's uterus. "And that's what it's used for most of the time; that's what the device is intended for. But that's boring. What else can we do with it—without altering the machine—to expand its usefulness?"

It can all start with a coffee room conversation

Although Craig Carlson is not currently actively working as a researcher, his current work involves refining existing concepts for new purposes. Currently, Carlson's role is to identify potential lifewide learning content in the School of Electrical Engineering and act as a liaison between the teachers of the subjects and the lifewide learning team. 

"I'm trying to help identify that it might be beneficial to turn this into a course that can be offered as part of lifewide learning, so that the upskilling is not just at degree level, but also for people who are already in industry and may not have that background."

According to Carlson, discussions are important, as through teachers' business contacts, it can be determined if the subjects being taught align with the skills needed in companies. "Essentially, it's chit-chat with the teachers. I might bump into them in the coffee room, start a conversation, and try to find out what they’re busy teaching and who their company collaborations are."

Overall, Carlson believes it is important to understand the market, where people seeking further education may not necessarily have the same background or needs as degree students. Collaboration and interaction are needed between teachers, the lifewide learning team, and ultimately the customer, to ensure that learning content meets the changing needs of the workplace.

"Because if it is just developed blind—well, it may be a success or it might not," Carlson remarks.