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In Finnish VET, students’ work experience is explicitly defined as workplace learning, instead of the practice of already learnt skills. Therefore, vocational students’ learning periods in the workplace are goal-oriented, guided and assessed. This paper examines the characteristics of students’ workplace learning and compares them with the characteristics of employees’ workplace learning. The data were collected with an Internet questionnaire from final-year vocational students ( N = 3106). In total, 1603 students (52 %) answered the questionnaire. The data were analysed using quantitative methods. The results indicate that features typical of employees’ workplace learning can also be found in student learning as well. However, VET-related workplace learning has a number of characteristics that have not been brought to light in research on employees’ workplace learning thus far. We suggest that in developing educational practices it would be useful to draw on some of the features of workplace learning such as the use of collaboration and shared practices; conversely for workplace practices it would be useful to draw on some of the features of educational practices. For example, by utilising the structures of students’ workplace learning system presented in this study, learning at work could be transformed towards more goal-directed, guided and assessed activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses and discusses different constraints on workplace learning, vocational development and formation of identity. We ask how the learning and development of vocational identities are related to the various learning constraints and restrictions present in the socio-cultural contexts of the workplace. The study utilizes 20 interviews of industrial designers and nursing staff in Finland. The data on the vocational students was collected with Internet questionnaires ( N = 1125) from these two fields; technology and transport, and social services and health care. The results indicated that constraints on learning and professional/vocational identity development at work were mainly social in nature among employees as well as students. Therefore, we suggest that the most necessary conditions for workers’ and students’ learning are related to the feeling of “weness” that arises from individuals’ active participation in the social community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the potential nutrient limitation of phytoplankton by means of seston nutrient stoichiometry and nutrient enrichment bioassaysin the epilimnion of Lake Tanganyika. In most cases, the particulatecarbon to phosphorus (C:P) ratio was high and indicated moderate P deficiency, while the respective C:N ratio mainly suggested moderate Ndeficiency. The N:P ratios of seston indicated rather balanced N andP supply. In three two-day enrichment bioassays in April-May 1995, acombined addition of P, N and organic carbon (glucose) always increased primary production in comparison to untreated controls. Primary production also slightly increased after the addition of phosphate-P, while the additions of single ammonium-N and glucose had no effect. Although the measured turnover time of P was short and our few nutrient enrichment experiments suggested that P may be the most limiting single nutrient, the particulate nutrient ratios and the strong stimulation of primary production after the combined addition of P and N mostly suggest that in the upper epilimnion of Lake Tanganyika plankton experience a restricted, but approximately balanced nutrient supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]