{"id":10827,"date":"2023-11-10T13:31:08","date_gmt":"2023-11-10T11:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/?p=10827"},"modified":"2026-03-05T08:34:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T06:34:40","slug":"simulators-ponsse-redu-workseed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/en\/blog\/2023\/11\/10\/simulators-ponsse-redu-workseed\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cPonsse and Workseed took machine operator training at REDU to a new level\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"10827\" class=\"elementor elementor-10827\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b04e92c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b04e92c\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-be9f391\" data-id=\"be9f391\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c62987c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c62987c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>[Kuva: Ponsse Oyj]<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ce84c80 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ce84c80\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">\u201cPonsse and Workseed took machine operator training at REDU to a new level\u201d<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-38d9ebf elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"38d9ebf\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-870976f\" data-id=\"870976f\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e0f1e4e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e0f1e4e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask a Finn and they will tell you that Finland lives off its forest. This belief still holds true. Forestry still constitutes nearly 20 % off all Finnish exports.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite all technological advances and automatization, the forest industry still requires people to work in forests, often in harsh conditions. Lucky for them, there is an extensive selection of heavy machinery to cut down, processing, and transport trees.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A common denominator for all these machines is that they require highly trained experts for their use. It goes without saying that a summer intern with tractor experience will not be allowed to pilot a machine that costs up to half a million euros.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forest machine operator degree includes thorough education and intensive practical training. In fact, it is one of the most expensive educational programs available in Finland.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article will discuss application of modern digital learning tools through the lens of the forest industry &#8211; and through a practical example of our collaboration with Ponsse to improve forest machine operator\u2019s degree program. We will cover the following topics:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How modern digital tool can improve student engagement and motivation<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What single problem can reduce the ROI of education organizer\u2019s investments<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How existing tools can be adapted to increase productivity in vocational education\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How a training provider can educate machine operators with consistent results, higher quality, and decreased cost<\/span><\/li><\/ul><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remote administration of vocational training\u00a0<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>Educational programs apply generally a variation of the following pedagogical model:<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f6223d3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f6223d3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"558\" src=\"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/unnamed.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-20304\" alt=\"process for training in TVET graph\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/unnamed.png 1024w, https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/unnamed-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/unnamed-768x419.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-65d62c1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"65d62c1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Theory courses can usually be completed online or through a hybrid model. Remote methods provide greater flexibility and require greater activity from the student.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Effective and successful online learning requires an adequate platform. An adequate platform provides automatic and intuitive tools to streamline administrative duties and makes communication between teacher, student, and training supervisor easy. It supports all the four phases of the pedagogical model.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An optimal platform ensures compliance in terms of meeting the responsibilities of the education organizer, such as providing individualized support in a meaningful way and adapting study units to students\u2019 individual needs. Similarly it facilitates users\u2019 daily responsibilities, such as meeting deadlines and organizing tasks.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally the platform should allow for automatic transfer of data to other relevant databases, which reduces manual data entry work. Data entry is known to waste staff\u2019s time, increase work-related frustration, and increase risk of human error. The more time is wasted with administration, less there is for tutoring students.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Challenge: underutilization of simulators<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work machine simulator tools have developed tremendously. Currently they are able to provide realistic imitations of operator work, and nearly all providers of operator\u2019s training have acquired simulators. Simulators also provide extensive data on factors like productivity of work and mistakes that are being committed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A significant challenge of simulators is that they usually work as separate, gamified learning environments, where students work independently. Teachers bear the bulk of responsibility over exploiting simulators as a resource to assess student\u2019s progress. Often this requires significant time, effort, and knowledge of the teacher. This is why simulator sessions often become a separate, under-exploited component of on-the-job-learning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a sense, this is not surprising. Simulator training is often not extensively considered in curricula. Little time is thus dedicated to supervising simulator use, and it rarely counts towards assessing student\u2019s progress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In worst cases this means that an investment in simulator tools, which can cost an organization tens of thousands of euros, is not exploited to its full potential. Considering how expensive machine operator training is to begin with, this kind of underperformance can have a serious negative reputational impact.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Goal: a turnkey solution for operator training<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The forestry training center in Lapland Federation of Education (REDU) identified underperformance in machine operator training and initiated a project to improve efficiency. A significant component of the project was improving simulator use. REDU identified required improvements and selected the forest machine manufacturer Ponsse to meet them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ponsse on the other hand approached us at Workseed to exploit our experience of pedagogy, knowledge of vocational education, and our unique learning platform. The purpose of this three-party collaboration between REDU, Ponsse, and Workseed was nothing less than creating a holistic solution to manage the entire education process of machine operators.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An optimal solution would bring together and integrate all online studies, simulator training, and practical on-the-job-learning into the same platform where every single detail could be easily monitored and administered. A solution like this would make it easy for the teacher to assess student\u2019s progress and facilitate learning for students.<\/span><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Simulators by Ponsse + Integration by Workseed = unique solution for learning<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The brand new holistic turnkey solution was ready to use for autumn semester 2021 in the forestry training at Lapland Federation of Education REDU.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The solution was built on the infrastructure of the Workseed LMS (Learning Management System). It brought together existing learning environments, that is simulators, practical task assessment, and theoretical studies. All the elements work together as an easily understandable learning path.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6908afa elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"6908afa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Learning-pathway-1024x576.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-20305\" alt=\"screen capture of a Workseed learning pathway\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Learning-pathway-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Learning-pathway-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Learning-pathway-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Learning-pathway.png 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d668208 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d668208\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the student, the platform is nothing short of a miracle. It is easy to understand the entirety of the degree program and what competencies it is necessary to reach at every step. The steps necessary to complete before beginning simulator training and moving into real-world practice are easily identifiable. No more guessing what courses and certificates need yet to be completed, and how different study units are related to each other.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Easy administration is also a factor increasing study motivation. Individualized study path allows fast-tracking courses and it is possible to pass the degree program in time and even faster. No need to huddle in a group and wait for the weakest link to finish courses. Professional competencies can be formally acquired faster than ever.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The teacher does not benefit any less. Accounting for individual students\u2019 progress is easier than ever, without a single post-it note or shabby notebooks. Neither is there any need to log into simulator programs or micromanage how they are being used. All manual work is now officially history.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Workseed LMS takes care of everything that used to be manual and automatizes most processes. No more worries about students missing deadlines or supervisors forgetting to assess tasks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So if everything is automatic, then what are the teachers going to do?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without administrative work, teachers are free to produce and update pedagogical materials, monitor their students, and provide individual support. Workseed LMS makes it easier to identify struggling students and facilitates individual support and interventions. Helping students to finish their degrees and avoiding dropping out is easier and faster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cPonsse and Workseed took machine operator training at REDU to a new level\u201d <\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ilkka Rantahalvari \u2013 REDU<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interested?<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you agree that dispersed notes, manual data-entry, and trying to follow up internship supervisors with email are things of the past, why don\u2019t you<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/en\/our-team\/contact-us\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> get in touch with our experts and book a free session to discuss<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> how a modern LMS platform could bring your pedagogical models to a new level.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or if you are already considering investing into an LMS, check out our<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/en\/these-10-tips-will-help-you-choose-the-best\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> article on the 10 criteria you should consider<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before buying.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A modern LMS is a useful tool not only in universities of applied sciences and vocational schools, but also in the private sector. Many HR functions &#8211; job orientation for new employees, reskilling or upskilling product experts, or simply developing the sales team &#8211; are much easier with a learning platform optimized for on-the-job-learning.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more information on our collaboration with Ponsse,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Workseed_Ponsse_Case-study.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> download our pdf leaflet here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8c7da34 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"8c7da34\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[Kuva: Ponsse Oyj] \u201cPonsse and Workseed took machine operator training at REDU to a new level\u201d Ask a Finn and they will tell you that Finland lives off its forest. This belief still holds true. Forestry still constitutes nearly 20 % off all Finnish exports.\u00a0 Despite all technological advances and automatization, the forest industry still [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8245,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,143,145],"tags":[303,305,301],"class_list":["post-10827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-blogs","category-higher-education","category-vocational-education","tag-customer-stories","tag-use-cases","tag-vocational-education"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10827"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10827\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20308,"href":"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10827\/revisions\/20308"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.workseed.fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}