Olli Vesterinen

Olli Vesterinen is a Senior Lecturer in Vocational Teacher Education at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, where he coordinates Research, Development and Innovation Activities (VE-RDI) in vocational secondary education. With a doctorate in education focusing on media literacy, Vesterinen brings extensive experience from both academic and practical educational settings, having previously worked at the University of Helsinki, Diakonia University of Applied Sciences, and the Ministry of Education and Culture.

His research interests span vocational teacher education, RDI in vocational secondary education, digital pedagogy, artificial intelligence ethics, and ethical competence development. Vesterinen has particular expertise in the intersection of vocational education and digital transformation, with recent work emphasizing the ethical challenges teachers face with emerging technologies.

Vesterinen's publication record shows consistent scholarly output from 2014 to 2025, with increasing focus on digital learning environments, AI ethics, and micro-credentials in vocational education. His work demonstrates a progression from foundational research on teacher collaboration and practical reasoning toward contemporary challenges in digital pedagogy.

• Chairman of Media Education Society (2013-2015)
• Expert in Digivisio 2030 project (2021-2022)
• Chairman of national Digipeda network (2022-2023)
• Current involvement in POKOT project on small competence units

As an advisor and project leader, Vesterinen focuses on connecting academic research with practical educational implementation, particularly through his coordination of VE-RDI activities which bridge vocational education theory and practice. His work emphasizes creating flexible learning pathways that respond to rapidly changing workplace demands while maintaining strong pedagogical foundations.

At Haaga-Helia, Vesterinen leads initiatives that strengthen research-based teacher education, with particular attention to how vocational educators can navigate the ethical complexities of emerging technologies while maintaining effective pedagogical practices.