VISCI was presenting it’s research on the educational field at the Science Corner of Helsinki University this week. The event is covered on the University’s web pages.
Kristiina Kumpulainen interviews students
The student used netbooks with an internet connection for collaborative writing.
The students and principal Anna-Mari Jaatinen
Learning and Teaching in the 21st century: More Creativity and Collaboration!
Come and join us at the Think Corner (Aleksanterinkatu 7, Helsinki) on Monday 23 April at 11.00 onwards to learn more about our work to develop school cultures that address the importance of integrating 21st century learning skills and technologies into the curriculum and learning practices.
In the session, you will have opportunities to learn more about our research and development work at Siltamäki School in Helsinki in which we have collaboratively developed technologies and pedagogical practices that support students’ and teachers’ creativity, collaboration and connected learning across informal and formal settings (www.visci.fi). The project resulted in a school musical of which melodies will be presented to you by the students and the principle of the school.
Unleash your creativity and test our technologies for collaborative creative writing. Join us also for interviews, surveys and open discussions about the ideal future school.
More information: Professor Kristiina Kumpulainen, Department of Teacher Education
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Tämän vuosituhannen oppiminen ja opetus: Luovuus ja yhteistyö kunniaan!
Liity seuraamme Tiedekulmaan (Aleksanterinkatu 7, Helsinki) maanantaina 23. huhtikuuta kello 11 eteenpäin keskustelemaan kuinka kehittää koulua vastamaan tämän päivän oppimisen haasteisiin ja oppijoiden tarpeisiin. Kuinka linkittää uudet mediat ja kansalaisentaidot osaksi opetussuunnitelmaa ja koulun toimintakulttuuria?
Tilaisuudessa kuulet tutkimusyhteistyöstämme Helsingin kaupungin Siltamäen koulussa, jossa on jo pitkään kehitetty koulua kohti yhteisöllistä ja luovaa toimintakulttuuria rikkoen koulun perinteisiä raja-aitoja. Koulu on silloittanut toiminnassaan formaaleja ja informaalien oppimisympäristöjä tehden oppimisesta merkityksellistä ja innostavaa. Monialaisen yhteistyön tuloksena kouluun luotiin musikaali, jonka kappaleita sinulla on mahdollisuus kuulla koulun oppilaiden ja rehtorin esittämänä.
Testaa luovuuttasi yhteisöllisen kirjoittamisen virtuaalityökalulla, kuule haastatteluja sekä jaa mielipiteesi siitä millaisen tulevaisuuden koulun pitäisi olla. Tervetuloa tilaisuuteen!
Lisätietoja: Professori Kristiina Kumpulainen, Opettajankoulutuslaitos
A few weeks back VISCI researchers took part in an internal seminar organized by the MOTIVE research programme. As the seminar was intended to share interim results from between the research groups, we prepared a few posters about our research.
General Poster
Co-Designing Innovation Capabilities
Expanding Spaces of Learning
Facilitated Global Virtual Team Work
Demos and Prototypes
Integrating technology, literacy and arts for the promotion of collaborative creativity
One of the objectives of our VISCI research project is to investigate the application of digital technology and collaborative tools in the sociocultural settings of the school. In realizing this objective, we have conducted a case-study in a primary school located in Helsinki district. In the study, we provided the students with one-to-one laptops with 24-hours wireless internet access to be used at school and home while the children work on a school musical. The students were also introduced to a collaborative writing tool (viscipad.hiit.fi) which supported the students’ collaborative creation of their musical.
In our study, we are particularly interested to examine how technology embedded in the sociocultural setting of the school and the classroom community is able to promote collaborative learning and creative writing, and also how this new technology and the specific tool, VisciPad, mediates students’ collaboration, and the social practices of the school, such as, the school culture. In addition, we have focused on investigating students’ experiences and perceptions of using the laptops and VisciPad in and for their collaborative work and beyond.
20 students from 5th and 6th grade classroom communities participated in the study. The students were provided with personal mini-laptops for three months in the spring term 2011. Even though almost all the students had proficient skills in using a computer and the internet, we made sure that they were able to use the laptops and the specific collaborative writing tool VisciPad. During our study, the students were collaboratively writing a script for a school musical. The composition work of the students at the school was mostly realized in a special room, so-called ”Stress Free Area; SFA”, which is equipped with adjustable chairs and tables, audio-visual and smart board facilities. In addition, the students could take their laptops outside the school for collaborating and communicating with other students and to work on their writing from home.
Throughout the study, the students were very motivated in their work. With the help of their teachers, they were able to create an inspiring musical manuscript, a number of poems and even a composition of a melody. The laptops and VisciPad with its specific tools, such as chat and communication facilities, appeared to support the students’ collaboration and collective creative writing. The outcome of the students’ work, a fantasy musical, entitled as, “Magic Forest Musical” was performed at the anniversary of the school’s establishment in May 2011. The musical was clearly a great representation of the collaboration and coordination processes between the students and teachers. We credit this success to the school culture and its leadership, teachers’ professionalism, human creativity, collaborative efforts and motivation embedded in the use of different technological resources.
During the three months of our study, we have collected different types of data:
- Video-recordings of the students’ activities and social interactions in the classroom
- Chat data of the students’ interactions while they were working on the musical with their laptops
- Questionnaire data about the students’ experiences of using the laptops and VisciPad for collaborative work and writing
- Screen-captures of the students’ activities on their computers while they were working together in the classroom
We have now concluded the first iteration of our research work and have started to analyze the data. We are working towards publishing our work in different journals and books.
Collaborative writing in the classroom
Our sister project VISCI Tools is organizing a free final seminar on 10th of November 2011 from 8:45-12. We’re calling it “Ideas Abound – Innovation in the Digital Age” and our researchers are presenting insights into what the digital future holds for innovative work. Alongside with the seminar we also have a poster presentation about new concents and a demo stand with some prototypes.
The seminar is held mostly in English. The invitation below is only in Finnish, but you can find the English version here (pdf).
Sign up here before 30.10.2011.
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Tervetuloa VISCI Tools -hankkeen tulosseminaariin
Ideas Abound – Innovation in the Digital Age
Aalto-yliopiston ja Helsingin yliopiston yhteisessä VISCI Tools-hankkeessa on kahden vuoden ajan tutkittu ja kehitetty innovoinnin prosesseja, käytäntöjä ja työkaluja valikoiduissa pilottiyrityksissä.
Marraskuussa on aika koota yhteen ja esitellä hankkeen tuloksia VISCI Tools -tulosseminaarissa. Tervetuloa mukaan kuuntelemaan, kokeilemaan ja keskustelemaan!
Paikka: Haaga-Helia ammattikorkeakoulun aula (Ratapihantie 13, 00520 Helsinki)
Aika: torstai 10.11.2011, klo 8.45-12.00
Ilmoittautuminen tästä linkistä http://www.simlab.tkk.fi/ideas_abound viimeistään 30.10.2011.
Tutustu ohjelmaan, ks. liite. Seminaariin osallistuminen on maksutonta, mutta edellyttää ilmoittautumista.
Tilaisuudessa ohjelmaa sekä suomeksi että englanniksi.
VISCI Tools (2010-11) -hankkeen on toteuttanut kolme tutkimusyksikköä: SimLab, HIIT ja CICERO Learning. Lisätietoja VISCI Tools -hankkeesta: http://www.simlab.tkk.fi/VISCI+Tools
Tervetuloa tutustumaan innovoinnin tulevaisuuteen!
