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The Innovative Learning Environments Research Group at the Ģ��ֱ��'s Finnish Institute for Educational Research (JYU FIER) is pleased to announce the guest professorship of Professor Werner Olivier, the esteemed founder and current director of the Govan Mbeki Mathematics Development Centre (GMMDC) and Professor of Mathematics at Nelson Mandela University (NMU), South Africa.

Professor Olivier's visit, scheduled from mid-August to mid-October 2023, will consolidate post-COVID STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) research collaboration with Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi and colleagues from JYU FIER. During this period we welcome further guests from South Africa, such as the Art Historian and Educator, Raita Steyn from the University of Pretoria and researcher of Mathematics Didactics, Carine Steyn and Flora Olivier from the Nelson Mandela University.

Background and Mission in Finland

Professor Olivier's work at GMMDC focuses on the research and development of customized techno-blended models for effective 21st-century teaching and learning of STEM subjects in South African public schools. Since 2017, collaboration with Dr. Fenyvesi has led to the integration of STEAM as a vital part of GMMDC's programme, resulting in numerous joint research initiatives, publications, and projects.

The collaboration has also seen the emergence of an innovative National MathArt project in South Africa, promoting trans-disciplinarity and real-life connections between mathematics and art. This project has attracted international attention and enjoys the support of provincial and national stakeholders in South Africa.

Research Focus During the Visit

During his visit, Professor Olivier will actively explore the following research areas:

• Sustainability Aspects of National STEAM Education Project: Investigating the sustainability of a national MathArt project in South African schools, including an exhibition in the Jyväskylä Art Museum.

• GeoGebra for Innovative Pedagogy Practice (GIPP): Sharing and analyzing initial feedback from teachers about M-learning experiences with GIPP applets, designed to support self-directed learning of mathematics and STEAM experiential learning activities.

The main goals of these activities include realizing new scientific publications, seeking joint funding opportunities, and contributing to quality and equal STEAM education in South Africa in support of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #4.

Anticipated Outcomes

Professor Olivier's visit is expected to result in a series of joint presentations at various international conferences, STEAM webinars, workshop activities, joint research publications, and preparations for collaboration within JYU FIER’s Erasmus+ Projects. The broader goal is to generate outputs that will enhance the quality of STEAM education, both locally and internationally.

The culmination of a joint presentation and a workshop at University of Helsinki’s GINTL Conference in 2023 August by Prof. Werner Olivier, Flora Olivier, Takumi Yada and Kristof Fenyvesi.

A central focus of this collaboration is the alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #4, which aims to "ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all." This goal is particularly significant in the context of South African and Finnish collaborations, as it resonates with the shared commitment to reduce inequalities in education, foster innovation, and create inclusive learning environments. The integration of STEAM education, as promoted by Professor Olivier and JYU FIER, serves as a transformative approach to achieving this goal, bridging cultural and educational gaps, and modernizing STEM skills development. The collaboration between South Africa and Finland exemplifies a global partnership striving to make quality education accessible and relevant, reflecting the principles of Sustainable Development Goal #4.

Workshops and workshop outcomes with international teachers and students, coordinated by Prof. Olivier and Dr. Fenyvesi in Finland.

The Ģ��ֱ��'s Finnish Institute for Educational Research and the Innovative Learning Environments Research Group warmly welcome Professor Olivier and look forward to a fruitful collaboration that will undoubtedly contribute to the advancement of STEAM education globally.

Contact Information

Prof. Werner Olivier Director: Govan Mbeki Mathematics Development Centre Nelson Mandela University E-mail: werner.olivier2@mandela.ac.za

More information:

Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi
Senior Researcher
Finnish Institute for Educational Research
kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi

The Finnish Institute for Educational Research (JYU FIER) at the Ģ��ֱ�� spearheaded the implementation of the STEAMTeach project in Finland. This innovative initiative strategically integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) into both preservice and in-service teacher training, as well as local school curricula. The project's objective was to cultivate a comprehensive educational approach, enhancing critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills among educators and students.

Over the course of the project, more than 100 pre-service and in-service teachers participated in a series of development workshops, gaining practical strategies and resources to incorporate STEAM education effectively into their classrooms. These workshops, which focused on key areas such as sustainable development, art integration, robotics, and cognitive development, were brought forward in five partnering schools across Jyväskylä and Laukka. The project also reached more than 250 lower-secondary and about 60 elementary school students through the STEAMteach projects implemented by their teachers.

The second implementation phase of the STEAMTeach project included the following partnering
schools in Finland:
● Norssi, Ģ��ֱ��'s Teacher Training School, Jyväskylä
● Viitaniemi School, Jyväskylä
● Jyväskylä Christian School, Jyväskylä
● Kortepohja School, Jyväskylä
● Sydän Laukka School, Laukka

We would like to thank all Finnish teachers and their students for participating in this project! These schools were instrumental in providing the necessary platform for the implementation and
evaluation of the STEAMTeach project. Here are some of the participating teachers' schools and workshop names organized at each school. For more information on each workshop, you can check out the STEAMteach website !

Jyväskylä Christian School, Jyväskylä. STEAMteach teacher: Jukka �����ԲԱ�ä�쾱. 25
students.

• 3D Printing for Enhancing Collective Creativities and Key Competence
  Development
• Cognitive Games to Develop Problem-solving
• 4Dframe hands-on robotics
• Activating learning through embodied methods in the STEAM classroom

Norssi, Ģ��ֱ��'s Teacher Training School, Jyväskylä. STEAMteach
teacher: Minna Suikkari. 20 students.

• RoboMakers
• Micro:Bit Mastery

Sydän-Laukaa School, Laukaa. STEAMteach teacher: Mirka Havinga. 300 + 25 students.
More than 10 teachers.

• Sustainability STEAM Day with the participation of the whole school
• Castle of Five Liters
• Microworld in a Shoebox
• Pentomino Puzzles
• Japan Meets Design

Kortepohja School, Jyväskylä. STEAMteach teacher: Gwyneth Koljonen. 20 students.

• The Northern Lights: Art Meets Science project
• The "Finland in Focus" project
• The "Grow Your Own: Green Box"
• LEGO Spike Challenge
• 4DFrame Soccer Bots

Viitaniemi School, Jyväskylä. STEAMteach teacher: Leena Kuorikoski. 25 students + 10
guest students and 6 guest teachers.

• Warka Water Wonders

The project-based STEAM learning approach was successfully aligned with Finland's National
Core Curriculum for Basic Education, with a focus on sustainability, multidisciplinary learning,
and phenomenon-based learning. The incorporation of materials from previous projects, such as
KIKS, further bolstered �ٱ𲹳�������’ STEAM-related knowledge and skills.

The project's impact was profound, with teachers reporting increased confidence in integrating
STEAM into their teaching practices and students demonstrating improved competencies across
various subjects. The project-based learning approach fostered a more engaging and interactive
learning environment, promoting active participation from students. This not only enhanced their
understanding of the subject matter but also developed their problem-solving and critical thinking skills. By fostering a holistic approach to education, the STEAMteach project has promoted critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities among teachers and students. The project's success serves as a testament to the power of interdisciplinary learning and the potential of STEAM education to prepare students for a technologically advanced and interconnected world.

More information:

Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi
Senior Researcher
Finnish Institute for Educational Research
kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi

Join us at the Opening Event on 18 August, 14.00 o’clock - Jyväskylä Art Museum (Kauppakatu 23, Jyväskylä). Exhibition opening with the participation of Prof. Werner Olivier and Flora Olivier from the Nelson Mandela University, South Africa and Kristof Fenyvesi from Ģ��ֱ��, coordinators of the MathArt Project team and Prof. Raita Steyn, Art historian from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Welcome Address by Jukka �����ԲԱ�ä�쾱 from the Jyväskylä Christian School, Finland.

The World at Play exhibition and workshop series is set to foster hope for a better future, where creativity, art, mathematics, and science unite to inspire sustainable attitudes. The exhibition features a collection of artworks created by South African children and youth as part of an art and mathematics challenge. The South African pieces reflect not only the young artists' personal experiences, emotions, and visions but also their connection to sustainability and global responsibility. RSVP to the Facebook event .

In the spirit of STEAM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics), the main aim is to call to action Finnish children and young people to explore sustainable development creatively. The exhibition will be showcased at the Jyväskylä Art Museum's educational space 'Ilmiö' on the 3rd floor, starting from August 15, 2023, until October 1, 2023. After a temporary closure to replace the main exhibition, it will reopen on October 27, 2023, alongside the opening of the Elina Brotherus exhibition and remain open until April 28, 2024.

Inspiring Exploration and Dialogue

During the initial weeks of the exhibition, sixth-grade students from Jyväskylä will have the opportunity to participate in workshops and guided tours, engaging in thought-provoking discussions about sustainable development, the importance of critical thinking for the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the actions needed to ensure a sustainable future.

The workshops will provide an avenue for children to express their desires for influence through various creative means, from traditional art making to using AI in prompting and generating artistic visions. As we explore the potentials of AI in creative applications, we will also emphasize the significance of critical thinking in its ethical utilization.

Fostering Positive Attitudes

The World at Play exhibition aims to instill positive attitudes towards mathematics and the arts among children, parents, teachers, and society as a whole. By promoting co-teaching between art and mathematics instructors and fostering project-based learning, the exhibition aims to enhance the professional development and skills of teachers.

A Shared Vision

The exhibition in the Jyväskylä Art Museum draws inspiration from Nelson Mandela University's South African Mathematics and Art Challenge. Both the South African and the Finnish programs were initiated in cooperation with an international group by Kristóf Fenyvesi, Senior Researcher at the Finnish Institute for Educational Research, Ģ��ֱ��. Fenyvesi has dedicated his career to advocating for the connection of art and mathematics, actively involved in international research projects focusing on multidisciplinary learning.

The showcased works have been carefully selected from the richly illustrated book, "MathArt Expressions: Creative Visual Connections with Mathematics by South African Youth." These artworks offer a unique South African perspective on responsibility, urging us to reflect on sustainable development as a universal concern affecting everyone, regardless of their location.

A Collaborative Endeavor

Collaborating institutions and organizers include the Ģ��ֱ��, the Jyväskylä Art Museum, the Finnish Institute for Educational Research, Ģ��ֱ��’s Teacher Training program and the Faculty of Information Technology, the National Light-Training Association's Alyteko project, the Experience Workshop ay, Jyväskylä and Art Testers.

Invitation to Embrace Creativity and Hope

We invite everyone to contribute to The World at Play exhibition at the Jyväskylä Art Museum and embrace the creativity, innovation, and hope for a sustainable future expressed by our young artists. The exhibition will be open for public viewing from August 15, 2023, to October 1, 2023, and will resume on October 27, 2023, running until April 28, 2024.

In August and September, the exhibition will feature STEAM programs by the Nelson Mandela University’s STEAM Education team, Dr. Carine Steyn, Flora Olivier and Prof. Werner Olivier, who is Ģ��ֱ��’s Guest Researcher for two months. On October 1, this exhibition will serve as the highlight of the Finnish National Agency for Education’s teacher conference about sustainability.

For further information, please contact:

Sirpa Turpeinen, Curator of Education
Email: sirpa.turpeinen@jyvaskyla.fi
Phone: +358 50 542 0591

Join us on this transformative journey of creativity and sustainability at The World at Play exhibition!

The Full STEAM Ahead Conference, hosted by the Kaposvár Campus of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, gathered educators, researchers, and third sector education professionals to explore innovative approaches in education.

Dr. Anikó Andrea Fekete, Associate Professor and Deputy Director of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, set the tone for the conference with her warm welcome address, emphasising the importance of innovative learning approaches and the potential impact they can have on education.

The conference, held on June 3, 2023 showcased a wide range of innovative learning methods, tools and experiences and highlighted the transformative power of immersive technologies. With a focus on supporting teachers in improving learning outcomes, the event provided a platform for experts to share their expertise and insights. The conference benefited greatly from the diverse perspectives and expertise of these esteemed presenters from Hungary, Türkiye, Austria and Finland, who provided valuable insights and innovative approaches to advance educational practices and promote transformative learning experiences.

Dr. Eleonóra Stettner, Associate Professor and Project Leader, offered a comprehensive overview of the STEAM-BOX Erasmus+ project and moderated the conference throughout. She discussed its objectives, methodologies, and the anticipated outcomes, highlighting how this initiative integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) to foster interdisciplinary learning experiences. Read more about the STEAM-BOX project here:

Kristof Fenyvesi (left), Matias Mäki-Kuutti (middle), Orsolya Tuba (right), members of the Innovative Learning Environments Research Group from the Ģ��ֱ�� further contributed to the conference through various presentations and workshops.

Orsolya Tuba, research assistant from the Ģ��ֱ��, Finnish Educational Research Institute, introduced the topic of sustainability and phenomenon-based learning in Finland. Through insightful discussions, she shared Finland's approach on how phenomenon-based learning can enhance students' understanding of real-world challenges.

Matias Mäki-Kuutti, PhD candidate from the Ģ��ֱ��, Finnish Educational Research Institute, provided a thought-provoking analysis of justice in teamwork. Drawing on his current research, he discussed the importance of fairness, equality, and inclusivity within collaborative learning environments, and how these values can foster positive outcomes for students.

Kristóf Fenyvesi, senior researcher from the Ģ��ֱ��, Finnish Educational Research Institute, shared valuable insights on the future of STEAM education in Finland, including emerging trends, pedagogical strategies, and innovative approaches that promote interdisciplinary learning and prepare students for the challenges of tomorrow.

Cecilia Russo and Mathias Tejera, PhD candidates from Johannes Kepler University's Department of STEM Education, provided an enlightening analysis of STEAM curricula. Their comprehensive study examined various curricular models, content integration, and instructional approaches, offering valuable insights into designing effective and engaging STEAM programs.

Selay Kocadere, Associate Professor from Hacettepe University's Department of Computer Education and Educational Technology, shared her expertise on developing STEM lesson plans. Her informative presentation encompassed best practices, innovative teaching methods, and practical strategies that empower educators to create dynamic and immersive STEM learning experiences for their students.

During the conference, Imre Kökényesi, managing director of SmartEgg and creator of the Mondrian-Blocks game, János Szlankó and Dóra Szűcs, the leaders of Okosdoboz (smartbox), and Zoltán Visy, managing director of Redmenta, participated in an engaging round table discussion moderated by Kristóf Fenyvesi.

After the round table, parallel STEAM-BOX workshops were held. The augmented reality session was led by Lilla Korenova, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education at Comenius University in Bratislava. PhD candidates from the Department of STEM Education at Johannes Kepler University, Cecilia Russo and Mathias Tejera, conducted a workshop on GeoGebra games.

Associate Professor Selay Kocadere from the Department of Computer Science Education and Instructional Technology at Hacettepe University led a workshop on game-based instructional design. Senior Researcher at the University of Jyvaskyla, Finnish Educational Research Institute Kristóf Fenyvesi and Matias Mäki-Kuutti facilitated a workshop on project-based STEAM education in Finland. In addition, the Ecohome workshop was conducted by Barnabás Tóth from the Mosolygyár Association and Anikó Rumbus, a PhD student.

The Full STEAM Ahead Conference provided a valuable platform for networking and collaboration, fostering a vibrant exchange of ideas and best practices. We were delighted to participate and meet like-minded educators from many corners of the world in Kaposvár! May the conference inspire us all to embrace new methods in education and to engage in many more fruitful collaborations!

Sources:

More information:

Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi
Senior Researcher
Finnish Institute for Educational Research
kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi

STEAMupgrade-projektin tavoitteena on luoda digitaalisen osaamisen arviointimalleja STEAM-opetukseen, sekä oppimismoduuleja STEAM-taitojen kehittämiseen. Avoimia oppimateriaaleja on kerätty GeoGebra-alustalle, ja ne sisältävät erilaisia STEAM-aiheisia harjoituksia sekä ohjeita materiaalien käyttöä varten. KTL:n ILE-tutkimusryhmä on ollut projektissa mukana muun muassa kehittämässä digitaalisia oppimateriaaleja, sekä luomassa viitekehystä STEAM-opetuksen kehittämiseksi.

Tarkastele materiaaleja

Uudet materiaalit sisältävät muun muassa:

Koulutusmoduuli varhaiskasvatuksen opettajille:

1. Arkhimedeen vipu
2. Robottitanssi
3. Tähtitiede-peli: Esittelyssä aurinkokunta ja ulkoavaruus (Bee-Bot/Code & Go -robotteilla tai vastaavilla)
4. Immersiivisten ympäristöjen luominen koordinoitujen projektoreiden avulla

Koulutusmoduuli perusopetuksen opettajille:

1. Kestävän kaupungin rakentaminen lisätyssä todellisuudessa (AR)
2. Ilmatyynyaluksen suunnittelu ja rakentaminen
3. Pitääkö koodisi kasvin hengissä?
4. Ajoitetut portit – silmukasta silmukkaan

Koulutusmoduuli toisen asteen opettajille:

1. Itseajavan linja-auton prototyyppi
2. Virtuaalinen edustavuus
3. Virtuaaliset sokkelot – ongelmanratkaisun ja tietoisen päätöksenteon harjoitteluun
4. Vuorovaikutteiset GeoGebra-kirjat – luovaa materiaalien kehittämistä ja jakamista

STEAMupgrade-projektia johtaa Tallinnan yliopisto, ja projektissa on mukana kuusi eurooppalaista yliopistoa sekä kaksi unkarilaista teknologiayritystä. Projektin on rahoittanut Euroopan Unionin Erasmus+ -ohjelma.

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Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi
Senior Researcher
Finnish Institute for Educational Research
kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi

On January 31st, 2023, the Ģ��ֱ��'s Finnish Institute for Educational Research (JYU FIER) organized a successful teacher development event supported by the Regional Administrative Agency of Western and Central Finland. A video was made about the event that showcases emphasizes the transformative power of STEAM education for both teachers and students.

The event featured a practical example of constructing a Warka water tower to address water shortage in hot areas, using the 4DFrame STEAM education toolkit. Over 30 teachers from the Ģ��ֱ��'s Teacher Training School participated in hands-on learning and built their own Warka tower models. 

The project-based STEAM learning approach aligns with Finland's national core curriculum, focusing on sustainability and phenomenon-based learning. Feedback from Finnish teachers highlighted the positive impact of previous projects, such as bridge building and historical-themed castle construction, on students' knowledge and skills across various subjects. The significance of art in STEAM and its connection to technology and engineering were also discussed. The event was also covered by the Keskisuomalainen Newspaper, the article can be viewed here.

The STEAMteach Erasmus+ project:

More information

Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi
Senior Researcher
Finnish Institute for Educational Research
kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi

ILE group hosted the research visit and the Transnational Project Meeting of SCISSORS project, which brought together participants from Finland, Poland, and Hungary to discuss the intersection of science and social studies in schools. The meeting aimed to rethink how these subjects are taught in schools and explore ways to enhance their integration.

The meeting took place on November 8th 2022 at the Philologia building on Seminaarinkatu 15. Participants included representatives from various organizations and universities, including the Rogers Foundation (Hungary), Gedania 1922 (Poland), and ILE group.

"We were excited to bring together experts from different countries to share their experiences and ideas on this important topic," said Kristof Fenyesi from the Ģ��ֱ��. "We hope that this meeting will lead to new insights and approaches that can benefit students across Europe."

Topics that were discussed at the meeting included the use of materials in science experiments, incorporating social studies into science lessons, and developing a framework for integrating these subjects more effectively.

In the second day, the researchers visited the Sydän-Laukaan koulu in Laukaa. Ms. Mirka Havinga, who is a math and art teacher in the school, coordinated and guided the visit. The school visit started with the geocaching event using My2050 app <>, is an entertaining combination of escape room and geocaching mixed with facts and possible future scenarios.

The SCISSORS Project was funded by the European Union's Erasmus+ program and aimed to promote innovation in education across Europe.

Contact information:

Dr. Kristof Fenyvesi (kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi), Dr. Takumi Yada (takumi.t.yada@jyu.fi), Matias Mäki-Kuutti (matias.m.j.maki-kuutti@jyu.fi) and Orsolya Tuba (tubors@jyu.fi). 

Finnish Institute for Educational Research
Agora, B435.2
PO Box 35, FI-40014 Ģ��ֱ��

With STEAMers in Jyväskylä - Impressions of Dr. Julia Sipos, Károli Gáspár Reformed University in Budapest

Between 27 August and 3 September, 2022, university lecturer of the Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Dr. Julianna Szabó has visited Ģ��ֱ��’s Finnish Institute for Educational Research. She was hosted by Dr. Kristof Fenyvesi, Dr. Takumi Yada and Orsolya Tuba, from the Innovative Learning Environments Research Group (JYU ILE). Dr. Szabó was accompanied with György Kenéz, photographer and ICT expert, who documented the events and experiences of the 1-week visit. Hereby, you can enjoy the visual and written account of the journey. JYU ILE group is grateful for the meaningful time spent together, the touching and personal written and visual records of the visit, and the fruitful cooperations grown out from this encounter.

Students enrolled in my science communication course at Károli Gáspár Reformed University in Budapest are going on to become teachers. Filled to the brim with optimism, imagination, and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge; a good number of them coming from the countryside have the intention of returning to their hometowns - as educators. The Ģ��ֱ�� provided me with the opportunity to gain experience and knowledge regarding the STEAM approach in education. Upon my visit in the Innovative Learning Environments research group at the Finnish Institute for Educational Research (FIER), I feel the responsibility of passing this knowledge and experience with my students, who then can incorporate it in their teaching across Hungary.

I have known Kristóf Fenyvesi, Researcher of STEAM Learning & Contemporary Culture Studies at FIER, since his days as a doctoral student in the University of Pécs, Hungary. Even as a student, he was keen on exploring the relationship between art and science and organized exhibitions and conferences. Today, he is doing the same, incorporating it all into his teaching methodology, and he is doing it on a global scale, from India to Japan, Paris to South America.

Our stay in Jyväskylä in September 2022, happened to be at the same time when a group of researchers and professors from Japan also received the institution’s warm welcome as part of the International Exchange Meeting Between Japan and Finland conference. The Japanese participants shared their "STEAM" experiences and concrete examples of implementation with the group and I spoke briefly about the challenges of science communication, quoting from Asa Wikforss' book, about "fact-resistant people", the post-truth world, and the weak voice of the scientific media, which is often overwhelmed by politics and tabloid messages.

Kristóf, along with his colleagues, had created an eventful and memorable visit for us, during which we visited the University Library, admired the permanent exhibition by István Orosz in the corridor of the Finnish Institute of Educational Research and experienced what Finnish schools are like.

When visiting a local primary school, one of the most interesting encounters of a classroom was this I Wall, where children and teachers can engage in real "cardio" during their break. The movement program running on the screen is also a game, a competition, since two people can jump at the same time according to the running competition program. Surely, you can perform the sequence of movements on your own, but it is more enjoyable to jump and score points with others.

Among the many activities, the "Yellow Library" of the University left a lasting impression on me. The entire library is one large community space where everyone can find a few square meters to absorb knowledge, be inspired, talk, or browse. You're among people, as in the old Central European cafés for writers, and you can interact whenever you want. There is also a separate studio room where lectures can be recorded, small consultation rooms, discussion or relaxation corners, coffee-making facilities, and, of course, a comfortable buffet if you want to have a coffee in private.

When we were exploring the University Library with our guide Kati Karvonen, Science Communication Officer, I couldn't figure out where the students in black shirts had come from, but then a fantastic song came on and they were off to their work - members of the university choir. Our day became even brighter! The point is that it all comes naturally, with no effort required, just... cooperation and community experience.

More information

Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi
Senior Researcher
Finnish Institute for Educational Research
kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi

The Qatar Math Day was held for the third time in January 2023. The event brought together about 350 experts and enthusiasts from the field of mathematics from inside and outside the Qatar University. One of the main speakers at the conference was Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi from the Finnish Institute for Educational Research - Ģ��ֱ�� in Finland.

The conference aimed to create an academic platform for those interested in mathematics by holding discussion sessions and talks on mathematics, to communicate with the most prominent experts, teachers, and researchers in the field of mathematics and to encourage all parties involved in mathematics education and research. In his keynote lecture, Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi talked about Innovative Learning Environments and STEAM education in Finland and abroad. STEAM education refers to an educational approach that integrates science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics to provide a well-rounded education that prepares students for the future.

Professor Laith Abu-Raddad, world-renowned expert of using mathematical methods in epidemiology and Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi, the keynote speakers of the Qatar Math Day.

Fenyvesi emphasized the importance of STEAM education in developing students' critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity skills, which are essential in the 21st-century job market. He also highlighted the need for a more student-centered approach to education that focuses on inquiry-based learning, project-based learning, and collaboration to provide a more engaging and effective learning experience for students.

Fenyvesi's lecture was well-received by the attendees, who appreciated his insights into innovative learning and the importance of STEAM education. The conference organizers hope that the event will encourage all concerned in teaching science and its keys, i.e. mathematics, to achieve development in teaching methods and related research fields.

In addition to his keynote talk, Dr. Fenyvesi offered workshops for Qatari and international mathematics educators, policy-makers and researchers and visited schools, included the Qatar STEM School.

The Qatar Math Day 2023 was a great success, bringing together experts and enthusiasts in the field of mathematics to share ideas and experiences that will undoubtedly help in advancing the process of teaching mathematics in schools and universities in the country. The event also highlighted the importance of STEAM education in preparing students for the future and developing their critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity skills.

The Qatar Math Day 2023 was organized by the Department of Mathematics in the Foundation Program of the Deanship of General Studies, in cooperation with the Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics at the College of Arts and Sciences and the Mathematics Department of the Educational Guidance Department of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

Many thanks for the head and the members of the local coordination team, Mohamed Ben Haj Rhouma, Hiba Kambarji and Houssam Sami Elkasti for the warm hospitality!

About the event in the local media (in Arabic):

More information

Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi
Senior Researcher
Finnish Institute for Educational Research
kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi

The Nordic STEAM Festival, STEAMbox Erasmus+ project’s multiplier event, held in Jyväskylä, Finland from April 18-20, 2023, was a resounding success, providing teachers, students, and other participants with an opportunity to learn about project-based STEAM activities and acquire useful tools and knowledge. The festival was organized by the JYU Innovative Learning Environments Team, with Kristof Fenyvesi serving as both the local coordinator for the STEAMbox project in Finland and Takumi Yada, a researcher for the team. 

One of the highlights of the event were the STEAMbox workshops, which provided attendees with experience-oriented scenarios presented by international teachers. Hiroki Tokudome, a science teacher from Japan, gave a workshop on fostering non-cognitive skills in 13–15-year olds, which proved to be an eye-opening experience for many attendees. Meanwhile, Mikayla Patella-Buckley, Fulbright teacher a science educator with 18 years of experience based in Washington State, presented a workshop on a simple STEAM assessment tool that can be used for multiple content areas. Her workshop focused on a chemical reaction and challenged students to create a poster illustrating the phenomenon or concept, using both macro- and micro-scale perspectives to demonstrate their understanding.

Patella-Buckley is passionate about inclusion, particularly in STEM fields, and finding creative opportunities for students to express and exhibit their understanding. She has developed and implemented science curricula, SEL workshops, and experiential learning opportunities for students aged 12-18, and currently teaches Chemistry and Forensic Science at University Prep in Seattle. In addition to her, the conference audience had the pleasure to participate in the talks given by two more Fulbright grantees, Christina Biddle and Abel Fallon. 

In addition to the STEAMbox workshops, the Nordic STEAM Festival featured a range of multidisciplinary education workshops and information sessions, all aimed at promoting innovative approaches to learning. Attendees were thrilled to receive as a gift from STEAMbox project, a creative math-art puzzle by Murray Heasman, called Nodus, which combines the art of Celtic knots with a cognitive puzzle.

In addition to the exciting workshops and informative sessions, the Nordic STEAM Festival also had a special guest visit from the Ambassador of Hungary in Finland. Her Excellency, Ms. Klára Breuer, the Ambassador of Hungary took the time to meet with the STEAMbox Finland staff and personally greeted the festival participants. It was a wonderful opportunity for attendees to connect with leaders and experts in the field and learn more about the global impact of STEAM education. The Ambassador's presence served as a reminder of the importance of collaborative efforts in promoting innovative and effective educational practices.

Attendees left the festival feeling inspired and motivated, with the tools and knowledge necessary to organize their own STEAM activities for their own communities. The festival was a true celebration of the power of project-based STEAM education, and a testament to the transformative impact it can have on both teachers and students alike.

Are you a university student, teacher, or researcher interested in introducing STEAM into your teaching? Look no further than Experience STEAM Day, held on April 20th, 2023 in Jyväskylä, Finland. Over 30 teachers, researchers, and other professionals from Finland, the USA, Sweden, Canada, India, Jordan, Sri Lanka, Hungary, and Japan participated in the event.

It was an event to remember. Attendees included university students, teachers, and researchers who were interested in incorporating STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) into their teaching.

The event was packed with exciting presentations and workshops, including a detailed introduction of the main achievements of the STEAMTeach Erasmus project by Kristof Fenyvesi, JYU Innovative Learning Environments Team's researcher, who also served as the local coordinator for the project in Finland. Charlotte Graham, a school principal, and Philippe Longchamps, a multiple awarded STEAM teacher, gave a talk about their Climate Hackathon project, Hallå Celsius, and introduced their book "Transformative Education: A Showcase of Sustainable and Integrative Active Learning."

But that's not all. Zdenka Guadarrama from the USA hosted a creative workshop and gave a Guided Tour in the Virtual Museum of Art in Math teaching. Attendees were thrilled to receive as a gift from STEAMteach project, a creative math-art puzzle by Murray Heasman, called Nodus, which combines the art of Celtic knots with a cognitive puzzle.

The event was a great success in providing useful tools and methods to incorporate STEAM into teaching. Attendees were also able to learn about the existing materials and tools available through the STEAMTeach project. This project is designed to support educators in arranging STEAM activities for their own students, colleagues, or organizations. With the resources and support available through STEAMTeach, the opportunities for innovative and engaging teaching are endless.

Experience STEAM Day was coordinated by JYU’s Innovative Learning Environments Team researchers, Kristof Fenyvesi and Takumi Yada. If you're interested in learning more about the STEAMTeach project and how it can benefit your teaching, head to their website at to start exploring the possibilities.

JYU’s Innovative Learning Environments (ILE) team, Kristof Fenyvesi, Takumi Yada and Orsolya Tuba attended the Nordic Bridge event in Budapest on April 12, 2023. Ambassadors from Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark graced the occasion. In their opening remarks, the ambassadors shared insights on how their respective nations foster creativity. The attendees were all members of the Nordic Bridge Leaders community and employees of the Nordic embassies in Budapest. Andrea Joós from International Business School hosted the event and Embassy of Finland in Hungary supported and facilitated the participation of JYU’s ILE team.

After the Ambassador’s introduction, Kristof Fenyvesi introduced the main topics of the speed ideation workshop that aimed to promote innovative thinking and collaboration among participants. Leonard Sommer and Kristof Fenyvesi hosted the workshop, which involved participants in brainstorming sessions on a variety of concepts related to fostering creativity in lifelong learning. The topics included the qualities and capabilities that contribute to successful leadership, strategies for developing such skills, ways to support learning and development in the workplace, the future of higher education, and the most effective settings for fostering creativity.

The discussions at the workshop were engaging and thought-provoking, encouraging participants to share their perspectives and ideas. Through the exchange of ideas and methodologies, the event achieved its primary goal of fostering knowledge sharing and collaboration between Hungary and the four Nordic countries. The ILE team's participation further strengthened their commitment to fostering innovative learning environments and creating opportunities for learning and growth in all contexts.

Through the exchange of ideas and methodologies, the event achieved its main goal of fostering knowledge sharing and collaboration between Hungarian society and the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden). The ILE team's participation in the event further strengthens the commitment to fostering innovative learning environments and creating opportunities for learning and growth in all contexts.

The event's success highlights the importance of fostering a culture of innovation and creativity in lifelong learning. It also showcases the value of collaboration and knowledge sharing between countries and cultures to drive progress and development. Innovative thinking and collaboration are essential in today's rapidly changing world, and events like the Nordic Bridge serve as a platform for individuals and organizations to come together, share insights and ideas, and collectively drive innovation forward.

The ILE team's participation in the event further strengthens their commitment to creating innovative learning environments and opportunities for learning and growth. By embracing innovation and collaborating across borders, we can drive progress and development in all contexts.

At Leonard Sommer's Classroom Thinktank book show and workshop at the European Commission's cultural center in Budapest on April 13, 2023, Kristof Fenyvesi, Takumi Yada, and Orsolya Tuba represented the Finnish Institute for Educational Research team.

The event was centered around the question of whether schools can survive creativity and whether creativity can survive within the school system. Through the insightful discussion and exchange of ideas, the participants concluded that it is indeed possible for creativity and innovation to thrive within the school system, but it requires a significant shift in the way we think about education and learning.

In his presentation, Sommer, a renowned creativity and marketing expert from Germany, provided insights and guidance on unlocking students' full creative potential by bringing examples of creative education worldwide. In his book, Classroom Thinktank: How to Foster Creativity in 21st-Century Education, he asked more than 100 creatives and education futurists in 35 countries to inspire parents, teachers, principals, and ministries of education to rethink 21st-century education.

Sommer's presentation and the discussion with JYU’s researcher, Kristof Fenyvesi, emphasized the need to create a learning environment that encourages creativity and innovation while nurturing social and emotional learning. The participants highlighted the importance of teachers adopting a more facilitative approach to teaching, where students are encouraged to take ownership of their education and pursue their interests.

After the inspiring and interactive presentation attended by online and offline participants, a ‘speed ideation’ workshop was held. The speed ideation workshop further explored the question, with participants sharing innovative ideas for improving creativity and innovation within the school system. The discussion included ideas such as integrating physical activity, promoting teamwork, and valuing students' cultural backgrounds to create a more inclusive environment.

During the workshop, participants were challenged to develop innovative ideas for improving the creative capabilities of students and teachers within the school system. The speed ideation table asked thought-provoking questions like, “How could innovative technologies bring creativity into the classroom?”

The event was an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from other education professionals. The level of creativity and enthusiasm displayed by participants was impressive.

Europa Pont (Europe Point) is the information and cultural centre of the European Commission and the European Parliament in Millenáris Park, Budapest.

In November 2021, the Finnish Institute for Educational Research at the Ģ��ֱ�� hosted the STEAMTeach project's partners for a transnational project meeting.

The meeting took place in the Ģ��ֱ��'s library's innovative learning environment, which received the prestigious Finlandia Prize for Architecture in 2022, while the university's Seminaarinmäki campus was awarded the first European Heritage Label in Finland. The meeting included a tour led by Kati Karvonen and contributed talks by JYU's guest researchers, Dr. Vilmos Katona (Hungary), Dr. Farida Nurhasanah (Indonesia), and Professor Osmo Pekonen (Finland; 1960-2022).

More information

Dr. Takumi Yada
Postdoctoral Researcher
Finnish Institute for Educational Research
tayada@jyu.fi

Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi
Senior Researcher
Finnish Institute for Educational Research
kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi

ILE group researchers joined the Finnish biggest ICT education conference, ITK Hämeenlinna, from 6-7th October 2022, and gave presentations on our research and projects. In addition, we hold a multiplier event of FreeED project there.

Innovative Learning Environments research group participated in ITK conference 2022, Hämeenlinna, 6-7th October. Kristóf Fenyvesi, Tiina Mäkelä and Takumi Yada gave a presentation about the FreeED project (Erasmus+), which focuses on hybrid education in lower-secondary schools. The project provides the MOOC <> free of charge that offers various kinds of content on how to develop and support �ٱ𲹳�������’ digital, hybrid, and STEAM education. This presentation was a combined event as a multiplier of the FreeED project.

Tiina Mäkelä provided a presentation that focuses on a learning environment study held in the Central Finland area. She explained the six theoretical dimensions of learning environment and how the dimensions were perceived by the teachers in Central Finland.

The project work of the group was presented in the poster session. Currently, we are running projects concerning, for example, learning environments, STEAM, sustainability, positive learning, and digital education.

Contact information:

Dr. Kristof Fenyvesi
Researcher of STEAM Learning & Contemporary Culture Studies
Finnish Institute for Educational Research
Agora, B435.2
PO Box 35, FI-40014 Ģ��ֱ��
+358 40 805 3324
kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi

The visit was intended to foster the expansion of and impact due to the network of STEAM education efforts centered at and radiating from Ģ��ֱ��’s Finnish Institute for Educational Research throughout the EU and beyond. This visit began in early September of 2022 and right away there were presentations regarding STEAM Education to take part in. Launching our work together at a conference in Paris, France, my host, Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi and I set about the broad goals of the visit.

Working, as I did within the scope of the Finnish Institute for Education Research (FIER) housed in Ruusupuisto my primary work was with writing and editing the introduction to the Erasmus+ project STEAMUpgrade, a Framework for the EU to assess STEAM Education programs.

On September 14, about one full week into the visit, I attended and contributed to a STEAM training Drs. Fenyvesi & Takumi Yada held for a class in the JYU teacher’s preparation programme. This is meant to provide these students with a guided experience at the edges of the Engineering, Science, Math & Art silos. Blending as it does each of these methodologies for solving problems the purpose is to inform the thinking of these �ٱ𲹳�������’ about the potency and possibilities of integrative and emergent learning experiences.   

Observing this sort of teacher training exercise met one my ongoing personal research interests, studying the differentials in teacher education programmes between US and Finnish teacher preparation. I noted at the time that these students, while unfamiliar with the specific content of the lesson, were unfazed by the collaborative approach, welcomed it and slipped right into a joint problem solution mode. Providing evidence that the long term nature of Finnish education is one that embraces the social nature of learning.

On this same day, 14 September, I met, via telepresence robot, with academic partner to the FIER Janika Leoste who is an Associate Professor in the digital competencies from Estonia’s Tallinn University and Kristel Marmor from TalTech. This meeting was to discuss the role of telepresence robots and their potential uses in schooling.

In an effort to maintain my research focus in the role of teaching the whole student with a focus on wellbeing, I met regularly with the Finnish Ambassador of Global Teacher Prize, the elementary school teacher, Jukka �����ԲԱ�ä�쾱 to discuss his fledgling research. Together we prepared several abstracts for articles presently under review.

During the week of 29 September I attended the JYU hosted “Digiloping Teachers” Erasmus+ workshops for in-service teachers from all over the EU (Estonia, Hungary and Romania were all represented at this gathering). I was asked to present twice to this program once regarding the nature or the program of study I had developed in the US for the teaching of mathematics for Social Justice; and another time for the use of the digital tool known as the PocketLab.

During the week of 3 October, I traveled to the ICT Days Conference in ��ä��������Բ�ä. This conference brings together designers and users from all over the education technology sector. This was both interesting but also challenging for me as it was delivered entirely in Finnish, which I possess only a rudimentary understanding.

The middle weeks of October were primarily focused on the writing of the introductory and definitional section of the STEAM Upgrade Framework. This framework dovetails with the EU DigCompEdu conceptual reference model’s compentences. Focusing on preparing students to tackle some of the so-called “wicked” problems of the day and to support sustainable futures. It outlines the history, nature, and goals of the progression of STEM from its inceptions to STEAM as is the focus of this research document.

The focus on 21st Century Skills, digital competences, transverse skills, and the cross-inter-multi-trans-disciplinary approaches to understanding and learning; this framework seeks to provide a conceptual model for assessment of efforts to elevate this form of learning. This document is now being incorporated into the broader framework by those in the Innovative Learning Environments team.

Finally, as my time in Finland was drawing to a close, I was also invited to attend another of the Erasmus + funded efforts in teacher professional development. This one took place in Linz, Austria at the Johannes Kepler University (JKU). While at JKU for this project, there were presentations on the use of robots, data science, Geogebra, the architecture of mazes and labyrinths, and more.  

My stay in Jyväskylä and work at JYU came to an end on 3 November, 2022. During my stay I worked on teacher preparation research, teacher professional development research, teaching for wellbeing and social justice research, and was able to write a portion of the STEAM Education Framework. During this time I also made progress on my next book based in the teaching of mathematics from the perspective of play. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the administration at JYU and FIER especially for their commitment to international perspectives and understandings. My colleagues there are gifted thinkers and researchers in their fields and it has been a privilege to work with each of them.

Above all, a thank you is especially extended to my host Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi for his untiring pursuit and effort to help make this possible. I will be grateful all my days.

Innovative Learning Environments was featured in a local newspaper "Keskisuomalainen" this week, as our STEAM-workshop was reported in the newspaper by reporter Katri Talaskivi. See the article !

The Innovative Learning Environments group of the Finnish Institute for Educational Research, Ģ��ֱ��, Finland, coordinated a Free Play with Loose Parts in Schools Webinar with GratoSfera Foundation from Poland, and Rogers Foundation from Hungary on 31.1.2023. The event was organised as part of the Enhancing Creativity and Sustainable Attitudes of Children through Play and Recycled Materials Erasmus+ project (Scrappies).

The webinar’s main speakers were Kamil Maciaszek, the head of GratoSfera Foundation and advocate for children’s play in Poland, and Virag Suhajda, PhD, the head of Rogers Foundation for Person-Centred Education, and children’s play researcher.

In the webinar, Kamil inspired participants from around the world with discussion about the free play of children and play memories, followed by Virag, who showcased Gdansk experiences on play with loose parts. This webinar was appreciated internationally by educational experts from various fields of education.

In the framework of the STEAMteach Erasmus+ project, Ģ��ֱ��’s Finnish Institute for Educational Research (JYU FIER) provided the content for Norssi School’s (Jyväskylän Normaalikoulu's) teacher development event on 18.1.2023. The Regional Administrative Agency of Western and Inner Finland supported the program and the Keskisuomalainen Newspaper covered the whole event. With more than 30 teachers participating in the innovative STEAM-themed event hosted by Kristof Fenyvesi, Takumi Yada, Matias Mäki-Kuutti, Minna Suikkari, Fusegi Hisashi and Simo Marttinen, the program was a huge success for both the teachers involved and our staff from JYU FIER alike!

The central topic of the workshop was understanding STEAM-integration in teaching through a concrete example: addressing water shortage in hot areas by building a Warka water tower (see: ) to harvest water from condensation in air. Supported by our team, participating teachers had hands-on experience building their own Warka tower models with the 4DFrame STEAM education equipment. After a short introduction, our team inspired teachers in creating their own Warka water tower miniatures in small groups of three or four people, making their own design structures and interpretations of the original design. At the end of the workshop, the teachers reflected on the workshop, guided by questions from our team.

Finnish teachers appreciated this kind of hands-on experience, and said that this was a good example of how STEAM-learning can answer many different learning goals set by the national and local curricula. Finnish schools have the transversal topic of sustainability in the curriculum and “phenomenon-based learning”, in which more than one traditional study subject is combined to learn from projects, based on real-life scenarios or simulations of them, so the water tower experiment was a good example of this type of project-based STEAM learning.

Teachers in Finland have such creative freedom to figure out how to answer all the needs of the curriculum during each semester, so in the beginning of the semester, it is good to plan these types of events. Workshops like building the Warka water tower include some knowledge from many areas of learning, without the students even thinking about it!

Teachers said that they have previously built bridges from styrofoam, rubber bands, newspapers, straws, toothpicks, peas, legos et cetera. In one class there had been a middle-age themed castle building project from cardboard boxes etc. that students had brought from their homes, and they had made 3D pictures of the castle, and then they had infrastructure of all the bridges and could move inside the castle using software-based simulation. This was a project to learn historical knowledge and to build skills in architecture and basic engineering.

Another example of projects that teachers had done previously was an art museum collaboration where the students would first see an art exhibition and then create soundstage art for it. In handicraft, they have built catapults and other mechanical works, but it depends a bit on the students which style suits and interests them. One teacher had built Rome, from painting a canvas to building the central market and building temples around it, and they also made a virtual representation of the city they built using software. Ancient greek technology and roman technology, all the concepts that they had in the past, can be used very powerfully and eye-opening. Aqueducts for example were demonstrated so that they had the equipment and they had to build and problem-solve how to transport water from place a to b.

More examples of how project-based STEAM teaching are incorporated in Finnish teaching followed. At a certain level, students need to build some personal, local and international and national product as a response to sustainable development, and this is also where teachers thought the Warka water tower could work as an example. The teachers thought that people don’t do technological and engineering work in a concrete way very often, or at least don’t think that way. One teacher said that not many people even think that a doorknob is technology and an example of engineering.

Teachers thought that in STEAM, Art is very important since it contains creative expression, including music, creative writing, and arts expression in drawing or painting. They also appreciated the group work –centered way of working. The skills developed in these kinds of actions directly support the needs of the curricula. In Finland, these things are taught in a student-centered way, offering more flexibility and freedom of expression for the student, as well as letting the student decide which way they wish to approach a given task.

The teachers asked the JYU FIER team if there are courses and teaching in STEAM-approach to teaching. In early childhood teaching there are quite a few courses, and so does teacher training. But there is still room for improvement, since the level of creative STEAM-integration depends on the teacher’s dedication to incorporating it.

The TESO-day at Norssi school included many workshops, including an Apple iPad workshop organized by Atea (atea.fi) and teacher Anna Laukkarinen, where teachers learned to use new features and applications to support their teaching.

This event is organised as part of the Enhancing Creativity and Sustainable Attitudes of Children through Play and Recycled Materials Erasmus+ project (Scrappies). In our webinar we are going to think together, what play is, and how we play or played, and how the children play today. We will also show you a video on the existing examples of loose parts play in European schools.

Date: 31st January, 2023 14 pm CET / 15 pm EET
Registration required:

Presenters of the webinar are:

● Kamil Maciaszek: head of GratoSfera Foundation, advocate for children’s play in Poland
● Virag Suhajda, PhD: head of Rogers Foundation for Person-Centred Education, play researcher

Schedule:

14.00-14.10 pm CET: Introduction of facilitators and organizations and the structure of the webinars
14.10-14.40 pm CET: Discussion: Free play and Play memories
14.40-14.55 pm CET: Gdansk experiences on Loose Parts Play
14.55-15.00 pm CET: Summing up and Upcoming Events

Play is a basic need for children. Maybe also for all of us. But the issue is, that there are less and less spaces available for school-aged children to play with each other. That is why it is very important to let them play where they are mostly together – in the schools. However often schools do not have playgrounds, and have limited ways to support children. We would like to invite you to a webinar, where we would like to show you how play can be supported in schools, and how it works in some European schools already. In these schools we work with „loose parts” – reused elements from everyday life – which provide great play tools, but are actually available for free. This way we don’t only support children, but also increase their awareness on reuse and sustainability. This webinar is organised as part of the 'Enhancing Creativity and Divergent Thinking through Play and Recycled Materials' Erasmus+ project, funded by the European Commission.

Partner Organizations:

- GratoSfera Foundation, Poland
- Rogers Foundation for Person-Centred Education, Hungary
- Finnish Institute for Educational Research, Ģ��ֱ��, Finland, shorturl.at/BDKX3

Moderators:

Orsolya Tuba, Matias Mäki-Kuutti, Dr. Kristof Fenyvesi (Finnish Institute for Education Research, Ģ��ֱ��)
More information: tubors@jyu.fi

The Digiloping Teachers Erasmus+ project's digital resiliency expo took place at the Finnish Educational Research Association’s annual conference () on November 24th, 2022. Researchers Kristóf Fenyvesi, Takumi Yada, Tiina Mäkelä, Marja Kankaanranta, and Faisal Channa, from the team of the Finnish Institute for Educational Research attended this whole day event, presenting project results and outcomes to stakeholders.

Ģ��ֱ��’s Digiloping Teachers team introduced the whole project, with a special focus on the Learning Management System, the Blended learning training course for teachers and the Mentor Guidebook for teachers as accelerators of digital innovation.

We had researchers, school teachers, and principals participating in the event. The event was also dedicated to promoting the Eramus+ programme and the Education DG's efforts for better education opportunities throughout Europe.

Additionally, the event had a lot more researchers focusing on digital education and resilience from various perspectives.

• Mari-Pauliina Vainikainen introduced her findings regarding middle-school students' problem-solving skills and actions in interactive tasks.
• Nestori Kilpi, Ninja Hienonen and Mari-Pauliina Vainikainen looked for answers to the question: Does students’ use of ICT at school predict lower PISA results or vice versa?
• Laura Nyman and Christiana Mergiania examined the effect of gender and programming practiced at school on performance in programming tasks

The official project code:  2020-1-HU01-KA226-SCH-094117

Find more information about the Digiloping Teachers project here:

Between 8-10 September 2022, teachers and teacher trainees from Romania, Estonia, Austria and Finland received training in developing hybrid learning through the online MOOC platform under the project, FreeEd: A Framework for Efficient and Engaging Hybrid Education in Lower-Secondary Education, at the Tallinn University in Estonia. Ho Wing Wa, Sonja Lakaniemi and Maria Marouli, students of Ģ��ֱ�� joined the training. Researchers of Finnish Institute for Educational Research, Kristóf Fenyvesi and Takumi Yada coordinated the training, and Faisal Channa joined as a researcher to conduct a workshop and collect video observation data during the training.

To train teachers in understanding the role of EdTech and practically integrating different aspects of EdTech in learning and teaching, the training was designed to attain following goals:

• Hands-on understanding how to design and implement hybrid learning environment, including testing MOOC course.
• Understanding the effective usage of EdTech such as Edtech robots, digital learning tools and technical devices for hybrid learning.
• Testing state-of-the-art digital tool, Telepresence Robot for hybrid teaching and learning.
• Experimenting digital learning environment in STEM education through computer-supported collaborative learning.

The training was held in the purpose-build environments of Tallinn University’s digital learning labs, EDUSPACE and ELUALA.

Day: 1

Session 1: Getting to know the Eduspace Lab,
By: Janika Leoste

Group Task:
Teachers were given group task to express experience the group members have about hybrid or online training courses and what technology was used in these courses.

Teachers watched a challenge that includes both hybrid learning and a telepresence robot. Based on the challenges, teachers were asked to discuss their opinions about such approach (a challenge in the video)– what are the benefits and weaknesses? Do you think you could use this approach if the cost of the technology would not pose a problem?

Session 2: International group-work: Turning classrooms into hybrid learning studios
By: Tarmo Lehari and Sirly Väät

Group Presentation:
Make a list of minimum technical equipment that teachers would need to have set up in their classroom in order to facilitate the full participation of two learners learning from home (due to health or other reason).

Session 3: Hands-on experiment: 4 groups for 4 activity centers

Group Task:
Doing robotics activities in hybrid environment using the EDUSPACE and ELUALA rooms.

Day 2:

Session: Experimenting digital learning environment in STEM education through computer-supported collaborative learning
By: Faisal Channa and Kristof Fenyvesi

Group Task:
Participants were randomly formed into groups of three. They worked in the  Labster digital learning environment on simulation tasks related to STEM education: Newton´s Second Law of Motion and Vectors and Scalars: Guide two astronauts on a mission to Mars Virtual Lab.

As a conclusion of the training, the in-service and future teachers have worked on various learning scenarios focusing on activating and engaging students in a transdisciplinary context based on the Free-Ed project’s hybrid education framework.

Day 3:

Alpár Ferencz-Salamon and Kristóf Fenyvesi coordinated a session for international group work concerning  co-teaching and shared leadership between teachers teaching various subjects

The participating teachers created 45 min STEAM lessons in 6 international groups. They made sure that their lesson plans were suitable for a hybrid scenario, and they used various tools, solutions and methods to make their STEAM class engaging.

Project team in Ģ��ֱ��

Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi, Dr. Marja Kankaanranta, Dr. Tiina Mäkelä, Dr. Takumi Yada

On 6 October, 2022, members of Finnish Institute for Educational Research's Innovative Learning Environments group, Kristóf Fenyvesi, Tiina Mäkelä, Marja Kankaanranta and Takumi Yada provide a presentation, workshop, and a poster to introduce the main outcomes of the international FreeED project.

More information about the project:

Christopher (Chris) Brownell Ph.D. is a visiting scholar from California in the USA. He is working with the Finnish Institute for Educational Research’s “Innovative Learning Environments” group. He is working with the STEAM education team, coordinated by Kristóf Fenyvesi and Takumi Yada. Dr. Brownell’s visit is taking place in September and October 2022.

GeoGebra STEAM Day at the Museum of Mathematics in New York. Left to right: Kristóf Fenyvesi (Finland), Hogul Park (South Korea), Zsolt Lavicza (Austria), Chris Brownell (USA)

“I have been a mathematics and mathematics education professor for 22 years in the US and prior to that I was a mathematics teacher in the California Secondary Schools. I am an author of Math Recess Playful Learning in an Age of Disruption (), a book written for an audience of primarily teachers and parents. This book already has a chapter about Finland, summarizing my first impressions at an Experience Workshop () event I realized together with Dr. Fenyvesi and Professor Osmo Pekonen in April 2017 in Kuopio. Currently, my research interests are largely focused on the role of creativity, and embodiment in the learning and teaching of the integrated subjects of STEAM. Further, I have a keen interest in the role critical thinking must play in schooling in the future. I am excited to learn more about Finnish culture and language.“ - says Dr. Brownell.

Chris Brownell, Osmo Pekonen, and Kristóf Fenyvesi’s STEAM Inspiration Day at the Regional State Administration Agency of Eastern Finland in Kuopio in 2017 April.

Dr. Brownell has a desk on the third floor of the Ruusupuisto building and his email while here at JYU is cbrownel@jyu.fi

22 September 2022, 16.00 CET/ 17.00 EET

FreeED project (Erasmus+) offers the webinar series. The topic of this webinar is wellbeing of teachers, cooperation among teachers, taking risks, innovating practices. You are joining an exciting community of folks who pursue the cutting edge of education. You are welcome!

AGENDA:

17.00 EET:
    Introduction

17.05 EET:
    Jukka �����ԲԱ�ä�쾱 (Christian School of Jyväskylä): The basic pillars of wellbeing of learners and teachers regardless of the local and social conditions


17.25 EET:
    Dr. Frigy Szabolcs (Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania): Wellbeing of teachers in Romania - The untold story


17.45 EET:
    Pasttita Ayu Laksmiwati (Johannes Kepler University, Linz): Design heuristic to support teachers in developing STEAM lessons in hybrid learning scenarios


18.10 EET:
    Wanda O Rly (AKA Valtteri Lahti - Psyon Games): Applied Games For Awareness And Education


18.30 EET:
    Dr. Arató, Ferenc (Institute of Educational Sciences and Department of Theory and Practice of Education, University of Pécs. Hungary): Happy teachers' secrets: routines for effective teaching that you need to know if you want to live a happy and meaningful life as a teacher. How to develop essential and effective learning in any offline or online class, in any age group – even right away.


18.50 EET:
    Kadri Mettis (School of Digital Technologies, Tallinn University): Teacher versus Covid- personal experience of keeping one's sanity
 

19.10 EET: 
    Closing

HOST: Takumi Yada (Ģ��ֱ��)

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:

DR. ARATÓ, FERENC is a senior researcher at the Institute of Educational Sciences and lecturer at the Department of Theory and Practice of Education, University of Pécs. Hungary. Fields of research and development: cooperative learning, non-violent communication, interactive and critical-reflective knowledge construction. He is recently the network coordinator of the NICLEE network, the official global network for cooperative learning discourse.

AYU LAKSMIWATI, PASTTITA is currently a PhD student at Johannes Kepler University Linz, has worked as an academic specialist at SEAMEO QITEP in Mathematics, Indonesia. Her research focuses on supporting �ٱ𲹳�������’ skills in developing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) lessons and hybrid learning environments.

Dr. FRIGY SZABOLCS is a school counsellor, associate lecturer. His research is related to the education system, with a special focus on the added value of schools, the relationship between education and society. As a helping professional, he is confronted every day with the challenges of teachers' wellbeing.

WANDA O RLY (AKA Valtteri Lahti) is an educator and performer that pursues creative science communication via drag arts. She's also the co-founder and COO of Psyon Games: Finland's leading applied game studio, awarded multiple times for their pioneering work in health awareness.

SINNEMÄKI, JUKKA is a teacher at the Christian School of Jyväskylä, educational innovator, finalist of the GLOBAL TEACHER PRIZE (2018), and winner of the a GLOBAL TEACHER AWARD (2019).

METTIS, KADRI is a Junior Research Fellow at the School of Digital Technologies, Tallinn University.

Between 20-22 April, 2022, the Ģ��ֱ�� co-organized the 9th International Symposium and Conference on Creative Education in cooperation with CCE-Finland.

Any major event conducted during adverse circumstances brings in a lot of learning. Our 9th Symposium was packed with mixed emotions, learning and many moments of pride. The topic of the conference was Creativity for Sustainable Education. The hybrid format of the event gave access to a lot of participants from more than 40 countries. The conference’s Keynote speaker, Professor Hannele Niemi, UNESCO Chair from University of Helsinki talked about the topic, ‘Re-imagining the Future: Creativeness and sustainability in education’.

“It is important that Ģ��ֱ�� contributes the global celebration of innovation, creativity and sustainability. That is why we co-organize an international event on April 21^st, which is UNESCO’s World Creativity and Innovation Day and that is why we are including the World Earth Day on April 22.” – told Ģ��ֱ��’s local hosts: UNESCO Chair, Professor Pekka Neittaanmäki and Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi, senior researcher of the Finnish Institute for Educational Research.

Ģ��ֱ��’s volunteering students with the coordination of CCE-directors, Shirin and Heramb Kulkarni, made an excellent job. The results are proved by numbers as well:

• ·   135+ Registrations
• ·   70+ Abstracts from 40 Countries from 5 Continents
• ·   Registrations for the conference viewership from more than 82 Countries
• ·   15000+ unique viewers, educators, and researchers
• ·   2200+ Person Hours by Conference Organizers
• ·   2900+ messages and chats replied

On April 12, 2022, an international STEAM Symposium was hosted by the Finnish Institute for Educational Research at the Ģ��ֱ��. The STEAM Symposium was a dissemination event of the STEAM-Box Erasmus+ Project and introduced a wide range of innovative and creative learning opportunities and research, including Fulbright projects.

As part of the program, the participants of the symposium got familiar with the main goals of the international STEAM-box project () and the Massive Open Online Course about STEAM education, which was activated meanwhile:

At the International Symposium's Opening Session, members of the Finnish Institute for Educational Research's Innovative Learning Environments group, Kristof Fenyvesi, Takumi Yada, Marja Kankaanranta, and Tiina Mäkelä greeted the participants. Gyöngyi Bánkuti and Eleonóra Stettner represented the STEAM-Box coordinator institute, MATE-Hungary. Selay Arkun Kocadere and her team have represented Hacettepe University, Turkey, and Zsolt Lavicza and his team have represented Johannes Kepler University, Austria.

The first session was devoted to the topic of International Perspectives on Schooling, Learning and STEAM. Professor Fusegi Hisashi (Shinshu University, Japan), a visiting researcher at the Ģ��ֱ��, introduced Educational issues in depopulating areas in Japan. Fulbright teacher, Scott Ferrell-Garcia from the USA, presented about Investigating Finnish Phenomenon-Based and Multidisciplinary Learning as a Model for Project-Based Structures and Learning. Abigail Harkey, a Fulbright teacher, introduced The role of the Transversal Competences in post-secondary education toward the creation of an Ecosocial Art curriculum.

The president of the International Association of Snow and Ice Sculpture, Juhani Lillberg from the University of Lapland, discussed the wintertime landscape's connections to snow and ice art. A Fulbright teacher, Jennifer Booz share her experiences of being an Alaskan Teacher in Finland.

Ģ��ֱ��'s Phd Candidates, Khaula Zheeshan and Faisal Channa, discussed 21st Century Skills Development and the role of STEM/STEAM Learning approaches and Exploring teacher's collaborative learning in STEAM through temporal and sequential analysis in face-to-face and digital learning environments.

As a closing of the conference a newly published book, Playful Learning in Early Childhood Education in Finland (otava.kauppakv.fi/sivu/tuote/playful-learning-in-early-childhood-education-in-finland/4060312) was introduced to the participants. The focus of the book is to describe early childhood education and care in Finland from a theoretical and practical perspective. The book is including a chapter about STEAM in Early Childhood Education and contains over 100 practical and playful activities for children under seven years of age. The authors give concrete examples and ideas for how to implement activities with children to learn through play. The book is based on the Finnish pedagogical practices, scientific research, and development projects from ECEC and is also based on Finnish National Core Curriculum for ECEC.

As a special program of the symposium, Kati Karvonen, curator of Ģ��ֱ��’s Open Science Center guided the participants around in the mathematical art exhibit of Ernst Mether-Borgström in the campus’ art gallery.

After the conference, the Fulbright teachers could visit Ģ��ֱ��’s Teacher Training School. At the school the Fulbright teachers visited the classes of Tom Nevanpää and Hannu Moilanen.

The official program was ended with a dinner hosted by the Director of the Finnish Institute for Educational Research, Professor Jussi Välimaa.

Teachers from Finland, Estonia, Austria, and Spain learned STEAM education with innovative methods and digital tools at the University of Stavanger, Norway 26th-28th April 2022. STEAM education is based on the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics in the learning process.

Minna Suikkari from Jyväskylä Teacher Training School, Mirka Havinga from Sydän Laukaa School and Gwyneth Koljonen from Kortepohja School joined the STEAM Upgrade Training. Kristóf Fenyvesi and Takumi Yada coordinated the study trip from Ģ��ֱ�� and Faisal Channa has joined as a researcher to carry-out video observations during the activities.

The STEAM Upgrade Training has provided unforgettable learning experiences and loads of fun.

In order to realise �ٱ𲹳�������’ development through extensive and creative use of STEAM tool kits, the training focused on the following learning goals:

• Selecting the social challenges: curriculum-relevant sustainability issues
• Selecting the age-appropriate STEAM kits: Augmented Reality, robotics & microcontrollers for 1-7 grades of primary school
• Applying Digital Competences framework in the training module design
• Creating and testing the tangible prototypes of the resources
• Creating and testing digital resources

The training was held in the maker space at the University of Stavanger.

Day 1:

Session 1: Sustainability and Augmented Reality (AR)
by Ludenso -

The teachers were given the theme of "sustainable cities" and were asked to create buildings in Augmented Reality.

Session 2: STEAM learning with the use of MICRO:BIT in Natural Science
by Espen Lunde & Eirik Lunde

The task was to measure the ball speed when dropping it through a lane. The teachers were trying to measure the speed with two points connected to micro:bit.

Day 2

Session 1: Animation project (Stop Motion Studio: )
by Marianne Undheim, Kaja Aas Feragen & Oda Helene Angaar

Messages on sustainability were shown with Stop-Motion app.

Session 2: The Science Lab in the nature: Sustainability and the use of Arduino
by Frode Skarstein, Espen Lunde & Eirik Lu

This greenhouse represents that STEAM education is a combination of multidisciplinary knowledge and skills. It requires the knowledge and skills from biology, engineering, programming, mathematics, and art design.

Day 3

Session 1: Sustainability and use of Wonder:bit
by MakeKit () - Steinar Holos, Henning Pedersen & Kaja Aas Ferag

With micro:bit, teachers learned how to create the joy of creating. For 21st-century skills, the joy of creating involves the combination of building and coding.

Session 2: MaxWhere -Virtual spaces with the benefits of reality
by MaxWhere (

In the virtual reality, you can get a lot of benefits. Anyone can upload anything without capacity limits, and access from anywhere. The teachers discussed how to make the most of the virtual space in their teaching.

Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi, Senior Researcher from Finnish Institute for Educational Research is among the speakers of the International Brain Awareness Week, organized by the Ģ��ֱ��’s Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Research.

International Brain Awareness Week is celebrated at the Ģ��ֱ�� between March 15-18, 2022. The Brain Awareness Week hosts a national brainstorming event and we will be publishing expert video lectures on the topic “The Playful Brain” during the week.

Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi’s talk will be in English and it will draw a connection between Education, Games, and Multiple Creativities.

Please check for more talks, events, and more information (in Finnish):
/fi/ajankohtaista/arkisto/2022/03/kansainvalisen-aivoviikon-tapahtumat-monitieteisessa-aivotutkimuskeskuksessa

The Finnish Institute for Educational Research participates in the STEAMteach international Erasmus+ project. One of the project's goals is to provide training programs for in-service and pre-service teachers in various aspects of STEAM Education.

Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi's interviews with Finnish pre-service mathematics teachers at the University of Lapland, in the framework of the "STEAMteach: Games in Mathematics" Erasmus+ Training event in 2021 December.

The STEAMteach Training in Finland was coordinated by Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi, senior researcher of Innovative Learning Environments research group at the Finnish Institute for Educational Research(/it/en/research/research-areas/cognitive-science-and-educational-technology/ile). The 2-days training program was taking place at the University of Lapland on December 7-8, 2021.

Sixty pre-service teachers have attended the training organized as part of a regular course, led by Dr. Anna-Maija Partanen, teacher educator, researcher, and a specialist of mathematics and science popularization, member of the Finnish National STEM Network (). The STEAMteach Training content was represented by Kristóf Fenyvesi from the Ģ��ֱ�� (JYU) and his colleague, Dr. Farida Nurhasanah, prominent Indonesian researcher and STEM and STEAM specialist, visiting scholar at JYU.

One of the main themes of the program was using games in learning. Farida Nurhasanah has introduced STEAM boardgames for learning mathematics in early childhood education, pre-school and primary school. The boardgames were called ’W�ǰ��ٱ�������پ��첹’ and ’Fraction Bakery’ and these implemented story-based learning in building up basic math concepts during the gameplay.

The future teachers had great fun playing the board games. They had in-depth reflection sessions focusing on their own playing experience and various aspects of playful and experience-oriented approaches in STEAM learning. The board game, ’W�ǰ��ٱ�������پ��첹,’ is currently under official release in Indonesia, so it was a unique opportunity to have it tried and discussed even before it officially reached the Indonesian market.

Anna-Maija Partanen has offered a Finnish math game called Ten Base Euroilla, which establishes the system of decimal calculations through spending and collecting money in the game. In addition to practicing mathematical operations, the game is supposed to develop verbal expression and social skills and strengthen self-esteem. All mathematical operations are included in a realistic story.

In addition to the boardgame, the students could try the digital learning game, Wuzzit Trouble(), which has been developed in collaboration with prominent mathematics education innovators, Keith Devlin and Jo Boaler.

Kristóf Fenyvesi has demonstrated how to turn a mathematical challenge into an artistic puzzle and game. The award-winning Mondrian Blocks is an engaging STEAM game for children and adults to experience the flow of creative problem-solving. The course participants have discussed the mathematical, cognitive, and educational dimensions of playing Mondrian Blocks.

STEAMteach trainers: Kristóf Fenyvesi (left), Anna-Maija Partanen (middle), Farida Nurhasanah (right)

More information about the project:

/it/en/research/research-areas/cognitive-science-and-educational-technology/ile/projects/steamteach-steam-education-for-teaching-professionalism/steamteach

FreeED- STEAM supporting hybrid education webinar (February 16th 2022)

STEAM education with innovative methods and digital tools supporting hybrid education. The host institution: Johannes Kepler University, Linz

Are you a teacher looking for methods to engage your learners, help them combat the "online fatigue" and get back into balance? The FreeED project aims to help school teachers embrace the challenges emerging from the current shift from mostly classroom-based education to a more flexible, technology-supported learning environment, re-think learning spaces and to safeguard the well-being of children and their teachers.

Join us to try out the 4d Frame set, challenge your students to solve real-life math problems in their neighbourhood and "a-Maze" them through mazes and labyrinths! And - above all - meet teachers from various countries and see how they are facing the challenges of this (almost) post-Covid era.

This Project is the third webinar for teachers organized within the Free-ED Erasmus+ project.

Date: 16th February 2022 17.00 - 20.00 EET

Register here:

More information:

The Innovative Learning Environment research team at the Finnish Institute for Educational Research held a combined workshop for teachers in 2021 September. In the workshop, the teachers learned how to use the new transversal competence assessment assisting platform, . Laatuska was developed by Tampere University in collaboration with the Ģ��ֱ�� and University of Helsinki. The platform development was part of the Assessing and enhancing 21st century skills in formal and informal learning environments project.

Laatuska helps teachers assessing transversal skills in both subject-specific teaching and multidisciplinary learning modules, according to the Finnish basic education curriculum. As part of the workshop, the teachers participated in a STEAM education activity with 4Dframe hands-on STEAM toolkits.

This workshop was a part of the project, . The project consists of collaborative research by the Finnish Institute for Educational Research, the Tampere University and the University of Helsinki.

More information:

Dr. Kristof Fenyvesi (Finnish Institute for Educational Research): kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi /

+358 40 805 3324

The Finnish Institute for Educational Research’s Innovative Learning Environment Research Group is glad to welcome Dr. Vilmos Katona (University of Pécs, Hungary) visiting scholar at the Ģ��ֱ��'s Open Science Center.

During his 3-months stay at the Ģ��ֱ��, Vilmos Katona conducts transdisciplinary research on the architecture of innovative learning environments. As an invitee of the Open Science Center, Katona cooperates with Kristof Fenyvesi and the members of the Innovative Learning Environments Research Group to develop international projects for integrating spatial design with learning activities.

Katona works as an associate professor at the Institute of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Pécs, Hungary, where he also supervises doctoral researches. He has several refereed publications on architectural theory, and is frequently invited to international conferences and exhibitions. Katona is a member of the Executive Board and, from 2021, chief editor of Symmetry, the journal of the International Symmetry Association.

If you would like to contact Dr. Vilmos Katona, please write an email to: katona.vilmos@mik.pte.hu

The preseminar, organized by the Teaching and Assessing Transversal Competences in Formal and Informal Learning Environments project, will present a wide range of research on transversal competences and put ideas into practice in related workshops. Finnish Institute for Education Research will be represented by the local coordinator of the project, Kristóf Fenyvesi and the members of the Innovative Learning Environments Research Group: Tiina Mäkelä, Marja Kankaanranta, and Takumi Yada.

• Date: November 24th (Wed.)
• Time: 10.00-15.00 EET
• Mode: Online
• Registration:

Transversal competences (Key competences, 21st Century Skills) refer to the more general cross-curricular knowledge, skills and attitudes that are defined in the curricula of different school levels in Finland as common objectives for all subjects and elements of school culture. The 3.5-year project “Teaching and assessing transversal competences in formal and informal learning environments”, which will end at the end of this year, has developed research-based methods and digital tools to support transversal competences in collaboration by Tampere University, Ģ��ֱ�� and University of Helsinki.

At the same time, training modules consisting of theoretical and practical components have been built, which have been used in teacher training at the universities implementing the project and are currently being applied in in-service training. The project has also produced an extensive open material bank, the content of which has also been developed with the help of student teachers.

The final product of the project will be a book for teacher education and in-service training, which will bring together in a comprehensive way scientific knowledge and practical approaches to the subject from a variety of perspectives.

Detailed Program and Registration:

[English]

[Finnish]

More information:

Dr. Kristof Fenyvesi (Finnish Institute for Educational Research): kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi /

+358 40 805 3324

The Finnish Institute for Educational Research’s Innovative Learning Environment Research Group is happy to welcome Dr. Farida Nurhasanah visiting researcher from Sebelas Maret University, Indonesia.
 

Farida Nurhasanah is greeted by Jussi Välimaa, Director and Päivi Häkkinen, Vice-Director of Finnish Institute for Educational Research.

Farida Nurhasanah conducted research in promoting STEAM education to mathematics teachers in Indonesia through various programs together with Ģ��ֱ��’s researcher, Kristof Fenyvesi. During her 2-months visit at the Innovative Learning Environment Research Group, Nurhasanah is working together with the research group members on preparing international projects and publications concerning multidisciplinary approaches in everyday learning. 

Farida Nurhasanah is a lecturer and researcher at Sebelas Maret University, Indonesia. Her research interests include mathematical abstraction, teaching mathematics using technology, teaching mathematics through games, STEM and STEAM education, and Teacher Professional Development Programs.
 

She is actively involved in TPD programs initiated by the government as well as some non-profit organizations. Currently, she is also a Deputy Director for Program in SEAMEO for QITEP in Mathematics, a regional organization that focuses on providing various TPD programs for mathematics teachers in Southeast Asian Countries.

Farida Nurhasanah can be reached at: farida.nurhasanah@staff.uns.ac.id or nurhasanahfarida@gmail.com
 

Website SEAQIM:
 

Website UNS:

Activating creativities by emphasising health and wellbeing: a Holistic Pedagogical practice from Finland. A book chapter, written by Kristóf Fenyvesi, Christopher S. Brownell, Jukka �����ԲԱ�ä�쾱, and Zsolt Lavicza.

The book Sculpting New Creativities in Primary Education introduces the new term ‘c���𲹳پ������پ����’ with cutting-edge examples of creativities research that has influenced the thinking and work of teachers and school leaders in their practice.

Co-edited by one of the leading international experts in creativity and the arts, this book is packed with imaginative ideas and practical classroom suggestions underpinned by theory and research to help teachers become research-informed and research-generating. Sculpting New Creativities in Primary Education will inspire us, invite us to think, and share ways in which research is informing and enabling a role for new and creative practices in primary education.

About the Editors

Pam Burnard is Professor of Arts, Creativities and Educations at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. She Chairs the University of Cambridge Arts and Creativities Research Group and is co-editor-in-chief of the international journal of Thinking Skills and Creativity.

Michelle Loughrey is a successful teacher and education leader with over two decades’ experience working in education, leading schools most recently as Headteacher. As an educational consultant she provides skilled coaching and strategic support to individuals, teams, schools and trusts.

More about the book here:

Online Book Launch

Activating creativities by emphasising health and wellbeing: a Holistic Pedagogical practice from Finland

The "Activating creativities by emphasising health and wellbeing: a Holistic Pedagogical practice from Finland" is one of the chapters in this book, written by Kristóf Fenyvesi, Christopher S. Brownell, Jukka �����ԲԱ�ä�쾱 and Zsolt Lavicza.

This chapter describes a creative and innovative pedagogical approach that has been developed within the Finnish education system. This approach focuses on the co-authoring and development of primary school learners’ wellbeing, including physical and mental health. We describe this approach using a series of short narratives that centre on the everyday classroom practice of one Finnish teacher, Jukka �����ԲԱ�ä�쾱. The examples concentrate on the sculpting of the learning process and the environment, and weave together a developmental narrative to highlight the importance of the slow and careful emergence of a classroom learning community that emphasises safety, respect and concern for its members. 

We describe how the students and their teacher have transformed their school environment to reflect their individual and collective needs, skills, emotional capacities and values. The goal of this creative process is to maximise each of the students’ full potential and support them in finding motivation and joy in learning and life; in short, to flourish. The examples will show how, over a 20-year career, �����ԲԱ�ä�쾱 left traditional school hierarchies behind to focus on sculpting a thriving children’s community of learners, including their physical capacities, personalities and identities.

More information:

Dr. Kristof Fenyvesi
Finnish Institute for Educational Research
Ģ��ֱ��
Email: kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi
Phone: +358 40 805 3324

Free ED Webinar for teachers “Experiences in hybrid and online learning: working in teams, caring for wellbeing and organising in-service teacher training” A webinar organized by the Free ED Erasmus+ project:A Framework for Efficient and Engaging Hybrid Education in Lower-secondary Schools

Date: November 4th Thu. 2021

Time: 15.00-17.30 EET

Mode: Online

Registration:

Are you a teacher or an educational researcher? Do you think that technology could better contribute to learning and well-being? Join the Free ED Webinar Series! Embrace the challenges of a more flexible, technology-supported learning environment! Re-think learning spaces and safeguard the well-being of the students and the teachers!

The Innovative Learning Environment research team from the Finnish Institute for Educational Research, represented by Marja Kankaanranta, Kristof Fenyvesi, Tiina Mäkelä, and Takumi Yada are contributing to the Free ED Erasmus+ project, funded by the European Commission. Free ED’s international webinar series about hybrid education presents the best practices and current challenges to teachers, researchers, educational technology developers and any educational stakeholders.

At this time, Dr. Farida Nurhasanah, Ģ��ֱ��’s visiting fellow from the Sebelas Maret University, Indonesia gives a talk in the webinar:

15:00 - 15:10 Introduction to the Free-Ed project (Csilla Lazar, Spektrum Educational Center)

15:10 - 15:30 Hybrid teaching in classroom - the opportunities, challenges and barriers. The teacher's perspective (Janika Leoste, Tallinn University)

15:30-15:45 Designing online and hybrid professional development program for supporting southeast mathematics teachers (Farida Nurhasanah, Ģ��ֱ��)

15:45-16:00 Survival of positive online experiences (András Ágnes, Tamási Áron High School, Székelyudvarhely)

16:00-16:15 Project-based learning during epidemics (István Nemes, Teacher Training Center, Nagyvárad)

16:15-16:30 Drama games in the cyberspace (Csilla Rusz, Szacsvay Imre General School. Nagyvárad)

16:30-16:40 Coffee break

16:40-17:55 Cooperative teaching and learning strategies in online and hybrid education (Katalin Gál-Iankó and Krisztina Kolumbán, general school teachers)

17:55-18:10 GeoGebra in technology-unfriendly schools (Jürgen Dolezal, Johannes Kepler University, Linz)

16:10-16:25 Reflection on break-out rooms' discussions - round 1.

Topics:

1. Wellbeing and positive online experience

2. Teamwork, cooperation and project work in unusual settings

3. Teacher development programmes under the "new normal"

16:10-16:25 Reflection on break-out rooms' discussions - round 2.

Topics:

1. Wellbeing and positive online experience

2. Teamwork, cooperation and project work in unusual settings

3. Teacher development programmes under the "new normal"

More information:

Dr. Kristof Fenyvesi (Finnish Institute for Educational Research): kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi /

+358 40 805 3324

Join the Modeling at School Erasmus+ Project's Multiplier Event on 28.9.2021!

Modeling At School Erasmus+ Project's Multiplier Event is taking place on 28 September, 10.00 AM - 12.10 PM organized by the Ģ��ֱ��'s Finnish Institute for Educational Research.

REGISTER TO THE ONLINE EVENT FOR FREE:

: New Approaches and Tools for Enhancing Computational Thinking in All School Subjects

The (2018-2021) aimed at integrating computational thinking in different subjects and schools by offering a new curriculum. Modeling is an important concept in Computer Science, and it is applied in everyday life. We introduced modeling for teachers and pupils in order to integrate it as a concept and a learning tool in primary and secondary education.

Welcome to meet the project team and to get more information about our activities. Check out the project's website:

Speakers:

• Kristóf Fenyvesi, Tiina Mäkelä (Ģ��ֱ��, Finland)
• Heike Demarle-Meusel, Marina Rottenhofer (Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria)
• Gregorio Robles, Cristian Chushig, Jesús Moreno León (Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain)

The event is a part of the Special STEAM Seminars.

Ecophon Finland, Oppimaisema Consulting, the Ģ��ֱ��, and City of Helsinki participate in the exploratory Innovative Learning Environments and Student Experience Scoping Study (ILE+SE Scoping study). The international study is led by the University of Melbourne’s Learning Environments Applied Research Network (LEaRN).

T

With over 70 participants in 20 teams, the aim is to explore where existing international research into ILEs has led us, what must be done next, and how the next steps in research should be designed. The Finnish experts form part of the Nordic team led by the Royal Danish Academy with representatives from all Nordic countries. The Scoping Study aims to identify and build consensus on the issues critical to driving future learning environment research, specifically in the context of the student experience. The one-year study will draw on opinions of academic, education, and industry experts across the globe. It will use input from Regional Team members to validate and analyse these responses. From that outcome, the Scoping Study will publish a white paper on this topic and use those data to draft major research grant applications for lodgment in 2022.

Finnish participants

Ecophon Finland: Ecophon group develops, manufactures and markets acoustic panels for public spaces such as schools, offices and hospitals. Its mission is to contribute to a good working environment for the eye, the ear and the mind. "A good, less noisy sound environment in schools is extremely important", says Pauli Pallaskorpi, Ecophon Finland´s Concept Developer for education. Ecophon Finland, like the whole Ecophon Group, is a very research oriented company and it has been involved in numerous learning environment projects. “That is why it is not only natural but also our great pleasure to participate in the Scoping Study”, Pallaskorpi continues.

Oppimaisema consulting is a group of experts working in school design projects. Its mission is to create better learning landscapes for all and especially for pupils and students. Markku Lang, Learning Landscape designer and one of the co-founders of Oppimaisema describes: "In our work, it’s really important to have solutions in design that are tested and researched before bringing them into use on a big scale. Every time it’s not possible, so that’s why we’re excited and privileged that we can participate and give our impact to the Scoping Study. Hopefully we'll be working later on together with research projects in Scandinavia but especially in Finland based on this Scoping Study.”

Helsinki City participates in the study through its Space Services of the Education Division. Architect and doctoral student, Sari Lehtonen is happy to participate and connect with other participants and practitioners in the study. “We are happy to participate in this study, this gives us a possibility to be involved with the important research of the innovative learning environments and be a part in creating knowledge and understanding of the key issues for the future research.” Her PhD research in Aalto University focuses on Finnish physical learning environments and learning.

Finnish Institute for Educational Research at the Ģ��ֱ�� participates in the study through its Innovative Learning Environments research. The post doctoral researcher Tiina Mäkelä views the participation as a great opportunity to connect with researchers and practitioners from all over the world. “We are very happy to collaborate with the University of Melbourne and LEaRN, which is one of the leading groups in learning environment research”, Mäkelä comments. “I am sure that the participation will deepen our understanding of the critical issues that need to be tackled in the future learning environment research”, she continues.

”Everyday Creativity” Erasmus+ project has been a great example of successful internal collaboration between Ģ��ֱ��'s Department of Teacher Education and the Finnish Institute for Educational Research.

The  has been awarded the "good practice" label by the National Erasmus+ Agency in Romania. Earlier the project received acknowledgment as good practice via .

The main coordinator of the project was Director Csilla Lázár from Spektrum Educational Center, Romania. The JYU team was led by Tamás Péter Szabó from the Department of Teacher Education. Kristóf Fenyvesi from Finnish Institute of Educational Research contributed to the realization along with Tea Kangasvieri (JYU OKL) and Gomathy Soundararaj (JYU OKL).

JYU’s task was to develop and implement an in-serve teacher education program. You can find all the project results here: 

Finnish Institute for Educational Research and its' international partners' Erasmus+ Free-ED project, provides a Webinar series on hybrid education. Join us for free to discuss best practices and current challenges in the field. The first session is about the Estonian experience of Hybrid Learning.

Date: June 9th 2021.

Topic: Estonian experience of Hybrid Learning

Language of the webinar: English

Registration and further details:

Program:

• 15:00-15:10 Introduction of the Free-Ed project by Csilla Lazar, Spektrum Educational Center
• 15:10-15:20 Teachers' experiences of last year international STEAM course conducted in hybrid by Janika Leoste
• 15:20-15:40 Estonian teachers coping with distance and hybrid learning this year by Mihkel Kangur and Signe Hohensee
• 15:40-15:55 Teaching and learning together with students. Introducing the results of one year Higher Education project by Larissa Jõgi
• 15:55-16:10 Discussion and group work in Break-out rooms
• 16:10-16:25 Reflection on break-out rooms' discussions
• 16:25-16:30 Closing notes by Csilla Lazar

Local contact: kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi - Kristóf Fenyvesi (Ģ��ֱ��, Finnish Institute for Educational Research)

Innovative Learning Environments research group at the Ģ��ֱ�� has been organising various online workshops with Finnish schools during Autumn 2020. For example, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary learners and their teachers have been participating in final research and development actions related to STIMEY learning environment.

The learning environment includes a versatille online platform and socially assistive robots. It has been developed as a part of European (Science, Technology, Innovation, Mathematics, Engineering for the Young) project conducted in Belarus, Finland, Germany, Greece, and Spain. The STIMEY project aims at connecting various stakeholders in shared efforts to engage and increase both female and male students’ interest and motivation in STEM education, innovations, and careers from a young age.

The most recent STIMEY -online workshops have been organised at , and . We are very thankful for the contributions and participation of their teachers and student groups in this project.

At Jyväskylä Christian school, we had an opportunity to learn about technology with primary school students, for instance, by checking how STIMEY-robot looks from inside.

Lower secondary school students at Toivolanranta Joint Comprehensive school working with the STIMEY learning environment.

Greetings From STIMEY Robot!

For more information about the STIMEY project, contact: tiina.m.makela@jyu.fi

Information about our other ongoing projects, see:

(Computational Thinking and Acting) Erasmus+ project
(Modeling At School) Erasmus+ project

Innovative Learning Environments research group at the Ģ��ֱ�� continues collaborating actively with schools around Finland despite the difficulties that COVID-19 crisis has created. In fact, we are developing innovative remote workshops in which the researchers offer activities and guide the process online, while teachers work with their student groups.

Our current activities are related to three different EU-funded projects:

1. (Science, Technology, Innovation, Mathematics, Engineering for the Young) project (Contact: tiina.m.makela@jyu.fi)
2. (Computational Thinking and Acting) Erasmus+ project (contact: kati.clements@jyu.fi)
3. (Modeling At School) Erasmus+ project (contact: kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi)

In the beginning of October 2020, researcher Tiina Mäkelä organised hybrid workshops at , Seinäjoki, with researcher Mikko Muilu, who worked at the school as a substitute teacher. Three groups of 7th graders participated in activities mainly related to the final implementation of STIMEY learning environment including an online platform and socially assistive robots. Connections were also created with physical computing activities included in COTA project and use of diagrams and programming in MAS project. Mäkelä was presenting the missions remotely from Jyväskylä together with STIMEY robot while Muilu supported the student groups in the classroom.

It was evident that the physical robot was considered as a motivating element even if it was only experienced by distance. Students were also enthusiastically conquering missions related to a topic: ”What does it take to be a STEM professional?” using the STIMEY platform. It is great to see how research and development projects can be connected to everyday school activities both motivating young people towards STEM studies and careers and bringing valuable insights to research and development.    

On 7th of May, 2020, when education was provided online in Finland due to COVID-19, the Ģ��ֱ��'s "Modeling at School" Erasmus+ Team virtually visited two classes in the Palokka Comprehensive School in Jyväskylä, Finland. Innovative Learning Environments Research Group of the Finnish Institute for Educational Research organized the sessions.

Researcher Tiina Mäkelä, and Palokka School's vice-director and teacher, Annukka Talja have conducted the program, and researchers Marja Kankaanranta and Kristóf Fenyvesi supported the sessions.

The objective was to learn about innovative ways of using diagrams in exploring measurement systems of various quantities.

After a short introduction of modeling and diagrams, the students of Physics classes discovered the potentials in creating class diagrams for visualizing connections between base and derived quantities and their units and symbols. During the activity, the students received a text listing the base quantities and derived quantities and their units and symbols. After that, they worked on an empty class diagram with some examples without connection lines. Students reproduced the model in their notebook, added the missing details and the connection lines. When finished with the activity, students took a picture/screenshot of their diagram and shared the image with their teacher.

When the participating students were asked if they found text or diagram more comfortable to understand, many students voted for the diagram format.

Finnish schools start their summer holidays at the end of May 2020 after an exceptional spring term. We wish all educational communities pleasant holidays and hope to continue collaboration after the summer break with renewed energies!

We recommend watching these videos if someone is interested "Modeling at School" Erasmus+ program with participants from Austria, Finland and Spain: 

• A short demo of our activities in English:
• An introduction to the use of modeling and diagrams in teaching and learning in Finnish:

If you want to know more about the "Modeling at School" Erasmus+ project, please

• check out our website:
• like us on Facebook
• follow us on Instagram
• sign up to our Youtube channel:

If you are interested in joining the project, please contact us here:
Finnish Institute for Educational Research
Ģ��ֱ��
Kristóf Fenyvesi: kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi
Tiina Mäkelä: tiina.makela@jyu.fi

Right before Finnish schools have been closed because of the COVID-19 crisis, representatives of the Finnish Modeling at School team, Tiina Mäkelä and Kristóf Fenyvesi visited Ģ��ֱ��’s Teacher Training School and involved teachers and a group of 6th graders in various modeling activities.

The Innovative Learning Environments Research Group at the Finnish Institute for Educational Research (Ģ��ֱ��) started an intensive collaboration with schools in the “Modeling at School” Erasmus+ project.

Right before Finnish schools have been closed because of the COVID-19 crisis, representatives of the Finnish Modeling at School team, Tiina Mäkelä and Kristóf Fenyvesi visited Ģ��ֱ��’s Teacher Training School and involved a group of 6th graders and their teachers in various modeling activities. The event was part of the , which was celebrated worldwide in 2020 for the first time.

Our computer science-based activity diagrams have helped to memorize the guidelines of the proper handwash and understand the security protocol of what to do in case if someone suspects having COVID-19 infection.

In addition to the practical implementation of diagrams in a crisis situation, the students had time to experience the use of diagrams in subject-based learning as well. At handcraft class, the students decided to support with diagrams their project on product design.

At the end of the class, the students discovered that the process of product design from the starting idea to the manufacturing can be supported greatly by algorithmic thinking.

The students were busy and had big fun on working in teams on diagrams of various product designs. They were also excited to see the outcome of their algorithms by manually constructing the rapid prototypes of their designs by using the ITSPHUN geometric modeling kit.

Currently, the Finnish Modeling at School team is preparing distance learning materials to make quarantine learning more enjoyable and motivating with Computational Thinking-related activities.

If you want to know more about the “Modeling at School” Erasmus+ project, please
● check out our website: 
● like us on Facebook 
● follow us on Instagram
● sign up to our Youtube channel:

Contacts in Finland:
Finnish Institute for Educational Research
Ģ��ֱ��
Kristóf Fenyvesi: kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi
Tiina Mäkelä: tiina.makela@jyu.fi

On 28 November 2019, the Ģ��ֱ��'s Department of Teacher Education and Finnish Institute for Educational Research have jointly organized the launch of a new handbook for teachers: "Everyday Creativity".

The book show was taking place in the inspiring environment of the Tissari Art Collection with the support of the university's Open Science Center. The room was full of university students, local teachers, and education researchers, when Pamela Burnard, Professor of Arts, Creativities, and Educations at the University of Cambridge (UK) opened the event with her video message. 

More information on the "Everyday Creativity" project: 
Contacts: Kristóf Fenyvesi (kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi) & Tamás Péter Szabó (tamas.p.szabo@jyu.fi)

Everyday Creativity: Boosting Creative Resources with Finnish Models of Education. Teachers’ Handbook. Eds. Tamás Péter Szabó, Kristóf Fenyvesi, Gomathy Soundararaj, Tea Kangasvieri. Ģ��ֱ��, 2019. 129 pages.
Online:

Pamela Burnard's brief but nonetheless contentful talk called the attention to the multiplicity of teachers' own voices integrated successfully in the book.

"On the whole, the project has broadened my perspectives in the field of in-service teacher training and opened doors for many opportunities."  Gomathy Soundararaj, co-editor of the Everyday Creativity book.

One of the co-editors of the book, Gomathy Soundararaj described how the concepts presented in the "Everyday Creativity"-book and the related Erasmus+ international project were contributing to her master thesis on pedagogy and teachers' training. As Soundararaj works on the collaboration with schools, teachers in customizing the Finnish models of education according to the Indian context, the new competencies reflected in the handbook are currently supporting her at the start of her career. 

The journalist, Matleena Ylikoski has invited the participating teacher mentors, Susanne Roos from JYU Teacher Training School, Merja �����ԲԱ�ä�쾱 and Leena Kuorikoski from Viitaniemi School and the Global Teacher Prize finalist, Jukka �����ԲԱ�ä�쾱 from Christian School and education researcher, Tiina Mäkelä from the STIMEY-Finland H2020 educational innovation project for thought-provoking discussion.

It is important that teachers and students work and learn together: the strict authority of a teacher does not easily give way to creativity.

The roundtable gave a deeper insight into creativity in everyday school life. The panelists gave many examples of how they implement creative teaching methods and how creativity enriches learning situations. We discussed also about the conditions that support creativity.

As a conclusion of the discussion, the participants agreed that the most important thing is to create a safe, approving atmosphere in the school and in the class, that gives both teachers and students "a permission" to try and also to fail.

It has been agreed that teachers in Finland also need the exchange and dialogue with other teachers from all around the world.

It was interesting to see that the participants had fully agreed that technology is an important, but not necessary part of creative working. However, sometimes the technical troubles are even a seed for creativity. Several comments addressed the deconstruction of the myth of perfect Finnish education or perfect Finnish teachers. 

We hope that our Everyday Creativity handbook can be a dialogue starter in several teacher communities around the world.

In order to provide wide international visibility for our work, the book has been introduced in 2019 November in events like the European Commission's Conference on Supporting Key Competences Development in Brussels and Tokyo Science Agora in Japan. A copy of the book has been given to Dr. Tiina Silander, Director of Department for Higher Education and Science Policy and General Upper Secondary Education of the Ministry of Education, Finland.

Japan Tessellation Design Association stands up for creative teachers! Our Teachers' Handbook has made it to Japan's prominent science and education festival, Science Agora in Tokyo.

Ģ��ֱ��'s Checkpoint Leonardo Network met with almost 20 LUMA coordinators from all over Finland to introduce Checkpoint Leonardo's hands-on STEAM learning toolkits. Checkpoint Leonardo Network member Kristóf Fenyvesi, researcher of Innovative Learning Environments group has introduced multidisciplinary learning topics, which are relevant to all STEAM fields, such as Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.

The wealth of structural variability offered by the STEAM toolkits proved to be excellent for understanding, analyzing and modeling real-world phenomenon.

The creative experiments with the geometrical structures provided opportunities also for introducing artistic approaches to science learning and scientific approaches to construct artistic creations as a part of a joyful learning process.

Beginning from 2020 January, as the result of the Checkpoint Leonardo Network project, all LUMA (STEM) Centers in Finland can offer programs based on the STEAM toolkit for free.
 

Sustainable Development Goals and European Union's Key Competences were in focus at Finland’s STIMEY FESTIVAL 2019. 10-12-years-old students and their teachers participated in the Ģ��ֱ��'s STIMEY Festival 2019. The playful problem-solving activities were focusing on topics not less interesting like how to harvest water from thin air and how to 'train' robots to win the robot-soccer championship.

European Researchers' Night has opened the doors of the Ģ��ֱ�� wider than ever, to offer a rich selection of new scientific experiences, opportunities for people to try and do research themselves, and discussions with enthusiastic academics.

The greatest audience in Finland was achieved at the Ģ��ֱ��, where various activities collected nearly 14,500 visitors, including thousands of children.  The theme of the event program was traces: traces that science leaves in society and the traces of humans on Earth. Science was introduced through workshops, science lectures, and laboratory visits.  

Ģ��ֱ��'s European Commission supported Horizon 2020 STIMEY () project has concentrated on Sustainable Development Goals by calling attention to limited water resources.

Participating children created hands-on models and study the unique water condensation solution, called Warka Water ().

Intriguing geometric structures, new knowledge on the importance of the water cycle, interpreting Greta Thunberg's message and the concept of social design led the way to discover creative and innovative techniques, which can save lives in the era of global warming.

After the serious fun of solving global problems, the participating students gave the floor to their own robotic champions, which they have developed to win STIMEY's Robotic Soccer Tournament.

Playing soccer with robots maybe not as simple as it sounds, but certainly great fun. The room was loud when a team has scored and one could feel the concentration while others tried to catch the fastly rolling ball with their robotic soccer hero.

The experience was completed by experimenting with STIMEY's brand new digital learning environment. 

Ģ��ֱ��'s participating STIMEY Team: Tiina Mäkelä, Kristóf Fenyvesi, Veera Kenttälä, Matias Mäki-Kuutti

Photos: Kati Clements, Kristóf Fenyvesi, Veera Kenttälä

28.11.2019, 14.00-16.00, Soihtu Exhibition Centre
(Ģ��ֱ��, Seminaarinmäki, S-building)
Please register until 26.11.2019 HERE

Everyday Creativity: Boosting Creative Resources with Finnish Models of Education. Teachers’ Handbook. Eds. Tamás Péter Szabó, Kristóf Fenyvesi, Gomathy Soundararaj, Tea Kangasvieri. Ģ��ֱ��, 2019.
129 pages.
Online:

Program
• 14.00- Coffee, tea, snacks
• 14:15 Welcome and video greeting by Pamela Burnard (Cambridge University, UK)
• 14:20 Editors’ presentation: Tamás Péter Szabó, Tea Kangasvieri, Gomathy Soundararaj, and Kristóf Fenyvesi
• 14:45 Creativities in the School? Discussion with Susanne Roos (teacher, JYU Teacher Training School), Merja �����ԲԱ�ä�쾱 and Leena Kuorikoski (teachers, Viitaniemi School), Jukka �����ԲԱ�ä�쾱, (teacher, Christian School, Jyväskylä) and Tiina Mäkelä (H2020 STIMEY-Finland research coordinator, Ģ��ֱ��). Led by Matleena Ylikoski, journalist.
• 15:15 Questions & Answers
• 15.30 Closing by Pirjo Vuorinen, Director of Jyväskylä University Museum-Soihtu
• 15:35-16.00 Coffee, tea and snacks, informal get-together

This handbook, published in English, Dutch, Hungarian, Italian and Romanian, provides paths for teachers on all levels of education for making their schools and teaching practices more creative and learning-centered. The readers are invited to browse among and use in their own practice the manifold results of the “Everyday Creativity” Erasmus+ project. You are welcome to try our digital self-assessment tool and implement the material of the Ģ��ֱ��'s blended teacher training course. Both are intended to develop the facilitation of various creativities in different learning environments and created with the participation of teachers from Finland, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, and Romania.

There are everyday and extraordinary stories, pedagogical concepts, inspiring wishes and dreams, and a great amount of openly accessible, 'tried-and-true' resources collected in this book. We hope that all will support the transformation of schools into inspiring environments, where all the various creativities of students and teachers are recognized, welcomed and celebrated guests every day.

More information:

Download and share: Invitation Flyer (pdf)

Organizers: Tamás Péter Szabó, Kristóf Fenyvesi, Gomathy Soundararaj, Tea Kangasvieri

Contact: kristof.fenyvesi@jyu.fi

Ģ��ֱ��’s STIMEY team () had the opportunity to meet almost 2400 secondary and high school students, and 130 teachers at Toukofest, one of Finland’s largest educational event.
‘Toukofest’ () was taking place on 29 May, 2019 in Jyväskylä, Finland. Kristóf Fenyvesi and Matias Mäki-Kuutti have represented Ģ��ֱ��’s STIMEY project and organized a STIMEY Festival at the event. Osmo Pekonen, the renowned Finnish science historian, mathematician and author was there with us to meet the youth.

Several groups of interested students joined to STIMEY’s various STEAM-learning activities and got excited to explore the STIMEY universe, where STE(A)M learning becomes adventure and play.

Toukofest has brought new school contacts to STIMEY. Many students and teachers have expressed their wish to see STIMEY in their classrooms in the autumn. Look out schoolkids, STIMEY is coming back to you soon!

On April 6th, 2019, STIMEY (Science Technology Innovation Mathematics Engineering for the Young, ) international project participated in the Athens Science Festival (). Members of STIMEY project’s pedagogical team Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi from the Ģ��ֱ��, Finland, and Prof. Dr. Dimitris Pnevmatikos from University of Western Macedonia, Greece, facilitated a workshop for participants of all ages. The topic was social design through hands-on and digital modelling to develop the mindset of problem-solving and creativity.

“Do we still burn coal? When do we plan to stop doing it? What do we know about properly managing natural resources? Do we recycle correctly?” The solution proposed by the Athens Science Festival 2019 lies in sustainability and knowledge economy. Thus, STIMEY has focused on these areas, bringing unique STEAM activities to the Athens Re-Science festival, straight from STIMEY’s Learning Environment.

More than a hundred children and adults joined their forces together building STIMEY’s TOWER OF PROBLEM-SOLVING & CREATIVITY! During this unique workshop, participants got familiar with the structure of the Warka Water towers (), originally designed by the Italian architect, Arturo Vittori. The Warka Water tower was designed to assist Ethiopia’s population in its everyday challenges of producing clean drinking water. Through this workshop, participants were able to connect STIMEY’s digital learning tools with a hands-on activity of building the tower in bigger and smaller versions by using Experience Workshop’s () 4Dframe toolkit. The activities were based on a collaborative problem-solving group effort, which requires both creativity and imagination.

STIMEY is grateful for the Athens Science Festival, the Embassy of Hungary in Greece and the Business Grove. Special thanks to László Szoldatits, consul of Hungary in Greece, Theo Anagnostopoulus, director of Athens Science Festival (ASF), the whole ASF-crew, Chrissy Pirounaki, creative teacher, and her students in Athens for their heartfelt support.

Hannu Moilanen, Sami Äyrämö and Marja Kankaanranta received a best paper award in AACE World Conference on E-Learn, among the hundreds of papers, for example from several American top universities.

Each AACE conference awards best papers to honor submissions that offer a significant contribution to the field of educational media, learning and technology. These conference highlights comprise some of the theoretical and practical innovations that are likely to shape the future of edtech. 

Awarded paper in AACE’s E-Learn Conference 2018:
Moilanen, H., Äyrämö, S. & Kankaanranta, M. (2018). “Detecting pupils’ opinions on learning physics bodily by unsupervised machine learning.” In Proceedings of E-Learn: World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education (pp. 27–38). Las Vegas, NV, United States: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).

Ed­Me­dia + In­no­va­te Lear­ning 2018 Pa­per Award in Learn­Tech­Lib

Veera Kenttälä, Rebekah Rousi and Marja Kankaanranta received a best paper award in AACE World Conference on Educational Media and Technology.

Each AACE conference awards best papers to honor submissions that offer a significant contribution to the field of educational media, learning and technology. These conference highlights comprise some of the theoretical and practical innovations that are likely to shape the future of edtech.

“The reinforced LETUS Design framework gives a greater understanding of the contextual aspects that affect all learning technology but have not been defined to a satisfactory degree in relation learning technology design. This work adds to the research in the field of usability and learning software design and evaluation to offer deeper understanding of the complicated issue of context.”

Paper: Learning Experience Technology Usability Design framework
Authors: Veera Kenttälä, Rebekah Rousi, Marja Kankaanranta
Topic: Design Frameworks

Summary: This paper presents the results of a study that aims at constructing a framework for the design of educational technology, and adds to the continued efforts to construct the LETUS framework. This study aims to further develop the LETUS framework through designing pedagogically usable products for various learning environments.

Research Methodology: This study involved theory based fortification of the Learning, Content and Technology related aspects of the LETUS framework, and also analysis of practice based articles focused on the contextual aspects of the framework. The researchers also identified relevant micro, meso, and macro level factors.

Key Findings: Through this study, understanding of several key components of the LETUS framework (namely Learning, Content and Technology) was furthered through critical analysis of research related to these aspects.

Tiina Mäkelä from the research group Innovative Learning Environments defended her thesis on Education "A Design Framework and Principles for Co-designing Learning Environments Fostering Learning and Wellbeing" on January 27, 2018.

More information (in Finnish)

(in English)