Lohkanlihkku
Table of contents
Project description
The aim of the Lohkanlihkku project is to support both learning and teaching of reading and writing skills in five Sámi languages: North, Inari, Skolt, Lule, and South Sámi. For this purpose, we will utilise the evidence-based Lukukupla game developed by the JYU’s experts at the Centre for Applied Language Studies. We will further develop the digital game for the Sámi languages and culture in close collaboration with the Sámi experts. The project involves experts in Sámi languages and culture, as well as education and technology, from Finland (Universities of Lapland and Jyväskylä), Sweden (Umeå University) and Norway (Sámi Allaskuvla).
Apart from the game, the Lohkanlihkku project will collaborate closely with Sámi stakeholders to develop material for teachers to support their work. As a result, much-wanted material for teachers of Sámi will be disseminated in practical workshops and made accessible helping learning and teaching of literacy skills in the five Sami languages.
For the game, experts in Sámi languages and culture will include elements of the narrative tradition of Sámi culture in written form. Sámi graphical elements and music will also be created for the game. In this way, the game is not only linguistic learning environment but also an environment where Sámi cultural heritage is present. The game provides an opportunity to practice newly learned reading skills in Sámi at the same time as to learn to appreciate texts written in their own language. The goal for learners is to become more fluent and confident user of their own written language thus strengthening the individuals’ cultural and linguistic identity.
The outcomes of our collaborative development work together with relevant information service will be openly accessible for everyone during and after the project. Our project’s development and communication effort will be an important step towards linguistic and cultural equality of the Sámi by providing equal opportunities for learning to communicate in written Sámi.
Objectives
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The development and distribution of the Lohkanlihkku game
The Lohkanlihkku game will include learning material from phonological awareness (e.g., recognising individual sounds within words and being able to manipulate them) to decoding (reading words) and writing (spelling words) as well as reading comprehension to appropriately support learners with different skills. An important feature of the game is its adaptivity enabling effective support of reading and writing skill development in learners with different skill levels. The adaptivity as well as all the gamification features provide learners an inclusive, enjoyable and motivating learning environment even for struggling learners. Apart from training material, the Lohkanlihkku game will include also skill assessments. The game is intended for children aged 6-10, but it is also suitable for anyone wanting to learn to read and write in any of the five Sámi languages. The game will be piloted with Sámi learners in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Once we gain scientific evidence of the effectiveness of the game for learning to read and write, the game will be made openly accessible.
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The development and distribution of educational material
Sámi language education faces several challenges. Among these are the lack of uniform teaching materials, varied language proficiency among students, and the need for teacher training that reflects the realities of Sámi classrooms. To help to overcome these challenges, the aim of the Lohkanlihkku project is to gather background information on teaching and learning challenges, further develop and share educational material for teachers to support their work. As a result, teachers will have an opportunity to take part in hands on training as well as access educational material for supporting teaching and learning of reading and writing skills. The educational material will be made openly accessible and can be used during and beyond the lifetime of the project.
Funders
The three-year project (March 2025 - February 2028) is co-funded by EU’s Interreg Aurora and by national funders of each participating country. For the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ and Lapland, the national funding contribution comes from the Regional Council of Lapland.
