Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present a model how the level of web-based discussion can b... more Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present a model how the level of web-based discussion can be analyzed. The model has been developed in an empirical study where we examined the quality of asynchronous interaction in web-based conferencing. Because all successful communication presumes perspective-taking skills and reciprocal understanding among the participants, we studied whether the students are able to reach in reciprocal interaction and thus create educationally relevant high-level web-based discussion. The subjects of the study are pre-service teachers in the USA (N=40) and Finland (N=30) who use an asynchronous web-based tool called Conferencing on the Web (COW) to collaborate in creating joint case-based descriptions in different areas of teaching and learning. The results of the study point out different levels of web-based discussion. More specific analysis of the quality of each discussion level focused on perspective taking in communication. The results support our h...
This paper examines technology-enhanced learning at work in the context of the integrative pedago... more This paper examines technology-enhanced learning at work in the context of the integrative pedagogy model. The basic idea behind this model is to create learning environments whereby the four basic elements of professional expertise (ie, theoretical, practical, self-regulative and sociocultural knowledge) can be integrated. The paper illustrates two basic ways of applying the model in technology-enhanced learning at work. First, examples of how to make use of existing technologies, especially social media, to empower learning at work is presented, and second, an instance of the way the model is used in the design of specific technologies for enhancing collaborative learning in the work context is described. The paper concludes that the integrative pedagogy model has the potential to serve both as a principle for designing technologies and for applying existing technologies for workplace learning. Introduction Twenty-first century work contexts face rapid and constant change with exp...
In this paper, we examine a mathematics education course which focused on collaborative mathemati... more In this paper, we examine a mathematics education course which focused on collaborative mathematical problem solving in art topics. The students of the course were Finnish primary school pre-service teachers. During the course students investigated tessellations, reflected on their experiences and designed workshops for pupils. The course meetings were video recorded. Students’ work contained elements of mathematical problem solving and gave them experiences of working collaboratively. The topic of tessellation was found suitable for this purpose.
Computational thinking (CT) has been introduced in primary schools worldwide. However, rich class... more Computational thinking (CT) has been introduced in primary schools worldwide. However, rich classroom-based evidence and research on how to assess and support students’ CT through programming are particularly scarce. This empirical study investigates 4th grade students’ (N = 57) CT in a comparatively comprehensive and fine-grained manner by assessing their Scratch projects (N = 325) with a framework that was revised from previous studies to aim towards enhancing CT. The results demonstrate in detail the various coding patterns and code constructs the students programmed in assorted projects throughout a programming course and the extent to which they had conceptual encounters with CT. Notably, the projects indicated CT diversely, and the students altogether encountered dissimilar areas in CT. To target the acquisition of CT broadly, manifold programming activities are necessary to introduce in the classroom. Furthermore, we discuss the possibilities of applying the assessment framew...
This study recognizes the role and the quality of social aspects in collaborative problem solving... more This study recognizes the role and the quality of social aspects in collaborative problem solving (CPS) processes and outcomes. The aim of this study, relying on multiple data and phases of analysis, is to explore and visualise, through contrasting case-based portraits, how micro-interaction processes at pair level evolve during CPS assessments in an online environment. The assessment is designed for a student pair in the STEM domain. The results show that in despite students’ similar CPS performance scores, variations in micro-interactions occurred across pairs. It is expected that studying these patterns at pair level may provide new insights into CPS processes and so to support acquiring these skills.
This study aims to explore how collaborative problem solving (CPS) and socially shared regulation... more This study aims to explore how collaborative problem solving (CPS) and socially shared regulation of learning (SSRL) can be enhanced in practice in a technology-rich collaborative learning context within the domain of mathematics. The participants of this study are first-year teacher education students in two Finnish universities. This paper will elaborate how collaborative problem solving (CPS) and socially shared regulation of learning (SSRL) can be supported by scripting and prompting. It is argued here that we need theorybased pedagogical designs for developing effective collaborative learning practices that aim to provide students with possibilities to experience the new collaborative, technology-rich learning culture as teachers-to-be.
Collaborative problem solving (CPS) is widely recognized as a prominent 21st-century skill to be ... more Collaborative problem solving (CPS) is widely recognized as a prominent 21st-century skill to be mastered. Until recently, research on CPS has often focused on problem solution by the individual; the interest in investigating how the theorized problem-solving constructs function as broader social units, such as pairs or small groups, is relatively recent. Capturing the complexity of CPS processes in group-level interaction is challenging. Therefore, a method of analysis capturing various layers of CPS was developed that aimed for a deeper understanding of CPS as a small-group enactment. In the study, small groups of teacher education students worked on two variations of open-ended CPS tasks—a technology-enhanced task and a task using physical objects. The method, relying on video data, encompassed triangulation of analysis methods and combined the following: (a) directed content analysis of the actualized CPS in groups, (b) process analysis and visualizations, and (c) qualitative ca...
As I begin my tenure as editor in chief of Human Technology: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Huma... more As I begin my tenure as editor in chief of Human Technology: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Humans in ICT Environments, I am pleased both personally and professionally to continue building the significance of this journal in the scientific literature of many research fields. The founding editor in chief, Professor Pertti Saariluoma, has contributed greatly to defining the basis for the scope of Human Technology. During his editorial tenure, the papers published in the journal have addressed a wide variety of questions related to human–technology research. Earlier issues of the journal have covered research on mobile communication, innovations, ICT and education, human technologies for special needs, games and smart environments, culture, creativity and technology, distributed leadership and on-line communities, design-use relationships, cognition and HCI, psychology of programming, and creativity in software design. This variety of fields and topics certainly illustrates the multid...
The ideas presented in this paper are challenged especially by the certain critical questions con... more The ideas presented in this paper are challenged especially by the certain critical questions concerning web-based interaction and the qualitative analysis of such interaction and learning. The question arises whether the students from different contexts and countries are able to reach such interaction that would lead them to educationally relevant higher-level discussion and learning in webbased environments. Furthermore, as this field of study is fairly novel, there is a shortage of established methodologies for analysing computer-mediated communication and the complex phenomena it encompasses. In this presentation, we attempt to find new approaches to discover how people establish and maintain a common ground in interaction, particularly in situations where students are working collaboratively in a web-based environment. In order to construct the common ground, students share mutual understanding, knowledge, beliefs, assumptions and pre-suppositions. The common ground can be cons...
The ideas presented in this article are especially challenged by critical questions raised by the... more The ideas presented in this article are especially challenged by critical questions raised by the recent research approaches to collaborative learning in computer-supported settings. The question arises whether participants in computer-supported collaboration are able to successfully work on a common task and achieve a type of interaction that leads them to educationally relevant higher-level discussion and learning. This article will first discuss the central concepts and recent research trends in the area of collaborative learning. Further, the sometimes contradictory findings of research on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) are presented. The aim of CSCL is to integrate research on collaborative learning with the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). In the context of research on CSCL, it is also essential to consider the recent methodological challenges this work poses for studying collaborative learning in computer-supported settings. Finally, the pedagogical and contextual prerequisites and constraints for the formation of collaborative groups around mutual interests, skills and needs are described and suggestions are made on the basis of the recent research.
Designing, Deploying, and Evaluating Virtual and Augmented Reality in Education
This chapter focuses on applying design science research for virtual reality learning environment... more This chapter focuses on applying design science research for virtual reality learning environment (VRLE) design processes. Six selected case studies are presented in the context of VRLEs. The case selections were analyzed in terms of their contributions to design knowledge. The objective of this book chapter is twofold: 1) for researchers, the design knowledge contributions of case studies are highlighted for future reference, and 2) for developers and practitioners, design principles are presented for the development of VRLEs. The final outcome of the present study is a conceptual model describing the current design knowledge in the field of VRLEs and identifying the research gaps that should be addressed in future research on the educational use of VR.
This paper explores policy related to digital competence and the digitalisation of Nordic K-12 sc... more This paper explores policy related to digital competence and the digitalisation of Nordic K-12 schools. Anchored in some key transnational policies on digital competence, it describes some current Nordic movements in the national policies of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The concept of boundary objects is used as an analytical lens, for understanding digital competence as a plastic and temporal concept that can be used to discuss the multi-dimensional translation of this concept in these Nordic countries. The paper ends with a discussion of the potential to view digital competence as a unifying boundary object that, with its plasticity, temporality and n-dimensionality, can show signs of common Nordic efforts in the K-12 school policy.
Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills, Nov 9, 2017
This chapter provides results from a case study utilising the ATC21S TM assessment portal in the ... more This chapter provides results from a case study utilising the ATC21S TM assessment portal in the context of pre-service teacher education in Finland. The results from the portal are combined with a questionnaire regarding teamwork and collaboration dispositions. Twenty-four pre-service teachers completed both these measures. The students of this study were following two divergent teacher education programs that had different profiles in terms of their study contents and methods of studying. The participants of both groups tended to be highly disposed to collaborate and work in teams, and their collaborative problem solving skills can be described as very good. The participants' measured social skills and self-assessed disposition to negotiate in the collaborative processes were strongly associated.
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present a model how the level of web-based discussion can b... more Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present a model how the level of web-based discussion can be analyzed. The model has been developed in an empirical study where we examined the quality of asynchronous interaction in web-based conferencing. Because all successful communication presumes perspective-taking skills and reciprocal understanding among the participants, we studied whether the students are able to reach in reciprocal interaction and thus create educationally relevant high-level web-based discussion. The subjects of the study are pre-service teachers in the USA (N=40) and Finland (N=30) who use an asynchronous web-based tool called Conferencing on the Web (COW) to collaborate in creating joint case-based descriptions in different areas of teaching and learning. The results of the study point out different levels of web-based discussion. More specific analysis of the quality of each discussion level focused on perspective taking in communication. The results support our h...
This paper examines technology-enhanced learning at work in the context of the integrative pedago... more This paper examines technology-enhanced learning at work in the context of the integrative pedagogy model. The basic idea behind this model is to create learning environments whereby the four basic elements of professional expertise (ie, theoretical, practical, self-regulative and sociocultural knowledge) can be integrated. The paper illustrates two basic ways of applying the model in technology-enhanced learning at work. First, examples of how to make use of existing technologies, especially social media, to empower learning at work is presented, and second, an instance of the way the model is used in the design of specific technologies for enhancing collaborative learning in the work context is described. The paper concludes that the integrative pedagogy model has the potential to serve both as a principle for designing technologies and for applying existing technologies for workplace learning. Introduction Twenty-first century work contexts face rapid and constant change with exp...
In this paper, we examine a mathematics education course which focused on collaborative mathemati... more In this paper, we examine a mathematics education course which focused on collaborative mathematical problem solving in art topics. The students of the course were Finnish primary school pre-service teachers. During the course students investigated tessellations, reflected on their experiences and designed workshops for pupils. The course meetings were video recorded. Students’ work contained elements of mathematical problem solving and gave them experiences of working collaboratively. The topic of tessellation was found suitable for this purpose.
Computational thinking (CT) has been introduced in primary schools worldwide. However, rich class... more Computational thinking (CT) has been introduced in primary schools worldwide. However, rich classroom-based evidence and research on how to assess and support students’ CT through programming are particularly scarce. This empirical study investigates 4th grade students’ (N = 57) CT in a comparatively comprehensive and fine-grained manner by assessing their Scratch projects (N = 325) with a framework that was revised from previous studies to aim towards enhancing CT. The results demonstrate in detail the various coding patterns and code constructs the students programmed in assorted projects throughout a programming course and the extent to which they had conceptual encounters with CT. Notably, the projects indicated CT diversely, and the students altogether encountered dissimilar areas in CT. To target the acquisition of CT broadly, manifold programming activities are necessary to introduce in the classroom. Furthermore, we discuss the possibilities of applying the assessment framew...
This study recognizes the role and the quality of social aspects in collaborative problem solving... more This study recognizes the role and the quality of social aspects in collaborative problem solving (CPS) processes and outcomes. The aim of this study, relying on multiple data and phases of analysis, is to explore and visualise, through contrasting case-based portraits, how micro-interaction processes at pair level evolve during CPS assessments in an online environment. The assessment is designed for a student pair in the STEM domain. The results show that in despite students’ similar CPS performance scores, variations in micro-interactions occurred across pairs. It is expected that studying these patterns at pair level may provide new insights into CPS processes and so to support acquiring these skills.
This study aims to explore how collaborative problem solving (CPS) and socially shared regulation... more This study aims to explore how collaborative problem solving (CPS) and socially shared regulation of learning (SSRL) can be enhanced in practice in a technology-rich collaborative learning context within the domain of mathematics. The participants of this study are first-year teacher education students in two Finnish universities. This paper will elaborate how collaborative problem solving (CPS) and socially shared regulation of learning (SSRL) can be supported by scripting and prompting. It is argued here that we need theorybased pedagogical designs for developing effective collaborative learning practices that aim to provide students with possibilities to experience the new collaborative, technology-rich learning culture as teachers-to-be.
Collaborative problem solving (CPS) is widely recognized as a prominent 21st-century skill to be ... more Collaborative problem solving (CPS) is widely recognized as a prominent 21st-century skill to be mastered. Until recently, research on CPS has often focused on problem solution by the individual; the interest in investigating how the theorized problem-solving constructs function as broader social units, such as pairs or small groups, is relatively recent. Capturing the complexity of CPS processes in group-level interaction is challenging. Therefore, a method of analysis capturing various layers of CPS was developed that aimed for a deeper understanding of CPS as a small-group enactment. In the study, small groups of teacher education students worked on two variations of open-ended CPS tasks—a technology-enhanced task and a task using physical objects. The method, relying on video data, encompassed triangulation of analysis methods and combined the following: (a) directed content analysis of the actualized CPS in groups, (b) process analysis and visualizations, and (c) qualitative ca...
As I begin my tenure as editor in chief of Human Technology: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Huma... more As I begin my tenure as editor in chief of Human Technology: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Humans in ICT Environments, I am pleased both personally and professionally to continue building the significance of this journal in the scientific literature of many research fields. The founding editor in chief, Professor Pertti Saariluoma, has contributed greatly to defining the basis for the scope of Human Technology. During his editorial tenure, the papers published in the journal have addressed a wide variety of questions related to human–technology research. Earlier issues of the journal have covered research on mobile communication, innovations, ICT and education, human technologies for special needs, games and smart environments, culture, creativity and technology, distributed leadership and on-line communities, design-use relationships, cognition and HCI, psychology of programming, and creativity in software design. This variety of fields and topics certainly illustrates the multid...
The ideas presented in this paper are challenged especially by the certain critical questions con... more The ideas presented in this paper are challenged especially by the certain critical questions concerning web-based interaction and the qualitative analysis of such interaction and learning. The question arises whether the students from different contexts and countries are able to reach such interaction that would lead them to educationally relevant higher-level discussion and learning in webbased environments. Furthermore, as this field of study is fairly novel, there is a shortage of established methodologies for analysing computer-mediated communication and the complex phenomena it encompasses. In this presentation, we attempt to find new approaches to discover how people establish and maintain a common ground in interaction, particularly in situations where students are working collaboratively in a web-based environment. In order to construct the common ground, students share mutual understanding, knowledge, beliefs, assumptions and pre-suppositions. The common ground can be cons...
The ideas presented in this article are especially challenged by critical questions raised by the... more The ideas presented in this article are especially challenged by critical questions raised by the recent research approaches to collaborative learning in computer-supported settings. The question arises whether participants in computer-supported collaboration are able to successfully work on a common task and achieve a type of interaction that leads them to educationally relevant higher-level discussion and learning. This article will first discuss the central concepts and recent research trends in the area of collaborative learning. Further, the sometimes contradictory findings of research on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) are presented. The aim of CSCL is to integrate research on collaborative learning with the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). In the context of research on CSCL, it is also essential to consider the recent methodological challenges this work poses for studying collaborative learning in computer-supported settings. Finally, the pedagogical and contextual prerequisites and constraints for the formation of collaborative groups around mutual interests, skills and needs are described and suggestions are made on the basis of the recent research.
Designing, Deploying, and Evaluating Virtual and Augmented Reality in Education
This chapter focuses on applying design science research for virtual reality learning environment... more This chapter focuses on applying design science research for virtual reality learning environment (VRLE) design processes. Six selected case studies are presented in the context of VRLEs. The case selections were analyzed in terms of their contributions to design knowledge. The objective of this book chapter is twofold: 1) for researchers, the design knowledge contributions of case studies are highlighted for future reference, and 2) for developers and practitioners, design principles are presented for the development of VRLEs. The final outcome of the present study is a conceptual model describing the current design knowledge in the field of VRLEs and identifying the research gaps that should be addressed in future research on the educational use of VR.
This paper explores policy related to digital competence and the digitalisation of Nordic K-12 sc... more This paper explores policy related to digital competence and the digitalisation of Nordic K-12 schools. Anchored in some key transnational policies on digital competence, it describes some current Nordic movements in the national policies of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The concept of boundary objects is used as an analytical lens, for understanding digital competence as a plastic and temporal concept that can be used to discuss the multi-dimensional translation of this concept in these Nordic countries. The paper ends with a discussion of the potential to view digital competence as a unifying boundary object that, with its plasticity, temporality and n-dimensionality, can show signs of common Nordic efforts in the K-12 school policy.
Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills, Nov 9, 2017
This chapter provides results from a case study utilising the ATC21S TM assessment portal in the ... more This chapter provides results from a case study utilising the ATC21S TM assessment portal in the context of pre-service teacher education in Finland. The results from the portal are combined with a questionnaire regarding teamwork and collaboration dispositions. Twenty-four pre-service teachers completed both these measures. The students of this study were following two divergent teacher education programs that had different profiles in terms of their study contents and methods of studying. The participants of both groups tended to be highly disposed to collaborate and work in teams, and their collaborative problem solving skills can be described as very good. The participants' measured social skills and self-assessed disposition to negotiate in the collaborative processes were strongly associated.
The use of seamless learning environments that have the potential to support lifelong learning an... more The use of seamless learning environments that have the potential to support lifelong learning anytime and anywhere has become a reality. In this sense, many educational institutions have started to consider introducing seamless learning environments into their programs. The aim of this study is to analyze how various educational university programs implement the design elements for seamless learning environments with mobile devices. For that purpose, three cases involved in a Finnish teaching development project are explored by conducting semi-structured interviews with key participants. The themes of the interviews were related to the theoretical background for (mobile) seamless learning environments from previous literature. This paper describes the findings of the three cases as common aspects for designing mobile, seamless learning environments; and it proposes a research agenda on challenges related to designing seamless learning environments with the integrated use of mobile devices in the curricula.
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Papers by Päivi Häkkinen