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Aalto University Design Social Software

Backchannels and Live participation tools (Call for workshop participation)

Matti Nelimarkka writes about backchannels and live participation tools: “Backhannels and live participation tools are used e.g. in education, conferences and TV shows to increase the interactivity and participation of learners, participants and viewers. Research-wise the domain is scattered across different fields, such as HCI, CSCW and education. This workshop aims to draw together researchers, […]

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Aalto University Design educational tool Open Source

MOOCs or orchestrated jazzy learning with the Web?

In many things the middle is the best. MOOCs versus no MOOCs? The Web is the best. Photo by synestheticstrings / Wikimedia Commons. The massive open online courses are seen by some as a disruptive innovation in education. For instance, Michael Barber and his fellow lobbyists of the Pearson recently published a booklet with a […]

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Collaboration Design educational tool Open Source Sharing economy

The Principles of a Free and Open Source School

Photo by Lienhard Schulz / WIkimedia Commons. Read about the Rütli School in Berlin. A couple of days ago Esko Kilpi wrote about emergence and self-organization with references to the Wired’s article The GitHub Generation: We’re All in Open Source Now and Sugata Mitra’s latest TED talk Build a School in the Cloud. I started […]

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Design educational tool

Design thinking in learning (and education)

Photo by Nico Kaiser / WIkimedia Commons. In the last ten years design thinking has been one of the most used buzzwords among technology and design circles. In my book Designing Learning Tools — Methodological Insights I also use the term. To be honest, one of the sections is titled “Design Thinking: Solving Wicked Problems […]

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Design educational tool

Learning, moving and digital tools

This week, I saw a presentation about the Muuvit, a Finnish start-up with a teaching and learning tools for elementary schools. Their product is a hybrid of tangible materials that comes in a box and an online community. The idea is to promote children to move more: to play outside, to jump around in a […]

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Aalto University Design educational tool Open Source Social Software

Prototypes: ReFlex, Square One, Cardboard Hospital

One of the reasons why I enjoy working in the learning environments research group — and in the School of Arts, Design and Architecture — is the possibility to design and build prototypes. In our academic practice we aim, no only to study and do research on learning environments and learning tools but also to […]

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Collaboration Design educational tool Sharing economy Social Software Wikiversity

How (online) learning could be knowledge building?

In the technology-enhanced learning field the year 2012 has been the year of MOOCs (massive open online courses). I definitely support the idea of opening possibilities for self-driven and self-motivated students to study and learn online. The high-profile projects and endeavors in the MOOCs-business are also looking for smart ways to initiate peer-to-peer activities, such […]

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Design educational tool

Why tablet is a lousy learning device and how it could be better?

In Finland the discussion on tablets in schools has reach a new level. It looks like a real hype. Principals, heads of school districts and library directors are feverishly trying to find out cash from their budgets to acquire some of these devices to be used in education. Those who praise tablets usability in learning […]

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Aalto University Collaboration Design educational tool General Open Source Uncategorized

Learning Environments research group is hiring

%CODE1% The Learning Environments research group (LeGroup) at the Media Lab Helsinki of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture is looking for doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers interested in to work in several new research projects starting in Autumn 2012. For the doctoral students position(s) there is still a week to prepare […]

Categories
Aalto University Collaboration Design educational tool General Open Source Uncategorized

Learning Environments research group is hiring

%CODE1% The Learning Environments research group (LeGroup) at the Media Lab Helsinki of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture is looking for doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers interested in to work in several new research projects starting in Autumn 2012. For the doctoral students position(s) there is still a week to prepare […]