Simojoen jokiretkeilyopas

Simojoen jokiretkeilyoppaaseen on koottu tietoa Simojoen vesistöalueen luonnosta, suojelualueista sekä luonnon tarjoamista virkistyskäyttömahdollisuuksista. Lisäksi matkataan Simojoen kuohuissa erämaiselta Simojärveltä Perämerelle. Matkan varrella on lyhyitä kuvauksia luonto- ja kulttuurikohteista, nähtävyyksistä ja paikannimiin liittyviä tarinoita. Matkan varrella -kohteet on merkitty myös melontakartoille. Melonnan osalta oppaaseen on päivitetty koskikohtainen koskiluokitus ja laskuohjeet.Simojoen jokiretkeilyopas on toimitettu Lapin ympäristökeskuksen koordinoimassa Simojoen kunnostus ja suojelu -LIFE Luonto -hankkeessa

Participatory service design and community involvement in designing future-ready sustainable learning landscapes

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) work as a new agenda for sustainable development globally. Many if not most of the SDGs can be combined with different levels of education. This paper leans on previous work in Sustainable Education Design (SED), which looked at sustainability from its multifaceted angles with a broad global scope. The context of the study is a campus at a research-intensive Finnish university. The methodology entailed participatory service design approaches. For piloting, one classroom was chosen as a test bed. The data consist of workshops, use walks and structured interviews. The analysis started from identifying KPIs of sustainable learning environment creation, after which these were tested against Sustainable Education Design Criteria described in a manual book earlier. The key findings include nine preliminary alternative KPIs that were merged with previous SED criteria and related SDGs. The alternative KPIs were trialled in the test bed environment. These proposed alternative KPIs can be used as indicators for sustainability, innovation and learning during participatory change processes and in evaluating the outcome.Peer reviewe

Hybrid learning environments in universities : how to manage the co-creation process from design to use

An identified need to promote hybrid practices in education puts pressure on transforming university learning environments. Current teaching and learning models and approaches include e.g. hybrid and blended learning, flexible scheduling, and attendance, and the learning environments are changing accordingly. To manage these requirements and processes, siloed practices must be overcome, and this requires the engagement of stakeholders such as faculty and facilities management as well as end-users. The goal of this paper is to understand the transformation processes of hybrid learning environments in universities. The method is crosscase analysis. 6 learning environment transformation-to-hybrid cases are analysed. The case studies are conducted in three Finnish universities in 2018-2020. The results indicate that there are three critical factors in the successful transformations towards technology enriched learning environments: 1. The participatory design process which is integrating the digital and physical architecture to serve user needs 2. The training of users to new learning environments 3. Management of support in the use phase. The research provides practical examples and process descriptions of transformation towards hybrid learning environments for the user-centric design experts, facilities managers, and education designers. The research contributes to user-centric design theories as well as learning environment research. Future studies can be conducted by gathering user experiences of hybrid learning processes in new hybrid learning environments and the challenges residing in them.Peer reviewe

Theorizing with managers: how to achieve both academic rigor and practical relevance?

Purpose. There are heightened concerns that the theory-praxis gap is widening, despite decades of academic literature addressing the issue. We propose that one viable solution to this challenge is involving practitioners in research processes as active, reflective and empowered participants. Most extant discussions addressing the inclusion of managers as partners in theorizing restrain themselves to an ‘if’ question, arguing whether or not it is possible to create sufficiently rigorous knowledge in collaboration with practitioners. This leaves the ‘how’ question unanswered, i.e., how should such gap-bridging research be conducted in practice. Thus, the aim of this paper is to investigate how academic researchers in management and marketing can theorize with managers in order to generate results that are both academically rigorous and managerially relevant. Design/methodology/approach. Based on a literature review of collaborative theorizing processes, we develop a conceptual framework highlighting the main research design decisions when theorizing with managers. The use of the framework is illustrated with four research program examples. Findings. Most accounts of theorizing with managers use – explicitly or implicitly – abduction as the main mode of inference. In addition to this philosophical commonality, our literature review identified twelve themes that should be considered when designing collaborative research processes. The four illustrative examples indicate that theorizing with managers is an effective way of producing and socializing both academically sound and managerially relevant knowledge. On the other hand, collaborative theorizing processes are time-consuming and studies using abductive reasoning may be more challenging to publish in top-tier journals. Originality/value. This paper makes two contributions. First, we go beyond the extensive academic literature which provides a plethora of explanations and ideas for potential remedies for bridging the theory-praxis gap by offering a detailed description how one particular solution, theorizing with managers, unfolds in practice. Second, we ground collaborative theorizing processes in the philosophy of science and put abduction forward as a common nominator for such studies

Institutional work by market-shaping public actors

AbstractPurposeThis study aims to identify institutional work mechanisms that public actors employ in market shaping.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses an abductive theorizing process, combining a literature review with an empirical exploration of three different market-shaping contexts.FindingsThe study identifies 20 granular mechanisms of institutional work that market-shaping public actors employ. These mechanisms are all potentially employable in creating, maintaining or disrupting markets. Institutional work vis-à-vis individual institutions may differ in direction from the institutional work vis-à-vis the market system. Public actors are not a homogeneous group but may have different values and support competing institutional logics even when operating in the same market.Research limitations/implicationsThe empirical data were limited to three cases in three small open economies. Data collected from other markets and with other methods would provide more rigorous insight into market-shaping public actors.Practical implicationsThe findings revealed institutional work mechanisms that public actors can use to shape markets. Companies wanting to engage public actors in market shaping should be aware of the values and institutional logics that influence market-shaping public actors.Originality/valueThe paper unites and expands on the scattered knowledge regarding institutional work in market shaping. It illuminates and dissects the role of public actors in market shaping, challenging the reactive stance that is often assigned to them. The study provides a better understanding of how conflicting market views affect markets. It also brings insights into the interplay between market-shaping actions and the multiple levels of market systems.</p

Co-working, co-learning and culture - co-creation of future tech lab in Namibia

Purpose Future places for learning and working are digitally and physically integrated hybrid environments. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the co-creation process of the remote presence-based digital and physical co-working and co-learning place. The context is cross-cultural when Finnish space approach is applied and further developed in Namibia. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study is conducted of the Future Tech Lab (FT Lab) in the University of Namibia's main campus. The case study of the FT Lab is about 200m(2) space with three different zones in the University of Namibia's main campus. The physical solution encourages collaboration and technical solutions interlink the place overseas by using the remote presence. The data are gathered by using document analysis, observations, participatory workshops and interviews including structured questionnaire. Findings The action design research approach is a functional framework to co-create hybrid environments in two ways. It helps to design digital and physical solutions as integrated entity. Additionally, it provides a tool to analyse decision-making processes as well as design initiatives, also from the cultural perspective. Both Finnish and Namibian cultures are normative and feminine, which helped the realisation of the project based on mutual trust. However, the differences in power distance were affecting the process fluency and decision-making processes. Research limitations/implications The findings indicate that the co-design of the hybrid-learning environment sets requirements for the physical solution such as surface materials for premises and retrofitting of technology, which need to be considered by co-creation from the shared vision to realisation of the space. The co-creation involves many stakeholders, and cultural differences have a different impact on various stages of the co-creation process. Originality/value The cultural context in the case study provides an interesting comparison between the Finnish and Namibian approach. The remote presence and its requirements provide new knowledge and guidelines for co-creation of hybrid environments.</p