Discussion - cooperation in local organic food systems

What is needed for local food systems to emerge? First, time. Second, active people are needed. In order to be sustainable local and ecological food chains need to be, at least to some extent, economically profitable

Farmers' joint reflection on strategies: example of using a learning tool

The presentation of different farms was essential for using the learning tool. The way farmers modified the framework show locally important strategic dimensions. Strategic decisions go beyond the farm gate. Farmers' community seems to be important for motivation

Activity theoretical view on crop rotation planning in organic vegetable farming

Crop rotation is an essential basis of an organic farming system. An activity theoretical concept of object shall be used in examining planning processes of crop rotations. Farmers' object construction means their creating and maintaining the social meaning and purpose of the material farming activity. I shall assume the farmers´ object construction in planning crop rotations to reflect their overall object in organic vegetable farming. First, this paper examines theoretically the object in organic vegetable farming by devising a framework of different types of object constructions. Second, two farms with organic vegetable production will be described, and the farmers´ objects will be shown in the light of the histories of the farms. This will show that the different types of objects have not evolved at random. Third, the dynamic movement of the object construction in the crop rotation planning processes is explored. The results will show that the farmers´ object, although historically understood, is not fixed. On the contrary, the object is in a constant move and even contradictory

Introduction

The purpose of this publication is to describe the cases around the Baltic Sea that are involved or linked to the BERAS project. In them, active people, projects and organizations have taken initiatives towards local and organic food chains and cooperation

How to find and understand development problems and learning challenges in organic vegetable farming?

Laura Seppänen's doctoral dissertation in agroecology, using an approach derived from cultural historical activity theory, examines the developmental problems and learning challenges in organic vegetable farming

Enhancing R&D in organic agriculture - with what type of learning?

'Knowledge creation' is a metaphor for learning that deserves special attention when designing developmental activities for organic farming

Examining Developmental Dialogue: the Emergence of Transformative Agency

The intervention method of Developmental Dialogue, originally developed by Laura Mott (1992),has been further elaborated to promote employees’ professional development and well-being. Theaim of formative interventions is to enhance the agency of participants. There is particular interestin transformative agency, which is defined as participants’ capacity to take purposeful actions tochange their work activity. By applying six types of agency expressions, this paper examines howtransformative agency emerges in an interaction between a DD participant and the interventionist.The agency expressions are analysed in the context of explicit and implicit intervention tools andobjects of talk. The analysis yields a new category called reframing agency which is of interestparticularly from a work-related well-being perspective. We interpret the findings with the notionof a contradictory object within the cycle model of professional development. The case suggeststhat changes in work, as interpreted by the researchers do not always fully grasp the participant’ssense of collective work. Finally, at the end of the paper we propose ideas for further research

Tulkitseva työtapa ja sen tukeminen : videoavusteinen keskustelumenetelmä robottikirurgiassa

VTT ja TTL esittelevät videoavusteiseen keskusteluun perustuvan oppimismenetelmän. Menetelmä on räätälöity leikkausrobottia käyttäville kirurgeille, mutta menetelmän perusajatuksia voi soveltaa monenlaisiin työtehtäviin. Teoreettisena johtotähtenä toimii tulkitsevan työtavan käsite – oletuksena on, että tulkitsevuus työkäytännöissä parantaa työn laatua ja tukee oppimista. Kirjoitus myös avaa lukijalle, minkälaista on robottikirurgia. Raporttia ja siinä esiteltyjä tutkimustuloksia voivat hyödyntää kaikki teknologiasta, kirurgiasta, sekä työn tutkimisesta ja kehittämisestä kiinnostuneet. Suomen Akatemian TULOS-ohjelmaan kuuluvan tutkimuksen ote oli osallistava: se toteutettiin läheisessä yhteistyössä Tampereen yliopistollisen sairaalan leikkausrobottia käyttävien kirurgien kanssa