Viisi vuotta tiedonrakentamista yhteisö- ja teknologiaelementtien muovautumisen näkökulmasta

The object of this study was to examine the phenomena of a long-term Knowledge Building process. The subject was OECD/ENSI/FI-project's Knowledge Building in Knowledge Forum® 3.4 environment from 8.9.2000 to 8.9.2005. Research was based on socio-cognitive and socio-cultural learning approaches and the theoretical background consisted of models of collaborative learning and knowledge processing. These theoretical applications were first structured using metaphors of language and then assembled into five main theoretical motifs. The main motifs were 1) context, 2) inter-subjective, shared area, 3) community's practices and participation, 4) developing expertise and 5) the sequential construction of processes. These themes were assembled in interpreting the results using the Mutual Shaping of Technological and Social Elements by Boczkowski (1999) as a conceptual tool. The social elements of the mutual shaping process were defined as 1) community structure, 2) discourse and 3) the meanings of activity. The technological elements were defined as 1) shared artefacts, 2) features of technology-use and 3) other technological conventions perceived in activity. The five main theoretical motifs were used as the basis for creating the research problems, which were divided into three themes: 1) shared artefacts, themes of Knowledge Building and participant formation, 2) patterns of participation and interaction and 3) the meanings of activity. As methods I used content analysis of the messages, the quantitative profiling of changes in the database, social network analysis, discourse analysis of selected message threads and theme interviews of eleven participants. Based on my study it's possible to say, that a long-term setting of this kind provides a different perspective on Knowledge Building from most of the previous research. The most valuable conclusions from the data are: 1) The centralisation of interaction in this type of setting is a feature that supports the improvement in the quality of action. 2) The participation in a long-term Knowledge Building process seems to support the concious effort on professional development and the expert-identity. 3) The quality of plasticity of the technology-in-use has implication for how the communal features of activity will develop. The agency is seen to initiate processes that in turn open up new possibilities for the quality of action on both the communal and individual levels.Tutkimukseni kohde oli kestävän kehityksen kasvatuksen OECD/ENSI/FI-kehittämishankkeen yhteisöllinen tiedonrakentamistoiminta Knowledge Forum® 3.4-tiedonrakentamisympäristössä ajalla 8.9.2000-8.9.2005. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli hahmottaa pitkäkestoisessa tiedonrakentamisprosessissa tapahtuvia ilmiöitä. Tutkimukseni perustui sosiokognitiiviselle ja sosiokulttuuriselle oppimiskäsitykselle ja sen teoreettinen viitekehys koottiin yhteisöllisen oppimisen ja tiedonkäsittelyn malleista. Yhteisöllisen oppimisen ja tiedonkäsittelyn tarkastelut tulkittiin yhteisö- ja teknologiaelementtien molemminpuolisen muovautumisen näkökulmasta. Mallit jäsennettiin kielellisten metaforien avulla ja teoreettinen viitekehys kiteytettiin tutkimusongelmien pohjana toimineiksi viideksi ydinteemaksi. Teemat olivat 1) konteksti, 2) intersubjektiivinen, jaettu alue, 3) yhteisön käytänteet ja osallistuminen, 4) kehittyvä asiantuntijuus ja 5) prosessien ajallinen rakentuminen. Molemminpuolisen muovautumisen käsitteen mukaiset yhteisöelementit määrittelin seuraavasti: 1) yhteisön rakenne, 2) diskursiivinen kulttuuri ja 3) yhteisön jäsenten toimintaan liittämät merkitykset, Teknologiaelementit puolestaan määrittelin seuraavasti: 1) jaetut artefaktit, 2) teknologian käyttö ja 3) toiminnassa ilmenevät muut teknologiaan liittyvät konventiot. Tutkimusongelmat keskittyivät kolmelle alueelle: 1) yhteisöartefaktit, tiedonrakentamisteemat ja osallistujakoostumus, 2) osallistujakoostumus ja vuorovaikutusverkosto sekä 3) toimintaan liitetyt merkitykset. Tutkimusmenetelminä käytin tallennettujen viestien sisällönanalyysiä, tietokannassa tarkastelujakson aikana tapahtuneiden muutosten numeerista kuvaamista, viestien tallentamiseen kohdistuvaa verkostoanalyysiä, viestiketjujen diskurssianalyysiä sekä yhdelletoista tiedonrakentamistoimintaan osallistuneelle henkilölle tehtyjä teemahaastatteluita. Tutkimustulosten pohjalta nähdään tutkimuskohteen kaltaisen tiedonrakentamistoiminnan olevan luonteeltaan merkittävästi erilaista aikaisemmassa tutkimuskirjallisuudessa esiintyvään verrattuna. Tärkeimpinä johtopäätöksinä voidaan pitää seuraavia: 1) vuorovaikutuksen keskittyminen on tämänkaltaisissa asetelmissa laadunparantamista tukeva piirre, 2) pitkäkestoiseen tiedonrakentamistoimintaan osallistuminen näyttää tukevan ammatillisen toiminnan ja identiteetin tietoista kehittämistä. 3) Käytetyn teknologian muovautuvuuden laadulla ja hyödyntämisellä on merkitystä sille, millaiseksi toiminnan yhteisölliset piirteet muovautuvat. Toimijuus käynnistää teknologiaa muovaavia prosesseja, jotka puolestaan mahdollistavat uudenlaista toimintaan ja yhteisö- ja yksilötason kehitystä

Mediatuottaminen osallisuuden ajan mediakasvatuksessa

Non peer reviewe

Medical Content Searching, Retrieving, and Sharing Over the Internet : Lessons Learned From the mEducator Through a Scenario-Based Evaluation

Background: The mEducator Best Practice Network (BPN) implemented and extended standards and reference models in e-learning to develop innovative frameworks as well as solutions that enable specialized state-of-the-art medical educational content to be discovered, retrieved, shared, and re-purposed across European Institutions, targeting medical students, doctors, educators and health care professionals. Scenario-based evaluation for usability testing, complemented with data from online questionnaires and field notes of users' performance, was designed and utilized for the evaluation of these solutions. Objective: The objective of this work is twofold: (1) to describe one instantiation of the mEducator BPN solutions (mEducator3.0 - "MEdical Education LINnked Arena" MELINA+) with a focus on the metadata schema used, as well as on other aspects of the system that pertain to usability and acceptance, and (2) to present evaluation results on the suitability of the proposed metadata schema for searching, retrieving, and sharing of medical content and with respect to the overall usability and acceptance of the system from the target users. Methods: A comprehensive evaluation methodology framework was developed and applied to four case studies, which were conducted in four different countries (ie, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania), with a total of 126 participants. In these case studies, scenarios referring to creating, sharing, and retrieving medical educational content using mEducator3.0 were used. The data were collected through two online questionnaires, consisting of 36 closed-ended questions and two open-ended questions that referred to mEducator 3.0 and through the use of field notes during scenario-based evaluations. Results: The main findings of the study showed that even though the informational needs of the mEducator target groups were addressed to a satisfactory extent and the metadata schema supported content creation, sharing, and retrieval from an end-user perspective, users faced difficulties in achieving a shared understanding of the meaning of some metadata fields and in correctly managing the intellectual property rights of repurposed content. Conclusions: The results of this evaluation impact researchers, medical professionals, and designers interested in using similar systems for educational content sharing in medical and other domains. Recommendations on how to improve the search, retrieval, identification, and obtaining of medical resources are provided, by addressing issues of content description metadata, content description procedures, and intellectual property rights for re-purposed content.Peer reviewe

Syöttövesisäiliön hönkähöyryn energian talteenotto

Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli suunnitella Kotkan Energia Oy:n Hovinsaaren voimalaitoksen syöttövesisäiliön hönkähöyrylle lämmöntalteenotto. Tarkoituksena on ottaa hyötykäyttöön höyryn sisältämä energia, joka toistaiseksi menee hukkaan. Lämmöntalteenotto parantaisi voimalaitoksen energiatehokkuutta ja talviaikaan ehkäisisi jään muodostumista ulospuhallusputken päähän. Suunnitelmaan sisältyi lämpöenergian käyttökohteiden valinta, laitteiston suunnittelu, PI-kaavion piirtäminen, Metso-DNA operointinäytön suunnittelu sekä automatiikka lämmöntalteenottolaitteistolle. Kaikista laitteista ja asennuksista tehtiin tarjouspyynnöt, joiden perusteella pystyttiin laskemaan projektille hinta ja takaisinmaksuaika. Näistä tiedoista voitiin päätellä projektin kannattavuus. Teoriaosuudessa käydään ensin läpi Kotkan Energia Oy yrityksenä ja esitellään sen päätuotantolaitokset. Seuraavaksi kuvaillaan työn kannalta oleellisia käsitteitä kuten syöttövesisäiliön toiminta, kaasunpoisto, lämmönvaihtimet, PI-kaavio ja Metso-DNA. Työn lopputuloksena syntyi valmis suunnitelma lämmöntalteenottolaitteistolle. Takaisinmaksuajan jälkeen on hyvin todennäköistä, että lämmöntalteenottolaitteisto toisi säästöjä Kotkan Energia Oy:lle.The objective of this thesis was to plan energy recovery for feedwater tank relief gas at Kotkan Energy Hovinsaari Powerplant. At the moment, relief gas is directed outside and the objective was to recover energy from the relief gas. Heat recovery would improve efficiency of the powerplant and during winter less ice would form over the blowdown line. The plan included the selection of targets for thermal energy use, hardware design, the PI diagram drawing, MetsoDNA operating screen design, as well as automation for the heat recovery system. Requests for quatations were prepared for all the equipment and installations, which enabled calculating the costs of the project and payback time. Based on this information it was possible to estimate profitability of the project. The theoretical part first presents Kotkan Energia Ltd as a company and its main production plants. Next, relevant concepts of the work are described, such as operation of feedwater tank, degassing, heat exchangers, PI diagram and MetsoDNA. As a result of the thesis, complete plan for the heat recovery system was prepared. After the payback period, it is likely that the heat recovery system would generate considerable savings for Kotkan Energia Ltd

Using Virtual Patients in Dermatology

dermatology, virtual patient, self-directed learning, complementing material, skin decease

Actual and Potential Pedagogical Use of Tablets in Schools

This study reviews the potential of tablet technology for teaching and learning. In autumn 2012, we conducted a focused survey comprising quantitative and qualitative questions with Finnish teachers (N = 171, from 54 schools). We focused on perceived pedagogical opportunities and the actualized pedagogical potential of tablets at schools. The survey results indicate that the actual usefulness of tablets in schools was significantly less than what teachers perceived as the pedagogical potential. However, the results demonstrate the positive impact these devices are having on teaching and learning, as well as prompting changes in pedagogical perspectives. Teachers stated that tablets can diversify and enhance teaching and learning in many ways, particularly in supporting learners’ motivation and independent learning, and promoting engaging teaching methods. Nevertheless, teachers voiced concern that the student-to-device ratio at the moment is too low, thus serving as a barrier to widespread use of tablets.peerReviewe

Actor Simulated Patient Interview

This document describes the pedagogical context, practices and related materials of Simulated Patient Interview as carried out in the University of Helsinki

Design of evaluation of content sharing solutions in medical education

The problem that the mEducator Best Practice Network (BPN) focuses on refers to the abundance of medical educational content in individual EU academic institutions, which is not widely available or easy to retrieve due to the lack of standardized content sharing mechanisms. The mEducator BPN aims to implement and critically evaluate existing standards and reference models in the field of e-learning in order to enable specialized state-of-the-art medical educational content to be discovered, retrieved, shared and re-used across European institutions. mEducator includes both traditional and user-generated content and addresses several learning contexts ranging from traditional instructional teaching to active learning and experiential teaching/studying approaches. It furthermore includes many different content types, ranging from text to exam sheets, algorithms, teaching files, computer programs (simulators, serious games) and interactive objects (like virtual patients and digital tracings of anatomies), while it covers a variety of tools. The project currently focuses on the development of two contemporary ways of achieving content sharing, mEducator2.0, a solution based on Web2.0 technologies and mEducator3.0, a solution based on Semantic Web Services, and their evaluation. mEducator2.0 develops a brokerage mechanism based on RSS feeds, “mashup” technology and other Web 2.0 technologies that allow the exchange of clinical cases, medical images and videos. mEducator3.0 is a sharing platform using the Semantic Web and its most recent development, the Linked Data approach. Both mEducator solutions are in their beta-version and they are currently being tested by the target user groups of the project such as students, educators, doctors, and health professionals. Their evaluation is based on an evaluation framework for assessing the effectiveness of the platforms that will be implemented through the mEducator BPN and any future platforms that attempt to address the same issues. Our proposed evaluation framework draws upon systems that face similar challenges, such as digital libraries, peer-to-peer and social networks, LCMSs where adaptation issues and courseware reuse are addressed, information retrieval systems, e-learning systems, search engines and public libraries, such as PubMed. It is expected that the resulting solutions will address the needs of different types of users and they will be easily transferable to other domains and disciplines. This paper presents preliminary evaluation results comparing the overall usability of the two solutions and comments on the challenges associated with implementing and carrying out a complex evaluation model