Of Women Tech Pioneers and Tiny Experts of Ingenuity

This paper presents findings from a collective case study focusing on the efforts of a grassroots team of seven pioneering women: teachers, IT consultants, and tech enthusiasts. The team was formed to introduce, encourage, and establish makerspaces in the Icelandic compulsory school system by educating and supporting teachers and young students (6–15 years) as makers and advocates of maker culture. All seven team members have developed or supported different models of makerspaces in their area of work and offered guidance to other educators. Our research examines learning on a personal, relational, and institutional level, reviewing values and practices of participants and what characterizes their social interactions, agency and empowerment in relation to making. It introduces new models of pedagogy, often supported by school leadership and social media action facilitating the development of making and maker culture. It attempts to map how makerspaces can be integrated into school practice in alignment with curricular objectives to support diverse engagements, digital literacies and creative design skills. Our findings further reveal how an all-women team has taken agency and through collaborative actions, collective creativity and self-empowerment managed to overcome challenges and provide leadership in this emergent field in Icelandic school practice.This research was partly funded by the European Commission Horizon 2020 Programme, Grant No: 734720.Peer Reviewe

Sköpunarsmiðjur í menntun ungra barna: Reynsla og viðhorf starfsfólks skóla, safna og sköpunarsmiðja

Í þessari grein er fjallað um þekkingu, reynslu og viðhorf til sköpunarsmiðja (e. makerspaces) meðal kennara ungra barna (3-8 ára) í leik- og grunnskólum, fagfólks á söfnum og í sköpunarsmiðjum. Upplýsingum var safnað með rafrænni könnun í tengslum við Evrópuverkefnið MakEY (e. Makerspaces in the early years: Enhancing digital literacy and creativity)1 sem er samstarfsverkefni fjölmargra háskóla og stofnana innan Evrópu og utan. Nokkrar íslenskar stofnanir tóku þátt í verkefninu.2 Gögnum var safnað meðal áðurnefndra hópa sumarið 2017 (n=254).3 Í ljós kom að minnihluti kennara (17%) en meirihluti safnafólks (72%) hafði áður heyrt um hugtakið. Um 28% safnafólks hafði reynslu af að nota slík rými og 13% höfðu skipulagt sköpunarsmiðjur en sambærilegar tölur hjá kennurum voru eingöngu 15 og 7%. Um helmingur kennara og safnafólks taldi gott aðgengi á sínum vinnustöðum varðandi vélbúnað til að búa til stafrænar afurðir. Álíka algengt var að hentug rými væru til staðar hjá kennurum og rúmur þriðjungur safnafólks sagði gott aðgengi að forritunarbúnaði. Aðgangur að verkfærasettum sem hentuðu í samþættum verkefnum var til staðar hjá mun færri og aðgangur að þrívíddarprenturum eða geislaskerum var fátíður. Áhugi var hjá stórum hluta safnafólks og kennara á þjálfun eða námskeiðum í tengslum við sköpunarsmiðjur og meirihluti svarenda (73% kennara og 60% safnafólks) taldi sköpunarsmiðjur samrýmast vel sýn sinni á nám og kennslu. Sköpunarsmiðjur geta gegnt lykilhlutverki í mótun menntunar á Íslandi í því tæknilega landslagi sem er í stöðugri þróun, þar sem stafrænt læsi, „germenning“ (e. makerculture) og forritunarhæfni leika aðalhlutverk ásamt faglegri starfsþróun þeirra sem mennta börn og styðja við nám þeirra og þroska. MakEY verkefnið og fræðilegt framlag þess er mikilvægt innlegg þar sem leitast er við að skoða stöðuna á byrjunarreit.Peer reviewe

Ideation, playful learning, and making in a Minecraft Virtual Learning Makerspace

This chapter discusses a study on Minecraft Virtual Learning Makerspace (MVLM), a virtual playground in an Icelandic rural school. The aim was to understand the pedagogy of using MVLM, focusing on learners’ ability to ideate and build in a playful learning context. The teacher’s learning design and the affordances of Minecraft also framed the learning activities, whereas making provided conditions for experimentation. The chapter shows how multimodal communication supported collaboration, and enhanced design activities and social skills of students. The study contributes to research on playful learning in the context of virtual learning environments and the role of ideation in making.Peer reviewe

Online teaching and digital technologies at primary and lower secondary school level in times of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: Views of teachers and principals

Á vormánuðum 2020 urðu miklar takmarkanir á grunnskólastarfi hér á landi vegna faraldurs COVID-19, skólum var víða skipt í sóttvarnahólf, hópastærðir takmarkaðar, nemendahópar sendir heim um skemmri eða lengri tíma og kennsla á völdum greinasviðum lögð af um skeið. Menntavísindasvið og Menntavísindastofnun Háskóla Íslands stóðu af þessu tilefni fyrir viðamikilli könnun á öllum skólastigum til að meta áhrif faraldursins á menntun og skólastarf. Hér er fjallað um þann hluta könnunarinnar sem sneri að notkun á stafrænni tækni á meðan hefðbundið skólastarf var skert með ýmsu móti þessa vormánuði og byggt á svörum 1550 kennara, sérkennara og leiðbeinenda við 151 grunnskóla. Markmið með þeim hluta könnunarinnar var að draga fram og rýna áhrif faraldursins á netnotkun og beitingu stafrænnar tækni í starfi grunnskóla. Í ljós kom að meirihluti svarenda taldi skólana vel búna stafrænum verkfærum og starfsliðið vel undir það búið að takast á við aukin tölvusamskipti, blandaða kennslu og netkennslu. Þó voru sumir þeirrar skoðunar, ekki síst í hópi kennara á yngri stigum, að ef la þyrfti búnað skóla og kunnáttu kennara á þessu sviði. Meirihluti kennara taldi að aðgengi nemenda að tækni heima fyrir dygði vel til samskipta og netnáms í faraldrinum en sumir kennarar, einkum á yngri stigum, virtust telja að nokkuð hefði skort á aðgengi að búnaði heima hjá nemendum. Niðurstöður sýna að miklar breytingar hafa orðið á kennsluháttum og nýtingu stafrænnar tækni meðan á faraldrinum hefur staðið. Skýrt kom í ljós aukning blandaðs náms og netnáms á unglingastigi, töluverð aukning á miðstigi og merkjanlegar breytingar allt niður á yngsta stig. Þá hafði faraldurinn bæði letjandi og hvetjandi áhrif á skapandi starf með hjálp stafrænnar tækni. Meirihluti svarenda taldi að reynslan í COVID-faraldrinum myndi breyta kennsluháttum í skólum þeirra til frambúðar. Þátttakendum þótti mikilvægt að búa kennara undir aukna netkennslu og umtalsverður áhugi kom fram á að sækja einingabært nám um hagnýtar leiðir í notkun tækni í námi og kennslu. Niðurstöður benda til að aðstæður kennara, kunnátta og færni séu með ýmsu móti og ef la þurfi greiningu á stöðu stafrænnar tækni í grunnskólum.During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, an increased research focus on digital competence of teachers and learners and the development of distance and online learning and education has become vital for educational systems all over the world. In Iceland, most schools at primary and lower secondary level stayed open but with considerable restrictions in terms of social distance and number of people allowed in each location. Online teaching and learning increased substantially as a result, especially for students at lower secondary level (grades 8 to 10). Surveys were sent out in spring 2020 (survey was open April 27 to May 26) by the Educational Research Institute (ERI) at the University School of Education to start charting the effects of the COVID-19 situation on learners and schools at primary and secondary level. Researchers in this project group contributed questions, relating to the use of digital technologies and online learning, to surveys for school staff in 151 schools. The results introduced in this paper are based on the answers of 1770 staff members. Of this group, 1263 indicated that they were teachers,188 school administrators, 257 special education teachers, and 180 instructors without a teaching license (participants could check more than one role). The majority of all participant groups (61–70%) thought that the schools were very well (25–32%) or rather well (36–39%) equipped with digital technologies. Also, the majority (65–70%) thought the staff was very well (15–27%) or rather well (38–53%) prepared to deal with increased online communication and distance education. Furthermore, a majority of all groups (56–77%) thought students’ technological access was sufficient for online communication and distance learning. The results indicated a large increase regarding blended and online learning. The teachers indicated that before the pandemic, 78% of their teaching was in the schools but only 19% of the teaching was web-supported and 3% blended. Conversely, during the pandemic, 30% indicated that teaching was mostly in the school, 28% web-supported, 18% blended, 13% mostly online, and 10% only online. The increase in online teaching and learning was considerable, for example, regarding online discussion and chat, students’ social activities, teachers’ instruction and demonstrations, and teachers’ collaboration.About half of the teachers (53%) reported an increase in online meetings (via Google Meet, Skype, Zoom or Teams) and over 40% reported an increase in email use as well as in the use of learning management systems (such as Google Classroom, MySchool or Moodle). The teaching of some subjects was cancelled or reduced, for example arts and crafts, and in some cases ICT. The majority of all participant groups thought that the COVID-19 pandemic would change teaching and learning in their schools in the long-term/permanently. To plan for the future, many thought it was important to prepare teachers for increased online and distance education. Many staff members were interested in credit-courses focused on the practical use of distance technologies in teaching and learning. Although the majority of schools, teachers and learners appeared to have dealt well with increased online learning, there were considerable differences between schools and teachers. In open-ended questions, many teachers reported their worries about vulnerable students with a weak background regarding, for example, access to technologies. It is important to study how ready schools are to operate online and teachers to teach and work online and how digital competences of teachers and students in schools can be assessed and facilitated. Lessons should be learned from the evolving experiences for an intermediate period where school closures or restrictions for social gatherings may be set repeatedly while the virus spread is controlled. It is important to help shape a policy for the long-term development of online learning and teachers’ and learners’ digital competences.Peer reviewe

Implementation of makerspaces in three Icelandic compulsory schools: Praxis and pedagogy, the first steps

Samtíminn er fullur af móthverfum sem fela í sér ógnir og tækifæri, álitamál og áskoranir. Nútímasamfélag kallar á skólastarf, þar sem nemendur eru virkir og skapandi þátttakendur, færir um að móta eigið nám. Þessi rannsókn segir frá fyrsta ári af þremur í þróunarverkefni þriggja grunnskóla í Reykjavík um sköpunar- og tæknismiðjur (e. makerspaces). Hún á að auka skilning á hvað þarf til að nýsköpun og hönnun í anda sköpunarsmiðja skjóti rótum í starfi grunnskóla og á hvaða uppeldis- og kennslufræði þar er byggt. Leitast er við að greina hvað helst einkenndi og hafði áhrif á innleiðingu tæknilausna, nemendavinnu og kennsluhátta í þeim anda. Byggt er á eigindlegri nálgun og reynt að fá innsýn í reynslu fólks, viðhorf og hugsun í verkefninu. Rannsóknargögn samanstanda af vettvangsathugunum, viðtölum við skólastjórnendur, verkefnisstjóra og teymi kennara í skólunum þremur, auk styrkumsóknar, upplýsingavefs og síðu Facebook--hóps. Lýst er hvernig margir þættir spila saman og takast á við framgang verkefnisins ásamt tilraunum kennara á þeim grunni. Ekki síst er athygli beint að hugmyndum um kennslu og eflandi kennslufræði sem þar birtast eða búa að baki. Viðhorf og stuðningur skólastjórnenda, starf verkefnisstjóranna, viðhorf, reynsla og færni kennara, skilningur á verkefninu og mikilvægi þess, skipulag stundaskrár, samtal og samstaða eru þættir sem virðast skipta máli í innleiðingunni en einnig sérstaða einstakra skóla auk hefðar fyrir þemanámi þvert á greinasvið, teymiskennslu og skapandi starfi. Mörg uppbyggileg skref voru stigin á þessu fyrsta ári sem þarf að fylgja eftir með virku samtali og samvirkni þessara þátta.In the past few decades we have seen huge technological advancements, demographic shifts, economic expansion and profound cultural changes. The generations now growing up have been immersed in digital technology from their birth. We do, in our modern contemporary society, need a shift in education towards teaching and learning, where students are more active and creative participants, having the agency to shape their own learning. This research presents the first year of three in a school development project on implementing makerspaces to support such a shift in three compulsory schools in Reykjavík, the capital city of Iceland: Ingunnarskóli, Selásskóli and Vesturbæjarskóli (2019). Our study aims to increase understanding of what is needed for the innovation and design thinking of makerspaces to set roots in compulsory school practice and the pedagogies underlying “making” in school contexts. We want to identify characteristic and influential factors in the developmental process during the initial year of collaboration and implementation, as well as mapping how participants look upon and experience the project. Theoretical background We build our understanding and interpretation of the findings on theories and research on school and educational development (Fullan, 2019; Gerður G. Óskarsdóttir, 2014; Helga Sigríður Þórsdóttir and Anna Kristín Sigurðardóttir, 2020; Mason, 2008), digital technology and development of fab-labs and makerspaces (Blikstein, 2013; Halverson and Sheridan, 2014; Litts, 2015), creativity (Eisner, 2002), agency (Emirbayer and Mische, 1998; Moore, 2016; Svanborg R. Jónsdóttir og Rósa Gunnarsdóttir, 2017) and emancipatory pedagogy (Svanborg R. Jónsdóttir, 2012; Svanborg R. Jónsdóttir and Rósa Gunnarsdóttir, 2017). Method The research is grounded in qualitative methodology, where we seek to gain insight into participants’ attitudes and experiences and connect these to the focus of the research (Creswell, 2013). The research data consists of field notes, interviews with principals, project managers, two teams of teachers in each of the three schools, as well as grant application documents, the schools’ application for funding, a public project website and a Facebook site where staff members share their efforts and experiences in making. Findings The findings reflect how we as researchers see or interpret coherent and contradictory factors affecting the process of introduction and initial implementation during the first year of the project. Many different influential factors were at play. Support and interest of principals, proactive efforts of project managers, attitudes, experience and skills of teachers, how the project and its importance was understood, the organization of the school timetable and conversations and solidarity were all issues that appeared to make a difference in the implementation of the makerspaces. Many steps, actions, attitudes and different roles characterised the project in the first year. Principals and project managers shared a genuine belief in the potential of the developmental project to change teaching approaches towards the needs of modern education by enhancing creativity, supporting technological literacy, integrating knowledge, encouraging teamwork and giving students ample agency. We see the all- female project managers both as “midwives” helping to deliver a precious baby and as “gardeners” sowing seeds and tending to them as they sprout and grow. A key effort in this respect was to conduct educamps for all three schools, twice or three times over each school term. Some of the teacher teams showed enthusiasm and readiness to embrace the affordances of makerspaces while others were more hesitant or reluctant. Some indicators revealed how the flow of information and conversations between teachers, project managers and principals had not reached all the teaching staff and was seen by some members as a top-down venture. We saw many interesting examples of integrative and creative school projects built on the makerspace approach, both digital productions and hands-on constructions from recyclable or other tangible materials. Our analysis of the pedagogical modes emerging in those projects indicated that they varied from being teacher controlled, to being progressive, involving less teacher control, and even being emancipatory in character with ample student agency and creativity. Many positive steps have been taken in this first year of implementation and this needs to be followed up with constructive conversations and exchanges between all stakeholders to ensure that all elements and factors at work in the project culminate in a momentum coherent enough to move this developmental undertaking in the right direction. Conclusions Many positive steps were taken in this first year and they need to be purposefully followed up with constructive and active conversations between stakeholders in order to make the coherence of elements and momentum push in the intended direction.Peer reviewe

Nordic Childhoods in the Digital Age. Insights into Contemporary Research on Communication, Learning and Education.

This book adds to the international research literature on contemporary Nordic childhoods in the context of fast-evolving technologies. It draws on the workshop program of the Nordic Research Network on Digital Childhoods funded by the Joint Committee for Nordic research councils in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NOS-HS) during the years 2019–2021. Bringing together researchers from Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland, the book addresses pressing issues around children’s communication, learning and education in the digital age. The volume sheds light on cultural values, educational policies and conceptions of children and childhood, and child–media relationships inherent in Nordic societies. The book argues for the importance of understanding local cultures, values and communication practices that make up contemporary digital childhoods and extends current discourses on children’s screen time to bring in new insights about the nature of children’s digital engagement. This book will appeal to researchers, graduate students, educators and policy makers in the fields of childhood education, educational technology and communication