Table Of ContentFinnish Innovationsand Technologies inSchools
Finnish Innovations and
Technologies in Schools
A Guide towards New Ecosystems of Learning
Editedby
HanneleNiemi
JariMultisilta
LasseLipponen
MariannaVivitsou
UniversityofHelsinki,Finland
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements vii
Prologue: Towards a Global Ecosystem ix
Hannele Niemi, Jari Multisilta, Lasse Lipponen, and Marianna Vivitsou
PART I. FRAMES FOR THE FUTURE AND 21ST-CENTURY SKILLS
1. The Finnish Educational Ecosystem: Working for Equity and High
Learning Outcomes 3
Hannele Niemi
2. A New Finnish National Core Curriculum for Basic Education (2014)
and Technology as an Integrated Tool for Learning 21
Sanna Vahtivuori-Hänninen, Irmeli Halinen, Hannele Niemi,
Jari Lavonen, and Lasse Lipponen
PART II. GLOBAL SHARING PEDAGOGY WITH VIDEO STORYTELLING
3. Global is Becoming Everywhere: Global Sharing Pedagogy 35
Hannele Niemi and Jari Multisilta
4. Digital Storytelling in Finnish Schools 49
Vilhelmiina Harju, Kirsi Viitanen, and Marianna Vivitsou
5. Science through the Camera Lens 57
Johanna Penttilä, Veera Kallunki, and Johanna Ojalainen
PART III. GAMES FOR LEARNING: LEARNING WITH MOTIVATION
AND ENGAGEMENT
6. Angry Birds for Fun in Learning 69
Vilhelmiina Harju and Jari Multisilta
7. Learning by Teaching: A Game-Based Approach 77
Harri Ketamo
8. Learning by Creating Educational Exergames: Creative Pedagogy
That Gets Students Moving 87
Kristian Kiili, Pauliina Tuomi, Mikko Koskela, and Jeffrey Earp
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART IV. TECHNOLOGY AND COLLABORATION IN AND BEYOND
THE SCHOOL
9. The Innovative School as an Environment for the Design of
Educational Innovations 99
Tiina Korhonen, Jari Lavonen, Minna Kukkonen, Kati Sormunen, and
Kalle Juuti
10. Building an Ecosystem for Developing Educational Use of Technology
in Finnish Schools 115
Marja Kankaanranta and Sanna Vahtivuori-Hänninen
11. Inspiration, Joy, and Support of STEM for Children, Youth,
and Teachers through the Innovative LUMA Collaboration 129
Lauri Vihma and Maija Aksela
12. The International Millennium Youth Camp as an Active Learning
Ecosystem for Future Scientists 145
Sakari Tolppanen and Maija Aksela
13. Schools and Companies in a Co-configurative Collaboration:
Agile Product Development Applied in a School’s Ecosystem 155
Anna Aarnio, Lasse Lipponen, Sanna Vahtivuori-Hänninen, and
Jarkko Mylläri
Epilogue: What are Innovations in the Finnish Educational
Ecosystem? 165
Hannele Niemi, Jari Multisilta, Lasse Lipponen, and Marianna Vivitsou
Author Biographical Notes 171
vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are deeply thankful to Tekes, the National Agency for Technology and
Innovations in Finland, who has supported the development of educational
technology in Finnish schools in recent years. The Tekes projects, such as Finnable
2020, SysTech and EdTech, whose researchers are the main authors of this book,
highly value the Tekes ideology to connect different partners to joint projects of
educational technology. The networks have played an important role in creating
educational ecosystems in which technology is an integral part of teaching and
learning.
In most projects, teachers, students, parents, researchers, policy makers, and
companies work together for joint aims. The authors would like to express their
deepest thanks to all the partners. Cooperation has opened many new ideas and
ways to promote high-quality learning.
The University of Helsinki and its Department of Teacher Education and the
Institute of Behavioural Sciences have provided fruitful research environments.
Many projects have also partnered with other universities. The University of
Jyväskylä and Tampere Technological University with its Unit in Pori have been
important partners with the University of Helsinki during the creation of this book.
The authors want to thank these universities. We would also like to extend our
thanks to the multidisciplinary research network CICERO Learning, coordinated
by the University of Helsinki, which created forums for these joint projects and
encouraged us to crossing the boundaries that often lie between disciplines.
Hannele Niemi
Jari Multisilta
Lasse Lipponen
Marianna Vivitsou
vii
HANNELE NIEMI, JARI MULTISILTA, LASSE LIPPONEN, AND
MARIANNA VIVITSOU
PROLOGUE
Towards a Global Ecosystem
This book combines several perspectives on how the Finnish educational system
has made steps to provide students with the skills and competences needed for their
lives in today’s society and in the future. The book uses ecosystem as a metaphor
for an educational system. The ecosystem in biology means biodiversity and high
interconnectedness between species; ecosystems work in systemic wholeness.
Faced with environmental changes, they can adapt, adjusting and transforming in
an environment, but they are also vulnerable to losing important elements in
systems’ functionality.
Part I describes how the Finnish educational system has aimed at sustainable
education by ensuring that different parts of the system are interconnected while at
the same time keeping it open to transformations. Chapter 1 gives an overview on
how a strong commitment to the value of equal opportunity and a vision of lifelong
learning throughout the system have been consistent objectives for 40 years. High-
quality teachers with strong academic, research-based teacher education, local
responsibility for educational quality, and a strong support system for different
learners have produced consistently high student learning outcomes in all
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) measurements. Adult
competences are in the top. The Finnish educational system has been adaptive,
taking into account the changes that have happened in society but has also been a
transformative agent, intentionally promoting improvements and changes.
Chapter 2 describes how a national curriculum system in Finland has been an
important tool when preparing new generations to live in changing contexts.
Approximately every 10 years, an extensive curriculum revision process is
undertaken. The process of the new national core curriculum for the basic
education started in 2012 and will be completed by the end of 2014. The
preparation is very open and collaborative, inviting all possible stakeholders to
share contributions. After the core curriculum is completed, schools and teachers,
students, and parents prepare local curricula based on the national core curriculum
and these local curricula will be in use in 2016. The new national core curriculum
crystallizes the vision of education for the future and the expertise needed in
Finnish society. The ongoing curriculum process is a key factor in developing
educational sector in Finland for 21st-century skills and competences. The
importance of the core curriculum does not only describe what should happen in
the Finnish classrooms, schools, and municipalities in the coming years, but will
voice the ideals, values, and endeavors for the nation’s next decade. The Finnish
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