Professor Raija Hämäläinen is the leader of the research group. Her research interests include collaboration and creativity in technology-enhanced learning settings, workplace-learning, and teacher-student interaction. Raija is involved in diverse international networks (e.g. elected member of the Earli Executive Committee, community committee of CSCL and Earli Sig 14 coordinator). Raija is a well-recognized keynote speaker on novel methods (see e.g. EARLI 2021, VET Congress 2022, ijrVET 2022). She has also participated in a publication that has defined the set standard for the reserch on collaboration scripts. Raija has been the principal investigator of several research projects related to technology-enhanced learning. She has designed a long-term research line that focuses on designing and investigating new learning environments for future educational efforts.
Ph.D., adjunct professor Sami Lehesvuori is a university lecturer in the Faculty of Education and Psychology as well as the Department of Education at the University of Jyväskylä. While his research focus has been on dialogic interactions in science education, his recent work involves more of studying interactions in adaptive and technology-enhanced learning environments. One of the recent challenges is to incorporate automatic approaches for investigating learning interactions. Sami has worked in several national and international projects and has a wide, international network. His current international scholarly activities include, for example, working as a senior research associate at the University of Johannesburg, networking in a COST action project (CLILNetLE), and editorial work with expected editorial membership (Studia Paedagogica).
Ph.D. Ville Heilala is a postdoctoral researcher in the Faculty of Education and Psychology at the University of Jyväskylä. He has a doctoral degree in computer science, a master's degree in education, and a bachelor's degree in music. In his dissertation research, Ville developed and examined a learning analytics process for analyzing learning experiences using machine learning and computational psychometrics. His research interests relate to multimodal learning analytics, AI in education, adaptive learning systems, computational psychometrics, and creative technology. Before his research career, Ville worked for over a decade as a teacher in primary education.
Ph.D. Ari Tuhkala is involved in the research group as a senior lecturer. He has a Ph.D. in Computer Science (Educational Technology) and his dissertation examined participatory design as an approach for involving teachers as design partners. His multidisciplinary background combines Computer Science, Educational Sciences, and Social Sciences. His main research interests are learner-technology interaction, research through design methodology, and literature mining using computational methods. Ari has completed teacher's pedagogical studies and specialised in teaching academic content through English and teaching software development practices for industry (e.g., Git, object-oriented programming, full stack development).
Ph.D. Pauliina Rikalais a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Education. Pauliina has a Ph.D. in Mathematical Information Technology, and her dissertation focused on mobile learning in a Finnish formal educational context. Her multidisciplinary background combines Information Technology, Pedagogy, Social Gerontology, Psychology, and Marketing. Pauliina’s research interests include digital transformation, learning, and well-being and promoting them in a meaningful and sustainable manner in society and organizations. The aim of her study is, therefore, to find patterns and similarities and to create a broader, deeper, and more comprehensive understanding of the impact of digital transformation on working life, competencies, and well-being and, thus, to find new perspectives and methods for shaping work and learning at work.
Dr. Danial Hooshyar is an Associate Professor of Educational Data Mining at the School of Digital Technologies, Tallinn University, and a Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Education and Psychology at the University of Jyväskylä. His research focuses on Artificial Intelligence for Education, with a particular interest in adaptive educational systems. He is involved in several projects, including leading a five-year project funded by the Estonian Research Council, "Hybrid Regulation of Learning Using Open Learner Models: Towards Supporting Students in Meaningful Learning." This project brings together a diverse team of psychologists, educational scientists, computer scientists, and software developers. He has contributed to various international conferences and journals, including serving as the chair of the AI for Education track at ACM SAC and as an Associate Editor for Computer Applications in Engineering Education.
Ph.D Minna Ylönen is a postdoctoral researcher (part-time) in the Faculty of Education and Psychology at the University of Jyväskylä. In her dissertation, Minna investigated and developed guidance practices in surgical training. Her research interests relate to professional learning through work, workplace guidance practices and learning and guidance in simulated and virtual learning environments. Minna is now working on a research entity called Guidance enhancing professional agency, which consists of three research projects: 1) Digital competence of social services and healthcare personnel, 2) Professional agency in the DKT-based operating model and 3) Learning guidance in the postgraduate clinical training of doctors (specialization). The research entity is carried out in cooperation with University of Jyväskylä, University of Oulu and Wellbeing services county of Central Finland. Minna has been working as an education specialist at the Wellbeing services county of Central Finland (Hospital Nova) since graduating with a master's degree in 2007.
Ph.D Panu Forsman works as a university teacher in the unit of Education and Adult Education. His research focuses on topic of agency, creativity, virtual mobility, digital skills and workplace learning.
Ph.D. Kai Tuuri is a Senior Researcher in the Department of Education. He comes from a music research background and has a Title of Docent in multidisciplinary musicology. Besides music, Kai’s research interests extend to various themes relating to human-technology interaction, education, and video games. His current FUNMERSIVE project is about playfulness and conceptualizing fun in engagement with learning. Kai has been the principal investigator in two projects, which investigated game music memories (funded by Kone Foundation) and online learning motivation (funded by Business Finland).
M.Ed. Miitta Järvinen works as a Ph.D. student in the research-based development project of the master's degree program in engineering. Her research focuses on students’ first-year learning experiences, self-efficacy and well-being, as well as interaction processes and student engagement in authentic learning environments. Miitta applies novel methods to investigate how these interaction processes occur and unfold.
M.Ed. Olli Merjovaara works as a university teacher in Early Childhood Education. His Ph.D. research focuses on the digital agency of early childhood preservice teachers. Olli had previously worked in research projects focusing on digital storytelling in early childhood education and childrens' mental wellbeing enhancing digital environments.
M.Ed. Aaron Peltoniemi is a project researcher in the Department of Education at the University of Jyväskylä. Prior to joining the Technology-enhanced Learning (TEL) team, he worked as a research assistant to conceptualize and develop an educational and digital “map” for incoming education students at the university. Aaron also has a diverse educational background. He completed his undergraduate studies in the US with a year abroad in Japan which was followed by additional studies in Chinese in Taiwan before returning back to Japan as an English language teacher and administrator in education. Upon returning to Finland in 2019, Aaron earned his master's degree in Educational Sciences with a thesis on the temporality of learning. His research interests include language pedagogy, history, educational sciences, temporality, schoolscapes, and philosophy.
M.Sc. Katriina Sipiläinen works as a project researcher in the Department of Education at the University of Jyväskylä. She has a master's degree in statistics and in her thesis she researched eye movements.
M.A.Ed. Paavo Räty is a Ph.D. student and project researcher in the Department of Education at the University of Jyväskylä. He is currently involved in the TKIEKO project, where his research focuses on identifying and bridging skill gaps. Previously, he contributed to the SimO project, aimed at developing a high-quality ecosystem for virtual and real-world simulations, and the CS Track citizen science project. His broader research interests include upskilling and reskilling.
M.Sc. Jeri Varjosalo works as a project researcher in the Department of Education at the university of Jyväskylä. He has a master's degree in mathematical information technology and in his thesis, he researched evaluation of learning in digital games. His interests include immersive virtual reality, virtual environments and novel uses of technology, among other things. Ask him about The Secret of Monkey Island™
M.Ed. Sari Lipponen works as a university teacher in the Department of Early Childhood Education. Naturally, her research interests focus on digital learning environments in early childhood education. Sari’s Ph.D. research revolves around a digital game called "The Emotion Detectives", which is designed to support children’s social and emotional skills.
M.A.Ed. Joonas Mannonen works as a project researcher for the Finnish Institute for Educational Research. His work focuses on OECD’s Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), which is an international, large-scale assessment focusing on adults’ literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills in technology-rich environments. He is also a Ph.D. student in the Faculty of Education and Psychology, and his dissertation focuses on key competences and adults' problem-solving skills in technology-rich environments.
M.Ed. Hanna Nygren is a Ph.D. student. She is working as a class and drama teacher. Her Ph.D. research focuses on adult adaptation in technology, and she is working for the Finnish Institute for Educational Research in Manufacturing 4.0 project. Previously, she worked as a teacher educator at Savonlinna department of teacher education. Hanna also has work experience in education export. Her interest especially lies in informal learning contexts and in learning technology through social contexts.
M.Ed. Jiri Vilppola works as a Ph.D. student student at the Faculty of Education and Psychology, and his research interests include workplace-oriented, competence-based and technology enhanced VET teacher training. Jiri is also working as a senior lecturer at TAMK School of Professional Teacher Education (Tampere University of Applied Sciences).
M.A.Ed. Virpi Salo is a Ph.D. student, and she works as a senior lecturer in the School of Health Care and Social work at Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences. Her research interests are collaborative learning and emotions in nursing simulation teaching.
M.A. Anne Karhapää is a Ph.D. student. Her research focuses on technology-enhanced informal workplace learning. Anne works as information specialist in University of Eastern Finland Library.
M.A. Markku Laajala is a Ph.D. student, and he works as the Programme Director at School of Business and Economics (JSBE) - Avance Executive Education. His Ph.D. research focuses on managers’ collaborative learning processes in Executive MBA program. Markku has been working at the University of Jyväskylä since 1997 including a four-year period in EduCluster Finland. Throughout his career, Markku's main interests have been in human interaction, communication, group processes, and adult learning.
M.Sc. (Health Care) Katja Kokkinen is a Ph.D. student, and she works as a senior lecturer in the school of social services and health care at the Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences. Her work and research interests are families, parental learning, digital gaming, gamification and game-based methods within health care and social services.
M.Ed. Sahsenem Oz works as a doctoral researcher in the Department of Education at the University of Jyväskylä and is part of the EDUCA-Doc Doctoral Education Pilot. Her research focuses on the fourth EDUCA flagship area: the promotion and analysis of professional competencies of teachers and principals needed for effective future learning. In her master’s thesis, she investigated teachers' participation in a professional development activity and their incorporation of augmented reality into science lessons. Her research continues to focus on teachers and their professional learning by utilizing International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) data.
