1. ENMDAAims
Perspectives and ideas
fromAalto experiences
Aalto University
Strategic Support for Research and Education
ICT in Education Team
Lauri Saarinen
28.5.2014

2. How to work today?
Your choices:
Aalto platforms, organization and support
Trends andchallenges ingeneral
ENMDAAims Discussion

3. @Aalto University – why, who, what & how
Strategic Support for Research and Education
ICT in Education Team
Lauri Saarinen
28.5.2014

4. Strategy as a starting point
http://www.aalto.fi/en/about/strategy/
Key Areas of Development
1. Improving the student/teacher ratio and student
guidance
2. Creating a learning-centred culture an teaching
methods
3. Building teaching and academic leadership
4. Assessing the quality of teaching and learning
5. Merging research, art and pedagogy in academic
activities
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5. Excellence in teaching
”promoting a culture of creativity and
entrepreneurship and preparing the
students for entering professional life are
key goals of our teaching.”
- Aalto strategy

6. Strategic Support
for Research and
Education
Part of Aalto Services

7. University Pedagogical Training and Develoment
Study Psychology Services
Educational Leadership Development
Research and Education Evaluations
ICT in Education
Units within Strategic Support for
Research and Education
http://www.aalto.fi/en/about/services/strategic_support/

8. Aalto University support for
development of teaching and learning
The primary tasks of Strategic Support for Research and Education
(TOST) are:
• To provide support to rectors and other management at Aalto
University in drafting outlines for strategic policies related to research
and teaching and in realising these strategies.
• To support and guide teachers at the university in developing their
teaching, and to encourage them to use varied teaching methods.
• To support and encourage the use of information and communication
technology (ICT) as a tool for teaching and learning.
• To carry out evaluations in research and teaching (e.g. Evaluation of
teaching and education (TEE) carried out at Aalto University in the
spring of 2011).
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9. ICT in education –team
https://wiki.aalto.fi/display/VipuPiste/How+to+get+started
Encouraging, supporting, training and
guiding teachers to use ICT pedagogically

10. We drive the cultural change
towards learning-centered
education
We advocate openness,
sharing and collaboration

11. We encourage the teachers
to choose the appropriate
methods and tools to reach
their pedagogical goals
6.8.2014
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12. Our team evaluates,
develops and supports
usage of ICT in teaching,
studying and research

13. Focus on learning instead of
teaching
Encourage students to be actively
envolved
Emphasise interaction in
teaching and learning processes
6.8.2014
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14. What do we want students to learn?
How should the learning happen?
How do we improve the learning
processes?
How do we increase collaboration?
6.8.2014
14

15. How?

16. Services we provide for
teachers
consulting
workshops, courses
events
educating, presentations
help desk

17. Some tools in Aalto University
Online Learning Environment
Moodle, Optima, Noppa
Participation platforms and tools
Presemo, clickers
Wiki, blogs, Adobe Connect

18. Summary
ICT in Education Team
Enhancing the Aalto Virtual Learning Environment and improving the
skills of the faculty in blended learning by restructuring the
infrastructure and providing training and support to the faculty.
Providing necessary new elements
such as plagiarism detection to the
environment in addition to
coordinating the use of current
network services will increase
learning centered activities and in
the long run result in cost savings.
Improving the skills of the
teaching staff in blended
learning results in more
interactive and student-
centered teaching and
learning both virtually and in
classrooms due to the
increased use of modern
learning technologies.

19. Trends and
challenges

20. Big ships turn slowly
Encouragement and support are needed
Takes time and effort to learn tools
Culture of “Do-it-yourself”, “little sharing” and competitive
attitudes
Will the “new generation” think and act any different?
Digital natives
Ups and downs – challenges and enablers

21. AALTO in practise
• Campus-based activity on three locations
• Blended Learning as a strategic development goal
• Most teachers create their own material
• Material is delivered through several systems –
https://wiki.aalto.fi/display/AaltoPilvi/
• Moodle / Optima,
• Wiki, Blogs,
• Adobe Connect / Webex
• Social media
• Support units
• IT Helpdesk (infrastructure and technical support)
• ICT in Education team (applications to support pedagogical solutions)
Principles of formation of educational
content for distance learning

22. Examples of different approaches
• MIT - http://ocw.mit.edu
• MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually
all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to the world and is
a permanent MIT activity.
• Open University UK - http://www.open.ac.uk/
• The Open University is a world leader in modern distance learning,
the pioneer of teaching and learning methods which enable people to
achieve their career and life goals studying at times and in places to
suit them.
• Aalto - http://www.aalto.fi/en/about/strategy/
• Aalto University is a new multidisciplinary university, where science
and art meet technology and business.
• Blended learning, and the production and open sharing of teaching
and learning materials will become key aspects of the learning
community’s operations.
Principles of formation of educational
content for distance learning

23. • Quality management in general
• RAE-project followed by TEE-project – external panel evaluations
• The Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council (FINHEEC) audits
all Finnish Universities
• External Programme Accreditations and other evaluations of the
School of Economics (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA, CEMS, PIM) -
http://econ.aalto.fi/en/about/accreditations/
• University’s Annual Resource Dialogue – resource allocation.
• Personal Development Discussions – rewards?
Process analytics and evaluation, and their influence on
the optimization of the educational content
http://www.aalto.fi/en/about/strategy/quality_work/
http://biz.aalto.fi/en/about/accreditations/
http://www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/standards/2013-
business/learning-and-teaching/

24. • Problems in participation
• Class-room lectures sometimes skipped > exchange of notes
• Worries about reduced participation due to lecture capture and other
online services
• Learning centered culture a strategic development goal
• A learning-centred culture challenges teachers and researchers to
readdress their teaching methods, improve their performance in
mentoring students and strengthen the link between education
andresearch. Students are guided towards a strong commitment to
their studies and to taking responsibility for their own development.
The University is a true learning community and its environment
encourages and inspires the active development of new ways of
learning and building expertise.
Motivation factors in students’ participation
in the process of distance learning

25. • Interaction through discussion boards demands activation of the
discussion.
• Online processes require effort on process planning, scheduling and
communication
• The use of online activities on a course can best be motivated when
– The students are not within the same geographical area.
– Students cannot assembly easily for other reasons.
– Extra possibilities for discussion support the learning process.
– In some cases the numbers of participants is not large.
– It saves costs for organizing teaching and learning (without
hindering learning).
– Students are familiar with ICT technology.
– The maintainer is able to publish materials and managing the
course (or support functions are well resourced and organized).
General factors in in the process of
distance learning

26. Future

27. Aalto Virtual Learning Environment
Aalto Open Learning -portal
Increasing the number of virtual
workspaces and their pedagogical use
6.8.2014
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28. ENDMA aims …
• To develop new Master curriculum in Graphic Design and
Digital Arts by Dec 2014 and to upgrade teachers skills with
modern methods of teaching and learning by Apr 2015
• To establish the international hybrid learning space based
on modern educational technologies and methods by July
2015
• To develop a quality assurance mechanisms ensuring the
quality of Digital Arts training by Sep 2015
• Dissemination of the new Master curriculum, new
methodology, teaching materials and methods among
creative community in RU by October 2016
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29. To develop new Master curriculum in
Graphic Design and DigitalArts by Dec 2014
and to upgrade teachers skills with modern
methods of teaching and learning byApr
2015
Strategic Support for Research and Education
ICT in Education Team
Lauri Saarinen
28.5.2014

30. Curriculum Planning
• “I will master …”
• What kind of learning ...
• What kind of employee, artist, freelancer, entrepreneur …
• How to plan?
• Who’s involved?
• Program level planning matrix of learning goals, methods,
outcomes
• Every course is aligned with program level issues
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31. Teacher training
• Same challenge, different target group
• What kind of learning
• …
• Alignment
• The teachers and the students should create and share
common culture
• Community of practice – masters and pupils
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32. Trends
• NMC - http://www.nmc.org/
• ECAR - http://www.educause.edu/ecar
• Flipped -
http://flippedlearning.org/site/default.aspx?PageID=1
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33. To establish the international hybrid learning
space based on modern educational
technologies and methods by July 2015
Strategic Support for Research and Education
ICT in Education Team
Lauri Saarinen
28.5.2014

34. Learning Space
What kind of studying and learning we support with
technology?
• Blooms’ Taxonomy revisited:
• Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Create
• Blooms’ Taxonomy simplified:
• Learn, Teach, Evaluate
• Distance Learning
• eLearning
• Blended Learning
• Flipped Classroom
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35. Alternatives
Choosing the platform
• Open or closed
• Remote or blended
A community platform for students and pro’s
Aalto Cloud Info
https://wiki.aalto.fi/display/aaltocloudinfo/Home
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36. To develop a quality assurance mechanisms
ensuring the quality of DigitalArts training by
Sep 2015
Strategic Support for Research and Education
ICT in Education Team
Lauri Saarinen
28.5.2014

37. Management or development?
• How to and what for to use “the system”
• Student feedback during degree studies
• After studies evaluation
• Credits, rewarding, gamification
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38. Dissemination of the new Master curriculum,
new methodology, teaching materials and
methods among creative community in RU
by October 2016
Strategic Support for Research and Education
ICT in Education Team
Lauri Saarinen
28.5.2014

39. A big project
• A professional project manager
• Manage material production
• Plan interaction management
• Use faculty and student expertise
• Design principles
Enhancing ICT supported distributed learning through action design research
Saarinen, Lauri, 2012
Aalto University publication series DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS
http://epub.lib.aalto.fi/pdf/diss/Aalto_DD_2012_092.pdf
Contextualization should have an effect on the design on many levels starting from an individual user's viewpoint all
the way to the organizational aspects of goal setting and institutional constraints.
The concordance principle guides the emergent process to a possible real-life solution through framing the possible
outcomes.
Collaborative development iteration cycles make it possible to build an artifact that reflects the actors' real needs.
Commitment at the organizational level ensures that the possibilities that the implementation of an ICT system beholds
in enhancing organizational practices and culture do have a possibility to be realized. The utility of the intervention may
be seen only after considerable time.
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40. ENDMA aims …
• Learning outcomes define the curriculum
• Learning styles demand adjustments in teaching methods
• Learning evaluation aligned with learning goals
• Engage by employing student and faculty expertise
• One home-base for secure learning, spread out to expand experience
• Quality development follows quality management
• Empower enthusiasm to work better
• Codes of conduct
• Build a formal professional project organization
• Choose design principles
40

41. End notes
• Every student should learn
• Project management
• Communication and networking skills
• Learning skills
• Business skills
• Media / substance
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42. Thank you!