From personal projects to nation-wide learning-by-demand projects
We have become accustomed with learning projects which are managed by the educator and the learner is performing the tasks accordingly. We strive for student-centered pedagogy that involves a dynamic (classroom) approach in which it is believed that students acquire a deeper knowledge of the topic in focus and learning processes. Very often we plan the projects to concern active exploration of real world challenges and problems.
Such an approach taken for years throughout the LUMA Centre Finland [1] network too in order to support the implementation of the new curricula on various levels of education. This has been achieved by design-based development of teaching material, training courses both on-site and via Internet, visits to and from schools, informal and non-formal education activities and scientific research harnessed to understand the value, outcome and success of the actions taken. And still – years after – we struggle with the big issues like scalability, suitability, reachability, language issues, impact and how to measure the success in general.
In 2019, we decided to turn our approach upside-down – and to give the design into the hands of the learners and learning communities. The LUMA2020 project [2,3] was created, and four areas of projects were looked for: mathematics, technology, circular economy and “My LUMA”. The target was to engage learning communities to work on their own project of interest but also to provide nation-wide support for the projects realized as well as to create networks of learning communities. What came out from the nation-wide project amased us… innovations, surprises, new approaches of learning and teaching… the garden of Finnish LUMA was blossoming in a spectacular variety and in all colours of the spectrum…
Is there a systemic change highlighting individual learners in learner communities co-creating in the digital age?
[1] LUMA Centre Finland, https://www.luma.fi (LUMA stands for natural sciences and mathematics in Finnish language, a.k.a. representing the Finnish STEM in Finnish education system)
[2] LUMA2020 project, https://2020.luma.fi
[3] “LUMA2020 –Inquiring and innovating together in Central Finland”, T.Nurmi, P.Parviainen, O.Virkkula, A.-L. Kähkönen, Poster presented at PBE2020, 5.-6.11.2020, Prague, Czech Republic.