Ongoing Projects

  • European Social Fund (ESF) funded ARTiFAB project (2024-2026) helps to bridge the digital gap in the Oulu region by organizing workshops for those currently outside of working life, that combine digital small-scale manufacturing and art. The topical combination supports the goals of Oulu’s European Capital of Culture 2026 program and inspires those who have not previously been interested in technology to learn the skills of the future.
  • Academy Research Fellowship Critical DataLit project, exploring youth’s data literacies, with an emphasis in supporting social justice in the context of digital citizenship education.
  • The Critical ChangeLab research and innovation project (Horizon Europe programme) develops a model of democratic pedagogy using creative and narrative practices to foster youth’s active democratic citizenship, providing robust evidence to support democratic curriculum development.
  • Academy of Finland funded FutuProta project that ‘technology protagonism’, i.e., how the future citizens would be able to act as technology protagonists who have the ability to question digital technology use and demand for socially sustainable technological solutions.
  • An India Pilot initiative seed-funded 6GSmart Schools (Envisioning Sustainable 6G Smart Schools with Children, by Children) as part of the India Pilot initiative from the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture
  • European Social Fund (ESR) project Diginet (ICT Training and Internships Digitally in the Network) aims to develop a digital solution that is particularly suitable for distance teaching and learning situations, as well as related pedagogical models. This supports the digital learning skills of the target group, such as self-study skills, tool use skills and teacher guidance skills, and the digital job search skills of the target group. The project is done in collaboration with Oulu University of Applied Sciences.
  • Academy of Finland funded project on Participatory AI with Schoolchildren (PAIZ)  on critical AI literacy with children using design fiction and hands-on activities.
  • Academy of Finland funded project  AI-REG studies ambiguity that arises from the European Artificial Intelligence Act proposal (AI Act).
  • EU 2020 RESET (Redesigning Equality and Scientific Excellence Together)
  • EU H2020 project COMnPLAY SCIENCE - learning science fun and creative way
  • Academy of Finland project Tekoälyn kokemuksia älykaupungissa: Kaupunkielämää tukevien AI-sovellusten osallistava suunnittelu, Principal Investigator: Aale Luusua
  • Digital transformation of the Finnish taxi Industry (Financially supported by Wihuri Foundation and Academy of Finland's PROFI-4 GenZ)
  • Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation postdoctoral research project: Climate change in the News. Principal investigator: Dorina Rajanen.
  • Design@school - a long-term research effort related to bringing designerly thinking to schools
  • Metapilot Factory - strengting the understanding of metaverse technologies in the Northern Ostrobothnia region
  • Tarinatalo - a virtual learning environment for supporting the reading, writing and literacy skills of children and adolescent (site in English here). Tarinatalo is a part of the Metapilot Factory -project.

Some completed projects

  • European Social Fund (ESR) funded Make4Change project (2020-2026)  aimed to provide Oulu citizens with valuable 21st century skills through digital fabrication and making.
  • Academy of Finland funded MAKE-A-DIFFERENCE - Critical Design and Making by Children (Lasten kriittinen teknologiasuunnittelu ja -värkkäys)
  • Marie Curie ITN CHESS - Connected Health early stage researcher network (CHESS)
  • Ai-Move - Development of an artificial intelligence system for a service built to prevent and support musculoskeletal disorders funded by EIT-Digital . We cooperate with RI.SE (SE), Qinematic (SE), Bright Cape (NL)
  • Finnish Cultural Foundation funded DeMaKids project - Children as technology makers and shapers, integrating technology making into comprehensive school education
  • European Social Fund (ESR) project TIKO-Silta (Co-operative Model of Information Processing Science Between High Schools and Higher Education) aiming to find concrete ways to increase co-operation between secondary and higher education, with an interest in increasing girls' participation in IT. The project was done in collaboration with Oulu University of Applied Sciences.
  • European Social Fund (ESR) project LUNO - Lukiolaisista nostetta ohjelmistoalalle - Battling the gender segregation in our field by making the IT field more interesting for senior high school students, particularly girls, by teaching them programming and designerly thinking as well as giving them more information about our field in general. The project was done in collaboration with Oulu University of Applied Sciences.
  • Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation postdoctoral research project: Teachers’ role in shaping the educational network infrastructuring - positioned as designers of technology enhanced learning. Principal Investigator: Eija Halkola.
  • Academy of Finland project MULTICS - Multi-scoped infrastructuring : Forming a knowledge infrastructure for ILTER Network (in Finnish: Moniulotteinen infrastrukturoituminen: Tutkimusinfrastuktuurin muodostaminen ILTER- verkostolle )
  • Understanding and strengthening children’s participation and agency in issues concerning their life: Usability of Music for Social Inclusion of Children, EU IST 7thframework project 2008-2011 (UMSIC)
  • IT support for participatory urban design:
    • Participatory Urban Design with Advanced IT support, Academy of Finland project 2008-2011 (PUDAS)
    • Integrated project on Interaction and Presence in Urban Environments, EU IST 6th framework project, 2007-2011 (IPCity)
  • Another research stream has concentrated on understanding and supporting open and democratic development approaches, such as open source software development as a specific focus of study and My Data.