Visiting researchers from Helsinki University

We had the pleasure of hosting two visiting researchers; Mariam Aljabaly and Anniliina Omwami from Helsinki University in the period of Oct 29 – Nov 10, 2023.

Mariam Aljabaly, is a doctoral researcher (Educational sciences), University of Helsinki, Faculty of Educational Sciences and her research revolves around the teachers’ “maker” mindset. Mariam is part of the ongoing Maker project initiated by the EMAL research group and she is conducting her research as part of this larger research consortium consisting of USN, OsloMet and Helsinki University.

While Mariam visited Notodden she also had time to participate in an educational makerspace in Oslo together with the Maker research group and additionally to fascilitate her own maker workshop at the Dig Tek Lab at Notodden, with teachers and students from USN as participants.

Anniliina Omwami is a doctoral researcher in the field of Craft science, University of Helsinki, the Faculty of Educational Sciences. She has also participated in the Craft science workshops arranged by EMAL and the University of Gothenburg and University of Eastern Finland earlier. Her data is partly collected in a project situated at the Aalto University, called the Maker Studio Peda project, where both Helsinki University and USN and Emal are partners.

Both researchers presented their ongoing research projects for the Institute and the students at the Notodden campus:

Anniliina Omwami presented her research: Inspiration in expert and student clothing ideation: a multiple case study

In this presentation she described her craft science PhD on inspiration as a source and as a process in experts’ and craft-education students’ clothing ideation. She depicted why she embarked on this academic journey, and the current status of her study. She presented the academic discussion that she takes part in with her research, along with how she collected and analysed the data. In the end we discussed what can already be learned through this research, and what there is still to be discovered.

Mariam Aljabaly presented her research: Teacher’s Maker Mindset: what is it and how the teachers facilitate and nurture it among their students.

Mariam introduced her PhD research that investigates teacher’s maker mindset and how it is vital for successful integration of maker-centred activities and fostering of this mindset within the students. She present why she was motivated to start her research process and the current state. She also took us through her systematic video analysis method opened up how she investigated the concept of a maker mindset.