Embodied Making and Learning

Researchers Marte S. Gulliksen, Lovise Søyland, Anniken Randers-Pehrson and Camilla Groth from the EMAL research group have during the past few years been working on chapters for two anthologies that both investigate embodied making and learning in different ways. The first book; Embodied learning and teaching using the 4E approach is a result of a collaboration with the Em-Learning network that consists of educational researchers from various school subjects that all have an interest in embodied cognition and learning. Abstract for the book: This book operationalises the new field—EmLearning—that integrates embodiment and grounded cognition perspectives with education using the 4E approach as a guiding principle, which suggests that cognition is…

Emal members from the research project MAKER participated at the Skaperfestivalen (makerfestival) at the Notodden library in May 2024, by arranging clay and maker workshops, and an exhibition of schoolchildren’s game designs made in maker projects coordinated by the project researchers and the local school teachers. The project members also presented a keynote speech with the the theme of maker-centered learning and innovation pedagogy.

Emal member Ellen Baskår presented her work in an exhibition and an artist talk at the Telemark Kunstmuseum on the 16th of November, 2023. Tekstile fortellinger, or “textile narratives” (freely translated to English) are machine stitched visual narratives that show events, experiences and situations that are, in various ways, linked to local folk poetry, such as rhymes, rules, ballads and verses. Ellen also sings the ballades that she has depicted in her work as she is an educated folklore singer. Below are some examples of Ellen’s machine stitched visual narratives of local folklores and ballads.

11 members of EMAL visited University of Gothenburg, Utbildningsvetenskapliga fakulteten for a teacher exchange and writing seminar in October 23-25, 2023. The purpose was to meet and exchange ideas with colleagues from the teacher education at GU to discuss issues related to practical and aestethical school subjects. Image: Emal members and participants of the seminar in Gothenburg. Photographed by the hotel lobby personell. Another purpose for the trip was to develop chapters for an anthology on the subject of Teaching and learning in practical and aesthetical subjects in teacher education and compulsory school. The event was sponsored by the Nordic forum for Research and development work in education in crafts: NordFo http://nordfo.blogspot.com/p/om-nordfo.html and the EMAL research group.

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…

Emals’ yearly research seminar during the research days “Forskningsdagene” was conducted together with the research group for aesthetic learning processes ForEst (Forskningsgruppe for estetiske læreprosesser) this year, September 29. We had approx. 50 participants. The event was conducted as a hybrid on-site and on-line event, inviting researchers, university colleagues and students to listen in on the research-based presentations. This years’ theme for the “research days” was Energy, so to manage the long day we offered free lunch to the participants, while the topics of the seminar evolved more around the current topics in art education and embodied knowledge. The program for the day included the following titles; Time: Presenter Titel:…

EMAL arranged a session called “Embodied making and Learning” at the Biccs Conference in Mariestad on September 20-22, 2023. This second edition of the conference was truly international with 103 contributing researchers from 15 countries in 4 continents. Embodied Making and Learning session description: Craft practices are present in all sections of society and in multiple forms and levels. Doing something well, considering the environment, others’ well-being and the common good, is empowering and a source of joy and can become a livelihood. Learning to do something well takes time and patience, requires thought and concentration, and grows endurance and persistence. However, craft learning seldom happens in a vacuum but…

Written by Kari Carlsen Professor Alison Clark and Professor Kari Carlsen, members of EMAL-Early Childhood Education (ECEC), at the USN Department of Visual and Performing Arts Education, are engaged in a research project in collaboration with members of two Icelandic universities; the University of Iceland and University of Akureyri, the first meeting was conducted during 4.-10.th May, 2023. The stay in Iceland was very well prepared by our Icelandic colleagues, Anna Magnea Hreinsdóttir and Kristín Dýrfjörð. Alison and Kari participated with presentations on the yearly Rannung conference for preschool staff in Reykjavík, with 150 participants Friday the 5th of May. This was arranged as a breakfast conference from 8.30 -12.00,…

USN, in the form of researchers in the EMAL research group, is a collaborating partner in the research project “Materiality, maker practices and design studio pedagogy at the digital age” (MakerStudioPeda) research project, initiated and lead by Maarit Mäkelä at the Aalto University and Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen at the University of Helsinki. Other collaborative partners are Jessica Hemmings, University of Gothenburg and Flemming Tvede Hansen, Royal Danish Academy. The MakerStudioPeda project analyses pedagogical processes and practices of systematically educating creativity in university-level design and craft teacher education. The project is funded by the Academy of Finland and is now in its third year. The project had its summer school meeting, gathering…

We have a new book edited and written by members of the EMAL research group recently, it is in English and published by Springer: Expanding Environmental Awareness in Education Through the Arts; Crafting-with the Environment. Editors for this book are Biljana C. Fredriksen and Camilla Groth And the link to the book: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-19-4855-8 Abstract: This book presents diverse processes of crafting that bring humans, more than-humans and the environment closer to one another and, by doing so, addresses personal and educational developments towards ecological awareness. It discusses the human-material relationship, introduces posthuman theoretical entry points and reflects on the implementation of such theoretical perspectives in education. The practical examples of…