Teemu Valtonen - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Teemu Valtonen

Research paper thumbnail of Including the Student Voice: Experiences and Learning Outcomes of a Flipped Communication Course

Business and Professional Communication Quarterly

In this article, we present a study focusing on the learning experiences of business students in ... more In this article, we present a study focusing on the learning experiences of business students in an organizational and marketing communication course. The pedagogical approaches of a flipped classroom, collaborative inquiry, and communication in the disciplines guided the planning of the course. A mixed-methods approach was used. The key findings include positive student evaluations of the pedagogies utilized. Moreover, a wide variety of learning outcomes was reported, particularly in the fields of crisis communication and workplace communication. The pedagogies utilized enabled a comprehensive model for teaching communication and contributed to relevant learning experiences and skill development for the 21st century.

Research paper thumbnail of TPACK updated to measure pre-service teachers’ twenty-first century skills

Australasian Journal of Educational Technology

Twenty-first century skills have attracted significant attention in recent years. Student of toda... more Twenty-first century skills have attracted significant attention in recent years. Student of today and the future are expected to have the skills necessary for collaborating, problem solving, creative and innovative thinking, and the ability to take advantage of information and communication technology (ICT) applications. Teachers must be familiar with various pedagogical approaches and the appropriate ways to use ICT to support the development of their students’ twenty-first century skills. The technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework provides a theoretical model for studying the ways in which teachers use ICT in education. Still, the TPACK framework faces certain difficulties, especially concerning the instruments currently used for studying TPACK. These challenges are primarily related to the psychometric properties of the instruments and areas of pedagogical knowledge. Within this paper we introduce a new TPACK questionnaire, the TPACK-21 questionnaire which...

Research paper thumbnail of Learning environments preferred by university students: a shift toward informal and flexible learning environments

Learning Environments Research, 2020

Universities are facing new challenges that pose various demands for developing learning environm... more Universities are facing new challenges that pose various demands for developing learning environments. These challenges are related to different pedagogical approaches, the use of information and communications technology (ICT), the diversification of student populations , and new expectations related to working life. This study focused on university students' perceptions of preferred learning environments and their thoughts about the best learning environments for the higher-education level. The main data consisted of answers to open questions from 230 students. Additionally, a questionnaire was used to gain an overall picture of students' experiences in the current learning environment. Five main themes emerged: characteristics of the campus; available resources; flexibility of learning opportunities; pedagogy ; and implementation of ICT in education. Further, two larger perspectives were highlighted. One was the need for informal learning environments (where students can study alone or with peers or just hang out). The second perspective pertains to the flexibility of learning, demonstrating the need for learning environments that allow participation without the need to come to the campus for face-to-face meetings. The need for resources (particu-larly ICT and the support and availability of teaching personnel) was also highlighted. The study provides important perspectives for developing appropriate learning environments for higher education.

Research paper thumbnail of Insights into Finnish first-year pre-service teachers' twenty-first century skills

Education and Information Technologies, 2016

This study focuses on Finnish pre-service teachers' perceptions of their twenty-first century ski... more This study focuses on Finnish pre-service teachers' perceptions of their twenty-first century skills, especially their learning strategies, collaboration and teamwork, as well as knowledge and attitudes related to ICT in education. The target group consist of 263 first-year pre-service teachers from three universities. The results outline how pre-service teachers perceive their twenty-first century skills, the relationships between different areas of these skills, and the differences among pre-service teachers in terms of perceived skills. The results indicate that the pre-service teachers perceive themselves as skilled learners in terms of learning strategies used as well as collaboration and teamwork. When it comes to understanding how to use ICT in education, they perceived their level of knowledge lower. The strongest variation between respondents was seen in the areas of knowledge and attitudes related to the use of ICT in education.

Research paper thumbnail of Media Literacy Education in the Age of Machine Learning

Journal of Media Literacy Education, 2019

The media environment has radically changed over the past few decades. Transition and transformat... more The media environment has radically changed over the past few decades. Transition and transformation of media platforms has enabled algorithms and automation to take over media processes such as production, content generation, curation, delivery, recommendation, and filtering of information. It has also enabled tracking of users' actions, data mining, profiling, and the use of computational and machine learning techniques for purposes like behavior engineering, targeted advertisement, spread of mis-and disinformation, swaying political moods, and many others. In the field of media literacy education, the need to understand algorithm-driven media requires educators to rethink the connections between media literacy education and computing education. This article provides an overview of some computational mechanisms of today's media, and it provides new perspectives for media literacy education. The article suggests ways of intertwining media literacy education with computing education in order to improve students' readiness to cope with modern media and to become critical and skilled actors to navigate in the today's media landscape.

Research paper thumbnail of Examining pre-service teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge as evolving knowledge domains: A longitudinal approach

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2019

The aim of this study is to outline the development and changes in pre-service teachers' technolo... more The aim of this study is to outline the development and changes in pre-service teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) assessments during the first 3 years in teacher education. Specifically, research was conducted at three measurement points over a 3-year teacher education period. The target group consisted of pre-service teachers (N = 148) from three Finnish universities. Results indicate a growth in confidence related to all TPACK areas during the research period. The strongest gains were in pedagogical content knowledge. In addition, the gains were larger in other areas related to pedagogical knowledge than areas related to technology or content knowledge. In areas without pedagogical knowledge, the changes were more moderate. In the discussion section, recommendations are provided on the potential of longitudinal use of the TPACK model to study and improve the development of pre-service teachers' TPACK.

Research paper thumbnail of Fresh perspectives on TPACK: pre-service teachers' own appraisal of their challenging and confident TPACK areas

Education and Information Technologies, 2020

The present study is an extension of studies that measure pre-service teachers' Technological Ped... more The present study is an extension of studies that measure pre-service teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) confidence. It provides new perspectives on pre-service teachers' TPACK by shifting the focus to concrete concerns and strengths indicated by pre-service teachers. The target group consists of a cohort of first-year pre-service teachers (N = 86) from a Finnish university. The data used in this study were 86 lesson plans with integrated technology written by first-year pre-service teachers, with a specific section where students outlined their confident and challenging areas in the lesson plan. These sections were analysed quantitatively through the theoretical lens of TPACK. Four TPACK areas were found confident, challenging or both confident and challenging for students. For these first-year pre-service teachers, pedagogical knowledge played the most important role, and the outcomes concretize specific aspects of pedagog-ical knowledge that can be addressed to develop TPACK in teacher education. The results provide important perspectives on pre-service-teachers' development of TPACK, revealing the important position of pedagogical knowledge and detailed perspectives on how pre-service teachers view their readiness to use ICT in education.

Research paper thumbnail of Fresh perspectives on TPACK: pre-service teachers' own appraisal of their challenging and confident TPACK areas

Education and Information Technologies, 2020

The present study is an extension of studies that measure pre-service teachers' Technological Ped... more The present study is an extension of studies that measure pre-service teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) confidence. It provides new perspectives on pre-service teachers' TPACK by shifting the focus to concrete concerns and strengths indicated by pre-service teachers. The target group consists of a cohort of first-year pre-service teachers (N = 86) from a Finnish university. The data used in this study were 86 lesson plans with integrated technology written by first-year pre-service teachers, with a specific section where students outlined their confident and challenging areas in the lesson plan. These sections were analysed quantitatively through the theoretical lens of TPACK. Four TPACK areas were found confident, challenging or both confident and challenging for students. For these first-year pre-service teachers, pedagogical knowledge played the most important role, and the outcomes concretize specific aspects of pedagog-ical knowledge that can be addressed to develop TPACK in teacher education. The results provide important perspectives on pre-service-teachers' development of TPACK, revealing the important position of pedagogical knowledge and detailed perspectives on how pre-service teachers view their readiness to use ICT in education.

Research paper thumbnail of Net generation at social software: Challenging assumptions, clarifying relationships and raising implications for learning

International Journal of Educational Research, 2010

This paper takes as its starting point assumptions about use of information and communication tec... more This paper takes as its starting point assumptions about use of information and communication technology (ICT) by people born after 1983, the so called net generation. The focus of the paper is on social networking. A questionnaire survey was carried out with 1070 students from schools in Eastern Finland. Data are presented on students’ ICT-skills generally; their access to the Internet; their use of social software; and time spent on the Internet compared to watching television. Results show that whereas there are some general characteristics of ICT use that can be applied to net generation students, when it comes to social networking there are differences in the way they use software. A critique is offered of generalisations about the net generation and some implications for learning arising from the findings are discussed.► We discuss characteristics of the Finnish net generation. ► We describe students’ familiarity with and use of social software. ► Students are not as familiar with social software as expected. ► The number of software used actively was smaller than expected. ► Net generation students should not be regarded as a homogeneous group.

Research paper thumbnail of Collaboratively constructed lecture notes: does the process of construction promote improvisation in learning

This paper reports the first stage in a programme of research into improvisation in learning bein... more This paper reports the first stage in a programme of research into improvisation in learning being conducted at the University of Eastern Finland. It is concerned with the extent to which improvisation in learning is a spontaneous activity that occurs out of the process of collaboration. It addresses the question: does the sharing of lecture notes in an online educational

Research paper thumbnail of Confronting the technological pedagogical knowledge of Finnish Net Generation student teachers

Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 2011

The research reported here is concerned with a critical examination of some of the assumptions co... more The research reported here is concerned with a critical examination of some of the assumptions concerning the ‘Net Generation’ capabilities of 74 first‐year student teachers in a Finnish university. There are assumptions that: (i) Net Generation students are adept at learning through discovery and thinking in a hypertext‐like manner (Oblinger & Oblinger, 2005; Prensky, 2001); and (ii) when they enter the teaching profession, members of this generation will be able to transfer these characteristics into their teaching practices (Prensky, 2001). The research is formulated around an extended framework for student teachers’ technological pedagogical knowledge. The students designed learning modules incorporating the use of information and communication technology (ICT). The learning modules were subjected to document and artefact analysis incorporating concept‐driven coding. Supplementary data were collected through a questionnaire concerned with the students’ adoption of new technologies. The findings suggest that assumptions about Net Generation student teachers’ abilities to adopt and adapt ICT in their teaching are highly questionable and that greater attention should be given to the development of their technological pedagogical knowledge.

Research paper thumbnail of Perspectives on personal learning environments held by vocational students

Fuel and Energy Abstracts

This article focuses on personal learning environments (PLEs). The idea with PLEs is to put stude... more This article focuses on personal learning environments (PLEs). The idea with PLEs is to put students in a more central position in the learning process by allowing them to design their own learning environments and by emphasising the self-regulated nature of the learning. This study describes the structure, functions and challenges of PLEs made by 33 students from vocational and polytechnic level schools in Eastern Finland after the first year of using them. Document and artefact analysis revealed that students built their PLEs for: mirroring the conventional learning environment; as an environment for reflection; as an environment to showcase skills; and as an environment for collaboration and networking. Student reflections indicate that building and using a PLE is a challenging task which requires specific teacher and pedagogical support. Designing a PLE demands both ICT skills and an awareness of one’s own learning methods.► Use of personal learning environments stresses students’ central role in the learning process. ► Personal learning environments challenges students’ metacognitive thinking. ► Teachers support is needed with PLEs.

Research paper thumbnail of Finnish high school students' readiness to adopt online learning: Questioning the assumptions

Computers & Education, 2009

The Finnish high school system in rural areas is facing challenges because of a decreasing number... more The Finnish high school system in rural areas is facing challenges because of a decreasing number of the students. This situation places new emphasis on online learning. Online learning offers new possibilities for high schools to provide equal learning opportunities for their students. This paper explores students’ readiness to adapt their studying habits in the networked high schools by outlining their beliefs about online learning. Beliefs are assumed to direct people’s actions, in this case activities concerning studying online. Three hundred second year high school students from Eastern Finland who had not had the experiences of learning online were studied. The findings suggest that students polarize into negative, neutral and positive groups based on their beliefs concerning online learning. Results also indicate that students’ knowledge about the possibilities of online learning is quite superficial. In contrast to theories about collaborative learning practices, students see online learning rather differently. Students with negative and neutral beliefs especially see online learning merely as a static “warehouse” of materials and study-alone learning tasks instead of offering possibilities for collaborative knowledge building.

Research paper thumbnail of High School Teachers' Course Designs and Their Professional Knowledge of Online Teaching

This paper deals with the process of expanding the virtual secondary education school network, ai... more This paper deals with the process of expanding the virtual secondary education school network, aiming to provide daily basis, online teaching. The context of this research is the ESR funded Eastern Finland Educational Network Project, which is a network of 36 high schools providing courses via web-based learning environments. The project is a shared activity between teachers and researchers. The aim of the present study is to investigate teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge by finding out what kind of pedagogical solutions the teachers use while designing and carrying out online teaching. In this study thirteen online courses were analysed and based on the analysis, four different course design patterns were found. The most general approach in course designs seems to be teacher centred, focusing on well guided individual learning processes. There seems to be need for development of teacher technological pedagogical content knowledge, to support approaches of more collaborative course designs.

Research paper thumbnail of Including the Student Voice: Experiences and Learning Outcomes of a Flipped Communication Course

Business and Professional Communication Quarterly

In this article, we present a study focusing on the learning experiences of business students in ... more In this article, we present a study focusing on the learning experiences of business students in an organizational and marketing communication course. The pedagogical approaches of a flipped classroom, collaborative inquiry, and communication in the disciplines guided the planning of the course. A mixed-methods approach was used. The key findings include positive student evaluations of the pedagogies utilized. Moreover, a wide variety of learning outcomes was reported, particularly in the fields of crisis communication and workplace communication. The pedagogies utilized enabled a comprehensive model for teaching communication and contributed to relevant learning experiences and skill development for the 21st century.

Research paper thumbnail of TPACK updated to measure pre-service teachers’ twenty-first century skills

Australasian Journal of Educational Technology

Twenty-first century skills have attracted significant attention in recent years. Student of toda... more Twenty-first century skills have attracted significant attention in recent years. Student of today and the future are expected to have the skills necessary for collaborating, problem solving, creative and innovative thinking, and the ability to take advantage of information and communication technology (ICT) applications. Teachers must be familiar with various pedagogical approaches and the appropriate ways to use ICT to support the development of their students’ twenty-first century skills. The technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework provides a theoretical model for studying the ways in which teachers use ICT in education. Still, the TPACK framework faces certain difficulties, especially concerning the instruments currently used for studying TPACK. These challenges are primarily related to the psychometric properties of the instruments and areas of pedagogical knowledge. Within this paper we introduce a new TPACK questionnaire, the TPACK-21 questionnaire which...

Research paper thumbnail of Learning environments preferred by university students: a shift toward informal and flexible learning environments

Learning Environments Research, 2020

Universities are facing new challenges that pose various demands for developing learning environm... more Universities are facing new challenges that pose various demands for developing learning environments. These challenges are related to different pedagogical approaches, the use of information and communications technology (ICT), the diversification of student populations , and new expectations related to working life. This study focused on university students' perceptions of preferred learning environments and their thoughts about the best learning environments for the higher-education level. The main data consisted of answers to open questions from 230 students. Additionally, a questionnaire was used to gain an overall picture of students' experiences in the current learning environment. Five main themes emerged: characteristics of the campus; available resources; flexibility of learning opportunities; pedagogy ; and implementation of ICT in education. Further, two larger perspectives were highlighted. One was the need for informal learning environments (where students can study alone or with peers or just hang out). The second perspective pertains to the flexibility of learning, demonstrating the need for learning environments that allow participation without the need to come to the campus for face-to-face meetings. The need for resources (particu-larly ICT and the support and availability of teaching personnel) was also highlighted. The study provides important perspectives for developing appropriate learning environments for higher education.

Research paper thumbnail of Insights into Finnish first-year pre-service teachers' twenty-first century skills

Education and Information Technologies, 2016

This study focuses on Finnish pre-service teachers' perceptions of their twenty-first century ski... more This study focuses on Finnish pre-service teachers' perceptions of their twenty-first century skills, especially their learning strategies, collaboration and teamwork, as well as knowledge and attitudes related to ICT in education. The target group consist of 263 first-year pre-service teachers from three universities. The results outline how pre-service teachers perceive their twenty-first century skills, the relationships between different areas of these skills, and the differences among pre-service teachers in terms of perceived skills. The results indicate that the pre-service teachers perceive themselves as skilled learners in terms of learning strategies used as well as collaboration and teamwork. When it comes to understanding how to use ICT in education, they perceived their level of knowledge lower. The strongest variation between respondents was seen in the areas of knowledge and attitudes related to the use of ICT in education.

Research paper thumbnail of Media Literacy Education in the Age of Machine Learning

Journal of Media Literacy Education, 2019

The media environment has radically changed over the past few decades. Transition and transformat... more The media environment has radically changed over the past few decades. Transition and transformation of media platforms has enabled algorithms and automation to take over media processes such as production, content generation, curation, delivery, recommendation, and filtering of information. It has also enabled tracking of users' actions, data mining, profiling, and the use of computational and machine learning techniques for purposes like behavior engineering, targeted advertisement, spread of mis-and disinformation, swaying political moods, and many others. In the field of media literacy education, the need to understand algorithm-driven media requires educators to rethink the connections between media literacy education and computing education. This article provides an overview of some computational mechanisms of today's media, and it provides new perspectives for media literacy education. The article suggests ways of intertwining media literacy education with computing education in order to improve students' readiness to cope with modern media and to become critical and skilled actors to navigate in the today's media landscape.

Research paper thumbnail of Examining pre-service teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge as evolving knowledge domains: A longitudinal approach

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2019

The aim of this study is to outline the development and changes in pre-service teachers' technolo... more The aim of this study is to outline the development and changes in pre-service teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) assessments during the first 3 years in teacher education. Specifically, research was conducted at three measurement points over a 3-year teacher education period. The target group consisted of pre-service teachers (N = 148) from three Finnish universities. Results indicate a growth in confidence related to all TPACK areas during the research period. The strongest gains were in pedagogical content knowledge. In addition, the gains were larger in other areas related to pedagogical knowledge than areas related to technology or content knowledge. In areas without pedagogical knowledge, the changes were more moderate. In the discussion section, recommendations are provided on the potential of longitudinal use of the TPACK model to study and improve the development of pre-service teachers' TPACK.

Research paper thumbnail of Fresh perspectives on TPACK: pre-service teachers' own appraisal of their challenging and confident TPACK areas

Education and Information Technologies, 2020

The present study is an extension of studies that measure pre-service teachers' Technological Ped... more The present study is an extension of studies that measure pre-service teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) confidence. It provides new perspectives on pre-service teachers' TPACK by shifting the focus to concrete concerns and strengths indicated by pre-service teachers. The target group consists of a cohort of first-year pre-service teachers (N = 86) from a Finnish university. The data used in this study were 86 lesson plans with integrated technology written by first-year pre-service teachers, with a specific section where students outlined their confident and challenging areas in the lesson plan. These sections were analysed quantitatively through the theoretical lens of TPACK. Four TPACK areas were found confident, challenging or both confident and challenging for students. For these first-year pre-service teachers, pedagogical knowledge played the most important role, and the outcomes concretize specific aspects of pedagog-ical knowledge that can be addressed to develop TPACK in teacher education. The results provide important perspectives on pre-service-teachers' development of TPACK, revealing the important position of pedagogical knowledge and detailed perspectives on how pre-service teachers view their readiness to use ICT in education.

Research paper thumbnail of Fresh perspectives on TPACK: pre-service teachers' own appraisal of their challenging and confident TPACK areas

Education and Information Technologies, 2020

The present study is an extension of studies that measure pre-service teachers' Technological Ped... more The present study is an extension of studies that measure pre-service teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) confidence. It provides new perspectives on pre-service teachers' TPACK by shifting the focus to concrete concerns and strengths indicated by pre-service teachers. The target group consists of a cohort of first-year pre-service teachers (N = 86) from a Finnish university. The data used in this study were 86 lesson plans with integrated technology written by first-year pre-service teachers, with a specific section where students outlined their confident and challenging areas in the lesson plan. These sections were analysed quantitatively through the theoretical lens of TPACK. Four TPACK areas were found confident, challenging or both confident and challenging for students. For these first-year pre-service teachers, pedagogical knowledge played the most important role, and the outcomes concretize specific aspects of pedagog-ical knowledge that can be addressed to develop TPACK in teacher education. The results provide important perspectives on pre-service-teachers' development of TPACK, revealing the important position of pedagogical knowledge and detailed perspectives on how pre-service teachers view their readiness to use ICT in education.

Research paper thumbnail of Net generation at social software: Challenging assumptions, clarifying relationships and raising implications for learning

International Journal of Educational Research, 2010

This paper takes as its starting point assumptions about use of information and communication tec... more This paper takes as its starting point assumptions about use of information and communication technology (ICT) by people born after 1983, the so called net generation. The focus of the paper is on social networking. A questionnaire survey was carried out with 1070 students from schools in Eastern Finland. Data are presented on students’ ICT-skills generally; their access to the Internet; their use of social software; and time spent on the Internet compared to watching television. Results show that whereas there are some general characteristics of ICT use that can be applied to net generation students, when it comes to social networking there are differences in the way they use software. A critique is offered of generalisations about the net generation and some implications for learning arising from the findings are discussed.► We discuss characteristics of the Finnish net generation. ► We describe students’ familiarity with and use of social software. ► Students are not as familiar with social software as expected. ► The number of software used actively was smaller than expected. ► Net generation students should not be regarded as a homogeneous group.

Research paper thumbnail of Collaboratively constructed lecture notes: does the process of construction promote improvisation in learning

This paper reports the first stage in a programme of research into improvisation in learning bein... more This paper reports the first stage in a programme of research into improvisation in learning being conducted at the University of Eastern Finland. It is concerned with the extent to which improvisation in learning is a spontaneous activity that occurs out of the process of collaboration. It addresses the question: does the sharing of lecture notes in an online educational

Research paper thumbnail of Confronting the technological pedagogical knowledge of Finnish Net Generation student teachers

Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 2011

The research reported here is concerned with a critical examination of some of the assumptions co... more The research reported here is concerned with a critical examination of some of the assumptions concerning the ‘Net Generation’ capabilities of 74 first‐year student teachers in a Finnish university. There are assumptions that: (i) Net Generation students are adept at learning through discovery and thinking in a hypertext‐like manner (Oblinger & Oblinger, 2005; Prensky, 2001); and (ii) when they enter the teaching profession, members of this generation will be able to transfer these characteristics into their teaching practices (Prensky, 2001). The research is formulated around an extended framework for student teachers’ technological pedagogical knowledge. The students designed learning modules incorporating the use of information and communication technology (ICT). The learning modules were subjected to document and artefact analysis incorporating concept‐driven coding. Supplementary data were collected through a questionnaire concerned with the students’ adoption of new technologies. The findings suggest that assumptions about Net Generation student teachers’ abilities to adopt and adapt ICT in their teaching are highly questionable and that greater attention should be given to the development of their technological pedagogical knowledge.

Research paper thumbnail of Perspectives on personal learning environments held by vocational students

Fuel and Energy Abstracts

This article focuses on personal learning environments (PLEs). The idea with PLEs is to put stude... more This article focuses on personal learning environments (PLEs). The idea with PLEs is to put students in a more central position in the learning process by allowing them to design their own learning environments and by emphasising the self-regulated nature of the learning. This study describes the structure, functions and challenges of PLEs made by 33 students from vocational and polytechnic level schools in Eastern Finland after the first year of using them. Document and artefact analysis revealed that students built their PLEs for: mirroring the conventional learning environment; as an environment for reflection; as an environment to showcase skills; and as an environment for collaboration and networking. Student reflections indicate that building and using a PLE is a challenging task which requires specific teacher and pedagogical support. Designing a PLE demands both ICT skills and an awareness of one’s own learning methods.► Use of personal learning environments stresses students’ central role in the learning process. ► Personal learning environments challenges students’ metacognitive thinking. ► Teachers support is needed with PLEs.

Research paper thumbnail of Finnish high school students' readiness to adopt online learning: Questioning the assumptions

Computers & Education, 2009

The Finnish high school system in rural areas is facing challenges because of a decreasing number... more The Finnish high school system in rural areas is facing challenges because of a decreasing number of the students. This situation places new emphasis on online learning. Online learning offers new possibilities for high schools to provide equal learning opportunities for their students. This paper explores students’ readiness to adapt their studying habits in the networked high schools by outlining their beliefs about online learning. Beliefs are assumed to direct people’s actions, in this case activities concerning studying online. Three hundred second year high school students from Eastern Finland who had not had the experiences of learning online were studied. The findings suggest that students polarize into negative, neutral and positive groups based on their beliefs concerning online learning. Results also indicate that students’ knowledge about the possibilities of online learning is quite superficial. In contrast to theories about collaborative learning practices, students see online learning rather differently. Students with negative and neutral beliefs especially see online learning merely as a static “warehouse” of materials and study-alone learning tasks instead of offering possibilities for collaborative knowledge building.

Research paper thumbnail of High School Teachers' Course Designs and Their Professional Knowledge of Online Teaching

This paper deals with the process of expanding the virtual secondary education school network, ai... more This paper deals with the process of expanding the virtual secondary education school network, aiming to provide daily basis, online teaching. The context of this research is the ESR funded Eastern Finland Educational Network Project, which is a network of 36 high schools providing courses via web-based learning environments. The project is a shared activity between teachers and researchers. The aim of the present study is to investigate teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge by finding out what kind of pedagogical solutions the teachers use while designing and carrying out online teaching. In this study thirteen online courses were analysed and based on the analysis, four different course design patterns were found. The most general approach in course designs seems to be teacher centred, focusing on well guided individual learning processes. There seems to be need for development of teacher technological pedagogical content knowledge, to support approaches of more collaborative course designs.