Title:	FORESTS IN TEACHER EDUCATION: THE OPENFOREST PORTAL AS A NOVEL RESOURCE FOR LEARNING
Author(s):	Petteri Vanninen, Anu Liljeström, Henriikka Vartiainen, Jorma Enkenberg, Ismo Pellikka, Sinikka Pöllänen
ISBN:	978-989-8704-00-9
Editors:	Theodora Issa, Nurfadhlina Mohd Sharef, Tomayess Issa and Pedro Isaías
Year:	2013
Edition:	Single
Keywords:	Forest in learning, collaborative expertise in extended community, Wiki resource, GPS
Type:	Short Paper
First Page:	111
Last Page:	114
Language:	English
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Full Contents:	click to dowload
Paper Abstract:	Forests are a natural theme in the teacher education program at the University of Eastern Finland. Forest as a learning environment can be a way to concentrate on skills that can be recontextualized outside the original learning context. The main object is to solve a multidisciplinary (ecological, economic and social) and complex challenge of real-world design and prepare an artifact, digital construction, or collaborative solution. The aim is to encourage generative skills and knowledge that support wellbeing and sustainable development and reflects value systems and the sense of community. In teacher education, forests are approached in three ways: content, method, and values. An open learning environment, the OpenForest portal has been constructed as a web-based learning tool in order to build and collect our new kind of learning resources. The OpenForest portal is based on three educational pillars: 1) participatory learning in extended and generative communities as a vital concept for learning; 2) diverse technological resources and infrastructure as powerful social and personal tools; 3) and co-development as a powerful social innovation in producing information resources that offer multiple perspectives on forest-related phenomena. OpenForest wiki environment aims to enhance collaborative learning and provides platforms for people to share, develop, and organize knowledge and to collaborate within and outside the school community. Forest-related phenomena are categorized into different domain perspectives by using various media. The Wiki environment combines expert knowledge and personal perspectives, with the intention of breaking down the boundaries of traditional school learning. At present the portal covers over 200 Wiki articles. These articles were produced in collaboration with 145 registered users. The portal has over 70 000 visitors. A selection of Wiki articles will be translated into English in 2014. The Wiki environment is connected to mobile global position system (GPS) technologies.
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