University of Lapland

About: University of Lapland is a education organization based out in Rovaniemi, Finland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Arctic & Indigenous. The organization has 665 authors who have published 1870 publications receiving 39129 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Rovaniemi & Lapin yliopisto.

Trust Matters – Social Capital in Herding Cooperation in Finland

Abstract: Reindeer herding is a nature-based livelihood of the indigenous Sami people in northern parts of Europe and Russia. During the last decades, reindeer herding has become a more significant issue in ...

Guided touch screen: enhanced eyes-free interaction

Abstract: Touch screen based interfaces are pervading into areas such as car and industrial machinery control systems, where more tangible, physical interfaces have historically been used. This often results in a reduction in the possibility to operate the interface without the need to continuously look at the display. We present a novel approach aiming to increase the performance of eyes-free interaction with a touch screen User Interface (UI). A layer of transparent Perspex with cut-outs corresponding to the tracks of slider components in the visual UI is attached to the touch screen, guiding the interaction. A prototype system, where the user operated a remote visual task via a touch screen was evaluated in a user test with both unguided and guided conditions. The results illustrate the potential for adding a guidance layer to touch screens in applications where the output of the interaction is disconnected from the touch screen based input.

Teacher Students’ School Memories as a Part of the Development of Their Professional Identity

Abstract: Finnish teacher education is highly esteemed since Finnish pupils’ success in international PISA comparisons and teacher education is very popular among university applicants. Childhood school experiences are part of the development of a teacher’s identity. In this research, the connection between the school memories and the development of teacher students’ professional identity is studied in the light of teacher students’ memories and narratives. The research was a qualitative research where teacher students were interviewed through theme interview with a narrative approach. The research questions set to this study were: (1) How are teacher students’ school memories connected to the development of professional identity? (2) How are their school memories exploited in teacher education? According to the results, little time is devoted to analyzing teacher students’ school memories. Teacher education does not highlight school memories and the significance of teacher students’ former teachers and yet, these issues occupy teacher students mind. Teacher education should offer a place where teacher students could reflect their experiences and understand their developing teacher identity.

Changing urban identities on a discursive map

Abstract: In this article, we look at changing urban place identities in four neighbourhoods in the Helsinki city area that are connected by the tram line number eight. The aim of our study is to present how place identity can be described as a cultural, discursive map that shows what kind of values, attitudes and ideologies are used when building urban place identities, and how people link different meanings to certain urban areas, based on their experiences and memories. The theoretical framework of the study draws from cultural mapping theory and literature on place identity. The empirical part consists of citizen interviews and diaries left to be filled up at tram stops. The construction of place identity is elaborated through three themes depicted in the empirical materials: home, nature and community. Our methodology is based on discourse analysis, and the research is part of the field of human geography and urban studies. We introduce a methodological tool: discursive mapping. It shows how different historical and societal layers are manifested in place identities. We also bring a new concept to the field: neighbourhooding, a process where neighbourhood identities are produced. The study sheds light to certain distinctive and unique neighbourhood identities and creates awareness of local histories. The research is a co-project withthe City of Helsinki.

Exploring local history and cultural heritage through a mobile game

Abstract: We describe our work on developing a mobile game that utilizes local history and cultural heritage in its storyline and content. The game is depicted in the town of Kemijarvi, Northern Finland, in the 1920's, and its aim is to encourage visitors and locals to get to know the town's history. The game was designed with input from history experts on the topic, and it introduces local history in the form of a narrated story, where the user has to visit the town's historical places and characters. We present the design process, the game concept and a user evaluation. As the lessons learnt and findings from our design process, we highlight the challenge of finding the balance between historical accuracy and engaging game narrative, and the importance of selecting the target user group and involving them when refining the concept and user interface design.