Introduction to the edTech research group and IMPDET-LE studies

1. IMPDET-LE Preparatory
Workshop
Jarkko Suhonen
School of Computing
University of Eastern Finland
January 7, 2014
jarkko.suhonen@uef.fi

2. Intro - edTechΔ research group
http://www.uef.fi/edtech

3. edTechΔ - Basic facts
Established in early 2000
5 Senior researchers
> 25 PhD students
Extensive international collaboration
network
Over 8 M€ of external funding (since 2001)
In average 23 peer-reviewed publications per year
(since 2001)

4. Research focus @ edTechΔ
Open &
Distance
Learning
HIV/AIDS
Education
Computer
Science
Education
Educationa
l Games
Leadership
Sentiment
and
opinion
mining
Robotics
Digital
story
telling &
NLP
Semi-automatic
assessment of
essays
SURA YA
UKMWI The Faces of
AIDS
Jeliot
Contextaware mobile
games in
museums,
mobile
games for
forestry
education,
UFractions
Mining
opinions of
customers
via social
media tools
Detecting
emotions in
texts
Theatre
robotics
Smart
Design
&
Content
Participatory,
strength-based,
intercontextual,
sustainable
design &
analysis
methods,
ViSCoS – first
year online CS
studies
NETAIDS in
Uganda
Contextualise
d IT
education,
Social media
tools for
collaborative
learning
Hypercontext
ualised game
design
Tools for
automatic
analysis and
visualisation
of customer
feedback
Prototypes
for analysing
learner’
opinions and
emotions
(plans for
future work)
Open data
mining to
support
teachers in
robotics
classes

5. SURA YA UKMWI – The Faces of AIDS
http://www.surayaukimwi.com/

6. Jeliot

7. Mobile game in forestry education: EntVenture

8. Story based mobile game for mathematics: UFractions

9. Outreaching activities - SciFest
International Annual SciFest - Festival of Science and Technology
http://www.scifest.fi/home_en.php

10. IMPDET-LE STUDIES

11. The main research interests
1.
Real-life computing innovations in education
1.
Digital story telling & narratives
2.
Learning analytics - novel text mining and data mining
applications in education
3.
Smart design: participatory, strength-based, intercontextual,
sustainable design & analysis methods

12. Study requirements in Computer Science - 1
1) Doctoral dissertation
– Article-based (preferred)
Part I: Introduction
Part II: 5-7 published papers in peer-reviewed scientific forums
–
–
–
co-written with the supervisor, other doctoral students, senior researcher or other
collaborators
Monograph
•
–
scientific journals, conferences, and book chapters with blind peer-review process on
full papers
Needs to include references to 5-6 published articles by the candidate
Suggested publication forums listed in the IMPDET-LE wiki (JUFO 1,2,3)
•
•
–
List of journals: https://wiki.uef.fi/x/LQ79
List of conferences: https://wiki.uef.fi/x/YimVAQ
Publicly defended

13. Study requirements in Computer Science - 2
2) Course work
– 30 ECTS
•
4 ECTS General postgraduate studies
–
Scientific writing
–
Scientific presentation skills
• 26 ECTS Research specific studies
–
Diverse ways to complete
•
Online and campus-based courses
•
Relevant courses completed outside of UEF (summer schools, MOOCs, etc.)
•
Individual scholarly tasks and learning activities,
•
online research seminars (edTech research day)

14. Applying
• Computer Science candidates of IMPDET-LE apply to ECSE – East
Finland Doctoral Programme in Computer Science and Engineering
• Deadlines: February 28, May 31, August 31, November 30
• Application documents
– Filled out application form
– Copies of your Master's degree certificate and transcript of academic
records. If the degree certificate is awarded by another university than
University of Eastern Finland, the copies must be certified
– Research proposal
– Study work plan
– Prove of English proficiency in the case of foreign applicants

15. English language requirements
• Foreign applicants must prove their English language proficiency
by any of the following language tests
– PTE (Academic), minimum of 59
– TOEFL, minimum PBT 580 and in writing minimum of 4 / IBT 90 and
in writing minimum of 22
– IELTS (Academic), minimum overall score 6.5, in writing minimum of
5,5
• The English language test is not required for applicants who have
completed their previous higher education studies in English OR taken the
matriculation examination in English language in Finland (IB degree or
English as A1 language) OR conducted their secondary education in
English
• An official statement given by that institution and indicating that the
medium of instruction of the previous studies has been English must be
included to the application

16. About study times
• No upper limit for the study time => the study right is valid as long as
the doctoral student remembers to register each study year (absent,
present)
• Expectations in the edTech group
– Full-time students (funding available for the studies) => expected
completion time: 4 years
– Part-time student (study while working or hired to work with a project not
directly related to PhD studies) => expected completion time: 6-7 years
=> Serious discussion after eight years of studying