The document summarizes the CoCreat project, which is funded by the EU's Lifelong Learning Programme from 2010-2013. The project aims to explore, develop, and evaluate technologically enhanced collaborative spaces. Five collaborative spaces are being tested involving elementary school pupils, university students, aged people, and upper secondary school students. The spaces utilize technologies like iPads, Second Life, and social media to facilitate creative collaboration between partners from several European countries. Project management involves preparing applications and reports, and drawing on methodologies like Gantt charts and agile management to handle challenges and communicate effectively.

1. CoCreat
ENABLING CREATIVE COLLABORATION THROUGH SUPPORTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
Tommi Inkilä
M.Sc. Economics, Project manager
15.2.2013

2. CoCreat
• Funded by EU’s Lifelong Learning
Programme 2010-2013
• Partners come from
Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Roma
nia, United Kingdom and Spain

3. Where do we need Creative
Collaboration?
• In today’s society we face new kind
of complex problems everyday
• It is necessary to be creative to
tackle these problems and adapt
previous knowledge
• Through collaboration we can
access to knowledge that we
personally do not have

4. Creative Collaboration
• divergent thinking
• safe atmosphere and trust
• tolerance of ambiguity
• a degree of apprehension, or of
disagreement or tension
• problem boundaries stretched or broken
• engagement in the task
• existence of common ground

5. Practical Aims
• The practical aim of the project is to
explore, develop and evaluate
technologically enhanced learning
environments (called collaborative
spaces)

6. Five collaborative spaces
Age Group What they do? Technologies used
Apple iPod Touch, StoryKit and
Create a digital story about local StoryRobe
CS1 Elementary School Pupils
history
Web portal for sharing the stories
Study course about "Designing Second Life, Sloodle, Moodle
CS2 University Students technology-enhanced learning" in
Second Life 3D virtual environment Other Social Media services
Write book chapter collaboratively mobile device
CS3 University Students about current topics in the field of
educational technology Social Media services
Get acquaintanced with modern Apple iPad 2
social tools like Skype, and get
CS4 Aged People
familiar with online services (ie.
Banking) Skype, online services
By analysing, creating and peer mobile device (iPad)
Upper Secondary School Students commenting different types of
CS5
and Adult Learners texts, the students creative writing
skills will be enhanced Social Media services

7. CS1: Trial Day in Sweden
• Pupils formed groups of three
with designated parts of story
creation
– images/live content
– sound/voiceover
– Journalist/group activity
documentation
• Pupils stories were inspired by
the onsite activities
– Museum staff
– Sites at the Castle
– Videos created for the day
…and studies in the history class
before visiting the Castle

8. CS1: Trial Day in Finland
• Pupils forms groups of three with
designated parts of story creation
– images/live content
– sound/voiceover
– journalist/group activity documentation
• Pupils stories are inspired by the
onsite activities
– Sites at the Kierikki Stone Age Center
– Before the trial day students visited
Kierikki with a guide, on trial day they
collected the pictures for their stories
Photos: Tommi Inkilä
…and studies in the history class before
visiting the Stone Age Centre

9. Technology in CS1
• iPod Touch
– Two ”off-the-self” programs for
story creation are available
• StoryKit – free
• StoryRobe – costs 0,79€
– Touch display
– Wi-Fi
– No need for phone
capabilities

10. Collaborative Space 2
• Second Life 3D environment
– University of Oulu, Norwegian University of Science and
Technology, Valahia University of Targoviste, Tallinn University
• Designing technology-enhanced learning
Students work in international groups.
Pedagogical idea of Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) –course is to
enhance collaborative learning and small-groups’ creative activities with
differently structured learning tasks (e.g. Hämäläinen, 2008:
Jermann, 2004).
Course will start with tightly structured studying phase where sentence
openers are applied.
Second task is in based on the use of participatory roles
(starter, summarizer, active group member, tutor, e.g. Strijbos 2004)
and the course will end with loosely structured model where students
decide their working timetable, methods and division of tasks.

11. Collaborative Space 2
Constructing 3D environment
https://vimeo.com/44376508

12. Collaborative Space 3
• Writing Handbook for Educators to Wiki
• Students from Finland, Estonia and
Norway
http://cocreat.purot.net

13. Collaborative Space 4
• Aged People learns how to use social media and
other applications for socializing and practical
matters (ie. bank applications)
• The distances are long in the rural area
– Nearest friend can be 40 kilometers away
• The fear against technology is common in
elderly people
– The use of iPads

14. Collaborative Space 4
Photo: Pirkko Hyvönen

15. Collaborative Space 5
• Upper Secondary School Students and
Adult Learners studies in “Creative
Writing” –course
http://kirjoittaminenverkossa.wordpress.com

16. Visit
www.cocreat.eu
www.facebook.com/cocreat

17. PROJECT MANAGEMENT

18. Structure of LLP project
• Project application
– ”What you have promised to deliver.”
• Progress report
– At the halfway of the project
• Final report
– Public part
– Confidential part
– Budget report

19. Project management
methodologies
• There are many to choose from
FOR EXAMPLE...

20. Project can be seen as
Gantt chart
(Event chain methodology)
Source: Wikipedia.

21. ... Often you need flexibility
(Flexible product management, Agile management)
Source: Wikipedia.

22. Be prepared to react into
changes

23. ... In the end all project management
methodologies need communication
• Leadership skills
• Communication is the key
• Make sure that communication works
– Inside your team
– With your partners
– With your client
– Communication between stakeholders

24. Links
• www.yammer.com
• www.pmi.org

25. THE END