technology and learning laboratory (tell)

The technology and learning lab (TELL) is a research and development lab. The overall orientation of research is studies of communicative practices and learning activity. The focus of research is studies of central aspects of learning:

• how artefatcs are used in learning
• how interaction between people is mediated by artefacts
• how people´s interaction with artefacts is mediated by other artefacts or by other people
• how individual learning is related to the development of the activity in which the individual is involved

The focus of the development work is to make existing technology available in everyday use.

Artefacts of particular interest are modern ITC artefacts, as well as how those artefacts interplay with other, more everyday, artefacts. The ambition of TELL is to promote learning activity of different kinds – at work, in education, leisure time, play, and other activities.

The Technology and learning lab is oriented at:

• Video analyses of human-artefact-human interaction.
• Experimentation with ICT, particularly in distance education and netbased learning.
• Experimentation with small-scale education connected to the TELL activities. The education is closely related to the research activity of the lab through elements of ethnography, video analysis, and participatory education.
• Design of modules, so called learning objects, to be used in distance education and netbased learning.
• Test of Open source software in the perspective of maintainance and sustainability in education and learning environments.
• Digital storytelling as a communicative practice.
• Studies of ”document in work”.
• Design of smart uses of existing technology for learning.

A speech given in English by Yrjö Engeström at the conference New Technologies for Schools of Tomorrow at June, 16 2004 is available as streaming media here. It is also possible to download the speech as a stand-alone file, i.e. for off-line use. The slides from the speech is now available as well.