In response to the evidence of children’s unequal opportunities to engage with and learn about multiliteracies in their social ecologies and acknowledging the importance of multiliteracies in children’s current and future lives—work, civic and personal—the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture and researchers and teacher educators from the University of Helsinki launched the Joy of Learning Multiliteracies (MOI) research and development programme in early 2017 to promote multiliteracies among children up to 8 years of age. MOI targets teachers and educational professionals working in early years education, pre-school and initial primary education, as well as those working in the library and cultural sectors. MOI integrates educational policy, research and practice to develop and promote pedagogies, learning environments and materials that shift attitudes towards multiliteracies and enhance young children’s multiliteracies. MOI also seeks to reinforce professional expertise by helping teachers to make informed judgments about the development of children’s multiliteracies. MOI programme’s multilevel approach is designed to enhance understanding and promotion of children’s multiliteracies through (a) designed learning activities; (b) communities of practice; (c) knowledge construction and creation and (d) agency and identity formation. The programme strives to generate insights into teacher education, curriculum development and the design of pedagogies and learning environments that will promote multiliteracies for every child in and across social ecologies, in Finland and beyond, in culturally responsive ways. It is further hoped that the programme will contribute to global discussion on the meaning and purpose of multiliteracies in contemporary education and in societies at large. Researchers: Kristiina Kumpulainen, Sara Sintonen, Jenni Vartiainen, Heidi Sairanen, Alexandra Nordström, Satu Valkonen, Chin Chin Wong, Jenny Byman, Jenny Renlund, Noora Oksa, Laura Hytönen and Carolina Tallgren. Funder: Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture (2016-2020)

This project explores the place of the rising ‘maker’ culture in the development of children’s digital literacy and creative design skills. Research projects will be undertaken in seven EU countries (Denmark, Germany, Finland, Iceland, Norway Romania, UK) and the USA in which staff working in makerspaces (including Fab Labs) will collaborate with academics to identify the benefits and challenges of running makerspace workshops in both formal (nurseries and schools) and informal (museums and libraries) educational settings. The research team will work in partnership with academics in Australia, Canada, Colombia, South Africa and the USA, creating a global network of scholars who will work together to further understanding of the role of makerspaces in developing young children’s digital literacy and creativity. Researchers: Kristiina Kumpulainen, Jenni Vartiainen, Alexandra Nordström, Heidi Sairanen (Finnish team) Funder: EU H2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) programme (2017-2019)

Whilst there has been a range of European work that has focused on promoting digital competencies of all citizens, to date, limited research attention has been paid to the development of digital competencies among younger learners. Even less attention, has been paid into educational activities that position children as active, creative and critical investigators of and with digital technologies. The proposed project will address this gap by investigating young learners’ (aged 7 to 12 years old) digital literacy practices and digital competence development in so called makerspaces in two Finnish schools. Makerspaces facilitate hands-on creative activities that enable participants to engage in personally meaningful projects using various digital tools, such as electronics, laser cutters and 3D printers. Drawing on sociocultural theorising and contemporary literacy theories, the project will take account of temporality and several inter-related levels of analysis, namely personal, relational and institutional levels in its inquiry into children’s development of digital competencies in school-based makerspaces. The empirical data will be collected intermittently in two schools over a period of one academic year by means of video, observational field notes, interviews and documents. Longitudinal, video-based data collection will detail micro and macro level dynamics of making activities and the construction of digital competencies in situ across time. The outcomes of the project will offer significant insights into understanding the nature of children's digital literacy practices in school-based makerspaces and the learning opportunities these create for their digital competencies across operational, cultural and critical dimensions. They will also point out possibilities and challenges in the implementation of makerspaces in school settings. The research knowledge produced will inform future development of makerspaces and other novel learning environments in and out of schools for the advancement of young learners’ digital literacies. Researchers: Kristiina Kumpulainen, Anu Kajamaa, Jasmiina Leskinen, Henna-Riikka Olkinuora, Jenny Byman, Jenny Renlund Funder: Academy of Finland (2017-2020)