Researchers in Innovative learning
The focus area of Innovative learning studies working life-orientated learning and education and teacher’s profession as well as factors affecting them in the entire learning ecosystem. The research activities in this focus area is coordinated by our researchers in the Jamk's School of Professional Teacher Education. Learn to know our researchers in this focus area.
Sirpa Laitinen-Väänänen
Principal researcher
Sirpa Laitinen-Väänänen owns a practice-based research orientation. Since 2003 she has worked in several national and international practice-oriented research projects. Her projects have focused both on collaboration, in its various forms, between the professional higher education and the world of work, and on video-enhanced pedagogy. In collaboration the research interest has been both on industry and on education sites, analysing the pedagogy, and teachers’, employees’ and students’ point of views.
Due the work done in practice-based research area, she was selected as a Chair of EAPRIL, an association on practice-based research on learning and professional development. Currently, she works as a Principal Researcher in Innovative Pedagogy focus area at JAMK School of Professional Teacher Education leading the Work-related vocational education and learning research program.
Contact info
Sirpa Laitinen-Väänänen
Minna Silvennoinen
Senior researcher
Minna Silvennoinen has a multidisciplinary background in education and cognitive science research. Since 2005 she has actively worked in research, mainly working in sectors of education, social and healthcare as well as wellbeing technology, AI and simulation-based learning related development projects.
She earned her PhD 2014 which was closely related to education technology and research-based curriculum design work. Her main interests in R&D is simulation pedagogy with its multiple manifestations relating learning, teaching and interaction as well as technology mediated contexts. In JAMK School of Professional Teacher Education she has been working as a senior researcher since March 2021.
Past few years, Silvennoinen has been in the role of coordinating, designing and implementation of adult and teacher education related projects and related research work tasks.
Contact info
Minna Silvennoinen
Eila Burns, Senior Researcher
Eila Burns follows the practice-based research approach having a particular expertise in supporting pedagogical processes and facilitation of student-centred learning. She brings her experience and expertise of teaching and facilitating learning from Vocational Education and Training (VET), Special Needs Education (SEN) and Teacher Education sector into the innovative learning research themes.
At the School of Professional Teacher Education Eila Burns has also worked in several international development-oriented research projects focusing on teachers’ professional and pedagogical development, curriculum renewal processes and digitally enhanced pedagogy and their implications for the working environments.
She is also the chief-editor of the Jamk’s electronic journal, Evolving Pedagogy, which focuses on innovate pedagogical approaches relevant to both national and international arenas.
