Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) Professors and Supervisors in Finland

Sanna JärveläView profile

Professor

University of OuluFinland

Sanna Järvelä is a Professor in the Faculty of Education and Psychology at the University of Oulu, where she leads the Learning and Educational Technology Research Lab (LET). She is a leading figure in learning sciences, with a focus on self-regulated learning, collaborative learning, and AI integration in educational contexts. Her research is supported by major international and national grants, including from the Jacobs Foundation. Research Interests: Self-regulated learning and socially shared regulation Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) Artificial intelligence and adaptive technologies in education Development and application of multimodal research methods Her work bridges theoretical advancement with innovative methodological practices, contributing significantly to the understanding of learning in digital environments. While no specific publications are listed, her research output is extensive and highly cited, evidenced by her inclusion in Stanford University’s top 2% most-cited scientists list (2024). Scientific Awards and Honors: Member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters (2015) Francqui Chair, Ghent University (2015–2016) Learning Sciences Fellow (2022) Knight First Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (2022) Finnish Ostrobothnia Cultural Foundation Science Prize (2023) Stanford University’s Top 2% Scientist List (2024) Advising and Grants: As the head of the LET Lab and co-PI of the Center for Learning and Living with AI (CELLA), funded by the Jacobs Foundation, she mentors researchers and leads large-scale interdisciplinary projects. She also leads the University of Oulu’s Profi 7 Hybrid Intelligence research programme, shaping strategic research directions in AI and education. Labs and Teams: She founded and leads the Learning and Educational Technology Research Lab (LET), a vibrant research group focused on advancing knowledge about technology-enhanced learning. She is also a member of the OECD PISA 2025 ‘Learning in the Digital World’ expert team, influencing global educational policy and assessment frameworks.

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Päivi HäkkinenView profile

Professor

University of JyväskyläFinland

Päivi Häkkinen is a **Professor and Vice Director** at the **Finnish Institute for Educational Research (FIER)**, part of the University of Jyväskylä. Her research focuses on technology-enhanced learning, particularly in collaborative problem-solving, computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL), and the integration of virtual/augmented reality in education. She leads projects like the EDUCA Flagship for future education and LearnDigi , exploring digitalization in learning. Research Interests: She investigates ICT integration in education, learning analytics, and the cognitive and social dynamics of collaborative learning. Her work emphasizes remote collaboration mechanisms, digital tools for assessment, and AI-driven educational innovation. Key Projects: EDUCA Flagship: Addresses future education challenges through interdisciplinary research. LearnDigi: Examines technology’s role in knowledge construction and digitalization impacts. METEOR: Enhances transversal skills for early career researchers via teamwork methodologies. Recent Work Trends: Her publications analyze joint attention in remote collaboration, AI-human partnerships in education, and neural bases of problem-solving. She emphasizes practical applications for teachers and educators. Labs/Teams: Active in FIER and LearnDigi, focusing on collaborative learning design and technology evaluation.

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Ramy ElmoazenView profile

Researcher

University of Eastern FinlandFinland

Ramy Elmoazen is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the School of Computing, University of Eastern Finland (UEF), within the Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology. His research focuses on learning analytics, educational technology, and collaborative learning, with a particular emphasis on temporal and social dimensions in collaborative environments. He leads and contributes to projects like BalticSeaBioMed, IGLUE (game-based learning using escape rooms), and Maker & STEM Education initiatives. His work bridges theoretical frameworks like epistemic network analysis (ENA) with practical applications in online education and biomedical learning. Key projects include evaluating technology-enhanced learning in laboratories, exploring barriers and opportunities in STEM education, and advancing methods for capturing student interactions through learning analytics. His doctoral dissertation (2024) emphasized using learning analytics to study social and temporal aspects of collaborative learning. Elmoazen’s interdisciplinary approach integrates quantitative methods, systematic reviews, and educational design, contributing to both academic and applied contexts. He has collaborated on studies ranging from clinical trials in dentistry to large-scale reviews of ENA applications, showcasing his versatility across health education and technology-driven pedagogy. His research highlights the importance of scalable analytics tools and evidence-based practices in modern educational settings.

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Pirita Seitamaa-HakkarainenView profile

Professor

University of HelsinkiFinland

Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen is a Professor of Craft Studies at the University of Helsinki and Docent at Aalto University. She leads the Co-inquiry, co-design, co-teaching, and co-regulation (Co4-Lab) laboratory and contributes to the Maker@STEAM research group. Her work bridges cognitive theories of design with collaborative learning environments, emphasizing materiality and knowledge building in education. University of Helsinki: Professor of Craft Studies Aalto University: Docent Her research focuses on: Cognitive theories of design processes and expertise development Collaborative learning and social creativity in maker education Role of external representations (sketching, visualization) in design Scaffolding mechanisms in craft and technology education Materiality in digital age pedagogy Knowledge building theory applications Recent publications (2020-2025) demonstrate sustained output in collaborative design education, virtual reality learning environments, and STEAM pedagogy. Her work consistently explores intersections between cognition, collaboration, and digital/material artifacts in educational settings.

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Kati SormunenView profile

Lecturer

University of HelsinkiFinland

Kati Sormunen is a Lecturer at the University of Helsinki's Department of Education, specializing in inclusive pedagogy, computational thinking, and maker education. She leads the Helsinki research community of special educational needs (SEN) Leadership in Educational Contexts research group and contributes to the CreaTE - Creative Technology Education initiative. Her work bridges school, university, and industry collaborations through the Innokas Network. Doctoral Programme Supervisor, School, Education, Society, and Culture EU Code Week Ambassador since 2018 Research Focus: Sormunen develops models for invention pedagogy and investigates 21st-century learning in inclusive educational environments. Her research spans computational thinking, digitally supported learning, and methodological approaches to large-scale educational projects. Recent work explores epistemic doubt in AI education and technological competence in maker projects. Collaborations: Active in international academic networks, including the ORCID profile and the ISLS Annual Meeting (2025). Engaged in cross-institutional research with Boston College's Lynch School of Education (2024). Publications and Projects: With over 65 research outputs and 20 projects since 2011, her notable initiatives include the Academy of Finland-funded Playful Learning Center (2022–2025) and the AI & Kids project (2014–2026). She has presented at conferences like CSCL 2024 and contributes to journals such as Journal of Computer Assisted Learning and Frontiers in Education .

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Hanni MuukkonenView profile

Professor

University of HelsinkiFinland

Hanni Muukkonen is a Professor in Educational Psychology at the University of Oulu , Finland. She serves as a supervisor for the Doctoral Programme in Cognition, Learning, Instruction and Communication . Her research focuses on technology-enhanced collaborative learning, knowledge creation inquiry, and pedagogical design in higher and upper secondary education contexts. PhD in Psychology Her research integrates Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) with Design-Based Research methodologies to study knowledge work practices, mobile learning, and workplace competence development. She employs tools like the Contextual Activity Sampling System (CASS) to analyze affective and cognitive dynamics in learning environments. Hannu’s recent publications examine AI-mediated sensemaking , trialogical learning in life sciences, and collaborative pedagogical frameworks for international summer courses. Her work spans 78 research outputs and 11 projects since 1998. She contributes to academic governance as a Board Member of SYK (Finnish Educational Research Association) and provides peer review for journals like Learning and Instruction and EARLI Conference . Her projects include HEFSESE (Food Security in Eritrea), ARONI (Argumentative Online Inquiry), and ProWo (Working Life Competencies).

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Jari KukkonenView profile

Lecturer

University of Eastern FinlandFinland

Jari Kukkonen is a University Lecturer at the School of Applied Educational Science and Teacher Education, University of Eastern Finland. His work focuses on educational technology, teacher education, and science education, particularly the integration of ICT in pedagogy and the development of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). He has contributed to projects such as Escape game pedagogy - Sm4rt LOC and Nature and development of pre-service teachers’ TPACK . His research emphasizes pre-service teachers' digital competence, socio-scientific issues in education, and the use of ICT to enhance teaching practices. Notable collaborations include studies on climate change attitudes, health literacy partnerships with local pharmacies, and virtual simulators in neurophysiology education. Publications span topics like teacher educators' roles in digital competence development, student perceptions of mobile learning, and longitudinal studies on 21st-century skills. Kukkonen’s work bridges theory and practice, aiming to improve teacher training and student engagement through innovative educational technologies.

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Johanna Pöysä-TarhonenView profile

Researcher

University of JyväskyläFinland

Johanna Pöysä-Tarhonen is a Senior Researcher at the Finnish Institute for Educational Research (FIER) at the University of Jyväskylä and a Docent of Learning Environments Research at the Philosophical Faculty of the University of Eastern Finland (UEF). Her work focuses on collaborative learning practices, hybrid learning environments, and sustainability in higher education. She supervises doctoral students in JYU's Faculty of Education and Psychology and mentors in FinEd's doctoral network. Her research explores how collaborative learning unfolds in technology-rich settings, emphasizing remote and co-located interactions. Key themes include joint attention in remote problem-solving, cognitive skills' impact on collaboration, and sustainable digital practices in education. She contributes to projects like EDUCA (Education for the Future Flagship) and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on studies involving eye-tracking and AI in learning. Publications highlight innovations in collaborative problem-solving assessment, digital ethnography, and the role of commitment in dyadic interactions. Her work bridges theoretical foundations with practical educational design, addressing challenges like hybrid learning spaces and value-driven pedagogies. Awards: None explicitly mentioned. Projects: Includes the EDUCA Flagship and 'Organisation of basic education in diversifying municipalities.' Research groups: FinETS (Eye-Tracking Researchers' Seminar).

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Mohammed SaqrView profile

Associate Professor

University of Eastern FinlandFinland

Mohammed Saqr is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the School of Computing, University of Eastern Finland, where he leads UEF's Learning Analytics Unit. His research spans learning analytics, artificial intelligence, big data, network science, and interdisciplinary applications in education and medicine. His work has positioned UEF's Learning Analytics Unit as Europe's most productive learning analytics lab according to Scopus and Web of Science (2019-2023). Dr. Saqr earned his PhD in Learning Analytics from Stockholm University, Sweden, followed by a postdoctoral position at Université Paris Cité, France. He later obtained the title of Docent in Learning Analytics from the University of Oulu, Finland. His academic journey reflects a strong foundation in both European research institutions and interdisciplinary approaches to educational technology. His research focuses on understanding student engagement, self-regulated learning, and collaborative learning processes through advanced analytical methods. Dr. Saqr champions person-specific and person-centered approaches that recognize individual differences among learners, challenging traditional group-level analysis methods. His work demonstrates that online engagement at any single time-point is not a consistent indicator for high achievement, and that it takes more than a single point of time to reliably forecast academic performance throughout a program. He has pioneered the application of complex dynamic systems theory, idiographic methods, and network analysis to uncover nuanced learning patterns that remain hidden in conventional approaches. Dr. Saqr's extensive publication record reveals a consistent trajectory toward more sophisticated and individualized analytical techniques in learning analytics. His recent work increasingly emphasizes the limitations of group-level analysis and the necessity of person-specific modeling for truly personalized education. He has made significant contributions to understanding how engagement evolves over time, how self-regulation operates as a dynamic system, and how collaborative learning roles persist across extended periods. Best PhD thesis award Best paper awards at LAK, ICCE, SITE, and TEEM conferences University of Michigan Office of Academic Innovation fellowship SOLAR Europe's Emerging Scholar Award (2023) for "Noteworthy research leading to significant knowledge and understanding of learning analytics and the impact of research on learning analytics application, adoption, and professional development in Europe" Dr. Saqr has successfully secured research funding as Principal Investigator from the Academy of Finland and as Co-Principal Investigator from the Swedish Research Council. He actively supervises graduate students, with Ramy recently defending his thesis in learning analytics. His extensive collaboration network spans over a hundred researchers across multiple countries, reflecting his international impact in the field. Dr. Saqr serves on the editorial boards of Transactions of Learning Technologies, British Journal of Education Technologies, and PLOS ONE, contributing to the scholarly community through peer review and journal leadership. As leader of UEF's Learning Analytics Unit, Dr. Saqr directs a vibrant research team that has emerged as Europe's most productive learning analytics lab. His unit focuses on developing innovative methodologies for understanding learning processes at individual and group levels, with particular emphasis on longitudinal analysis and person-specific approaches. The unit's work bridges theoretical advances with practical applications in educational settings, contributing to both scholarly knowledge and real-world educational improvements.

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Raija HämäläinenView profile

Professor

University of JyväskyläFinland

Raija Hämäläinen is a Professor at the Department of Education within the Faculty of Education and Psychology at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. She leads research in collaboration scripts, technology-enhanced learning, and workplace learning. As an associate editor of Educational Research Review (IF 10.207) and a profile leader in the University’s LearnDigi initiative, her work focuses on designing long-term research lines addressing learning, teaching, and interaction processes in higher education and workplace contexts. Her international collaborations include joint publications with top-tier journals like Computers & Education and British Journal of Educational Technology , alongside leadership roles in the Centre of Excellence InterLearn. Key research groups include InterLearn (focusing on learning dynamics and intervention research) and EWIDE (studying work in the digital era). She has pioneered studies on digital competence profiles of healthcare personnel and the role of emotions in nursing simulations. Hämäläinen’s recent work emphasizes sustainable digital practices, multimodal AI applications in education, and the challenges of digital ethnography. She has delivered keynotes at global forums such as EARLI and the International VET Congress. Her projects include Guidance Enhancing Professional Agency for social/healthcare workers and LearnDigi, funded by the Academy of Finland, exploring digitalization in learning interactions. Her advisory and grant activities include leading multiple research projects and serving on committees like EARLI’s Board and the CSCL Community Committee. She actively bridges academic research with practical applications, such as designing collaborative writing scripts and analyzing skill gaps in Industry 4.0 contexts. Her lab and team work integrates technology, pedagogy, and workplace innovation.

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