FAQ Studies & Projects Work Stuff CV Friends

For a brief overview of my work and study activities check the 'CV' section.

PhD candidate in Media Lab, Helsinki University of Arts and Design (UIAH), 2003-ongoing.

Thesis title: Collaborative Learning through Construction of a Visual Narrative

Accepted to a status position to Graduate School of Multidisciplinary Research on Learning Environments (Oppimisympäristöjen monitieteinen tutkijakoulu) in University of Turku.

Publications:

  • Leinonen T., Kligyte G. (2003). FLE Software - Open Source and Free Software for Collaborative Knowledge Building and Design. In B. Wasson (Ed.), Community Events: Communication and Interaction publication (pp. 162-163) of International Conference on Computer Support for Collaborative Learning (CSCL 2003 conference) June 14-18 in Bergen, Norway.

  • Leinonen T., Kligyte G. (2003). The European CSCL Community Website. In B. Wasson (Ed.), Community Events: Communication and Interaction publication (pp. 189-190) of International Conference on Computer Support for Collaborative Learning (CSCL 2003 conference) June 14-18 in Bergen, Norway

  • Leinonen T., Kligyte G., Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, P. (2003). Fle3 software: Bringing Knowledge Building and Collaborative Design to the Classroom. In B. Wasson (Ed.), Community Events: Communication and Interaction publication (pp. 193-194) of International Conference on Computer Support for Collaborative Learning (CSCL 2003 conference) June 14-18 in Bergen, Norway

  • Leinonen, T., Kligyte. G. (2002): Future Learning Environment for Collaborative Knowledge Building and Design . Proceedings of the DYD02 - Development by Design: 2nd International Conference on Open Collaborative Design of Sustainable Innovation. December 1-2, Bangalore, India. http://www.thinkcycle.org/dyd02/

  • Rubens, W., Dean, P., Leinonen, T., Kligyte, G., Lakkala M., Rahikainen M. et al., (2003). Innovative Technologies for Collaborative Learning. An ITCOLE project funded by The European Commission in the Information Society Technologies (IST) framework; IST-00-III.2 'School of Tomorrow' brochure.

  • Leinonen, T., Kligyte, G., Toikkanen, T., Pietarila, J., Dean, P. (2003). Learning with Collaborative Software - A guide to Fle3. An ITCOLE project funded by The European Commission in the Information Society Technologies (IST) framework; IST-00-III.2 'School of Tomorrow' brochure.

Projects:

  • www.euro-cscl.org
    The www.euro-cscl.org web site serves as a community site and resource of information for practitioners (teachers), researchers and school administrators in Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) field. The www.euro-cscl.org website has been initiated by ITCOLE (Innovative Technologies for Collaborative Learning and Knowledge Building) project.
  • Fle3 learning environment
    Fle3 is a web-based learning environment. To be more specific Fle3 is a server software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL). Fle3 is Open Source and Free Software released under the GNU General Public Licence (GPL). Fle3 is designed to support learner and group centered work that concentrates on creating and developing expressions of knowledge (i.e. knowledge artefacts) and design.
  • 'Sound of our Water' project
    The Sound of Our Water web site is part of UNESCO's Young Digital Creators programme. The purpose of the web site is to provide young people an online platform to reflect on water issues, either connected to their daily life or related to specific issues such as environment, culture, industry or agriculture. Through this programme young people will be invited to compose soundscapes and music pieces about water with a collection of sound samples using creative digital tools. The web site is a meeting point for sharing experiences and exchanging ideas among the participants that come from different cultural background.
  • 'Immediate Impressions' project
    The 'Immediate Impressions' project was an experimental attempt to collect people's impressions and comments about the conference sessions during The Good, The Bad and The Irrelevant conference, September 3-5 2003, University of Art and Design Helsinki. We designed and developed a software tool that enabled people to collaboratively comment on the conference sessions using a web camera.
  • 'Celebrate.uiah.fi' project
    'Celebrate.uiah.fi' project is an online collection of people's (Finns and people currently living in Finland) stories, drawings and photos describing celebrations of the most important festivals for their families. The initial version of the project will be realized through workshops in Caisa International Cultural Centre and Kontupiste where the stories will be made and uploaded to the web by participants and online 'Celebrate.uiah.fi' portal open for anyone to participate throughout the year 2004.

MA in New Media, Helsinki University of Arts and Design (UIAH), 2001.

Final thesis:
I think I know what is good for you: User Interface design for a CSCL system (.pdf version)

I did my final thesis in the Collaborative Learning Environments for Progressive Inquiry research group in Media Lab. As the final work I did the User Interface design for the Fle3 web based learning environment that was built on progressive inquiry pedagogical model and ideas provided by pedagogical partner researchers. My most important goal was to help the users to understand the underlying pedagogy through the design of the system and support the teachers/tutors in directing student interactions towards more desirable learning goals. (Find out more in the 'Work' section.)

During study years in Media Lab I participated in seminars in media culture, courses in digital media technology, workshops in new media design, introductions to design research methods, communication and representation theories, acquired some team work and multimedia production skills. I also learned to handle devices, connect wires and not to be afraid to dismantle things and see whats inside. Check current Media Lab curriculum.

The funniest and most educational experience was participating in study projects. Through working in small project groups we learned to share our ideas and develop them together with others. Study projects proved to be a good learning environment where you can bring your own knowledge and get help from other people having different skills, but working on the same things. The amazing thing is that you can get things done and something to show at the end of the day. Sometimes the study projects even have 'real' consequences: the exhibition is opened and 'real people' come to see it, your piece may be broadcasted on 'real' TV or you may encounter someone who has been using the learning environment of your design in their 'real studies'. Nice.

Study projects:

  • Future Learning Environment study project
    Concept design for improvement and new features in Fle2 system, research about technology for education and user motivation in collaborative learning environments.
    http://www.mlab.uiah.fi/~mkuster/FLE
    Description of the marking tool for Fle2

  • Semana Santa exhibition
    Concept design, exhibition space design, digital video authoring, design and production of interactive drum interface for browsing videos in anthropology exhibition (Helina Rautavaara museum, Espoo 04.2000 - 07.2000). Web master of the web site:
    http://mlab.uiah.fi/displayculture/
    Report about beach 'station' design.
    Making the exhibition

  • SUB workshop Interactive TV programme demo
    Developing a concept for an Interactive digital TV program, authoring and production of "Muisto" (7 min video, broadcasted on SUBtv 24.12.2001)

  • Watch It! project
    Concept development, preparation of sample materials for the public workshop, organized at Nykyaika stage, Lasipalatsi Media Centre, March 21-25, 2000.
    http://mlab.uiah.fi/watchit/

  • Information Aesthetics workshop
    Lectures and discussions led by Lev Manovich - one of the leading contemporary media theorists. Working on proposal for a monument representing the Information Age
    My proposal

  • Greetings from Tokyo exhibition
    Concept development, video authoring and production of the project. Exhibitions in TOKYO gallery, Helsinki; Akademija gallery, Vilnius; Hamburg, Ljubliana.
    http://www.greetingsfromtokyo.net/
     Screenshots of my video piece

  • Digital Cinema workshop
    Week long workshop dealing with non-linnear narratives. Concept development and production of an interactive game
    Screenshots

  • Brand Identity workshop
    Audi and BMW car brands values analysis. Production of the presentation.
    Screenshots

  • Virtual Cube project
    Interactive carpet and sound design for exhibition space (displayed on LUME media center opening day. 01.2000)
    Pictures

  • Pepe DeLux game
    Concept development, visuals and beginning of production of computer game for a Finish music band.
    http://mlab.uiah.fi/~till/pepe/
    (never developed till the end :)

  • Mobile Continent exhibition
    Emergency help with the graphic design of the web site.
    http://mobilecontinent.uiah.fi/

  • Introduction to Java workshop
    Week long workshop introducing main principles of Java programming. Small Java experiments.
    http://mlab.uiah.fi/~gkligyte/java99/

One of the biggest influences in my personal and professional identity formation was the Cultural Usability seminar. The course involved lectures, discussions and readings of key texts in cultural studies, science, technology and society. I wrote a working paper dealing with collaborative design and learning that eventually evolved into my final thesis. We also did small interactive "excursions" questioning some widely accepted concepts in design for digital media such as: "usability", "user", "network", etc.
http://mlab.uiah.fi/culturalusability/
My working paper

This thing doesn't belong here, but anyway worth mentioning: I was a member of the Student Jury and Grand Jury in Europrix Multimedia 2000 contest. We were working on evaluation of student submissions, co-authoring of the catalogue content, evaluation and selection of the winners of the competition.
www.europrix.org

BA Design, Vilnius Academy of Art (09.1995 - 05.1999)

This was where I and my special interest in arts and design started. I learned to hold a pencil in my hand and to see the world more beautiful. We had quite extensive philosophy, aesthetics, art history, semiotics and communication theory classes, so in many ways these studies there were eye-opening and mind-blowing.. I learned about shapes, meanings and understood that probably in the future I'll earn my living by doing something creative.

Subjects: graphic and product design, drawing, painting, 3D modeling skills, art history, philosophy.

Graduation work: visual communications for Design Department. Web site design.
http://daugenis.mch.mii.lt/dizainas/

Giedre Kligyte. email: gkligyte@uiah.fi