Tag: Usability

REDI SOTE

Smart Digital Social and Health Services

The social and healthcare sector needs new innovative services to meet the challenges of today and the future. New innovations arise by combining resources, expertise, and new knowledge.

The purpose of the REDI SOTE project is to promote collaborative development in a networked ecosystem of businesses, cities, research institutions, and universities, as well as to utilize new technological innovations produced in other sectors in the field of social and healthcare services.

The goal is to open up new commercial opportunities for technology companies, low-tech social and healthcare businesses, and entrepreneurs planning to enter the industry.

The target groups of the project include:

Technology companies aiming to offer their products and services in the social and healthcare sector,
Low-tech social and healthcare businesses looking to improve their operations,
New players starting businesses in the social and healthcare sector, and
Indirectly, research and educational organizations, social and healthcare organizations, customers, students, and society as a whole.

The objectives are pursued by:

Assessing and developing the prerequisites and goals of technology companies to participate in the operation of social and healthcare service ecosystems,
Developing tools and metrics for evaluating co-development and jointly developed design solutions,
Implementing co-development pilots in innovation ecosystems in social and healthcare sectors in Uusimaa and Southwest Finland,
Stimulating broader discussions on impact-based decision-making and impact assessment.

Project results:

Collaborative development of digital services in the social and healthcare sector increases,
Business opportunities for companies expand and diversify,
Through digital solutions, the coverage, equality, and quality of social and healthcare services improve, and the efficient use of sector resources enhances,
The focus on impact-based decision-making promotes the appropriate use of resources and the quality of social and healthcare services.

Project Implementers:

Laurea University of Applied Sciences
Forum Virium Helsinki
Turku University of Applied Sciences
University of Turku
Åbo Akademi University

Projects - Finished

DIGI-MODE

The purpose of the DIGI-MODE project is to promote the increased usage of digital tools and in particular Virtual Reality solutions to companies located in Ostrobothnia. This is mainly achieved through the planning, development, demonstrations and validation of so-called digital twins. Three major digital twins will be developed in cooperation with local companies from different business sectors: The manufacturing industry, the real estate and construction sector and the energy sector.

A digital twin is a real-time virtual representation of a physical object or process. Digital twins can visualize data from different types of sensors, such as energy meters, water meters, cameras and other IoT devices. Using digital twins, it’s possible to streamline remote working, cooperation and maintenance. This is something which has grown increasingly relevant over the last few years.

The DIGI-MODE project is a collaboration between the University of Vaasa, VAMK, Novia UAS and Åbo Akademi. The project will make use of the existing infrastructure available at the University of Vaasa, Technobothnia, the Design Centre MUOVA (VAMK) and Experience lab at Åbo Akademi.

Results – Architectural Masser

More information at: http://www.digi-mode.eu/

Sören Andersson

Projects - Finished

Qvarken Game Lab

One of the biggest challenges in establishing the gaming industry in peripheral areas lies within the startup scene, working in a regional context where there is limited experience and few financiers. By establishing the cross-border competence center Qvarken Game Lab, this gap in the Botnia-Atlantica program area is compensated for.

The project’s focus is on gathering, refining, and advancing knowledge about the gaming industry to strengthen the gaming sector both cross-border and locally. The ambition of this intensive implementation project is for the initiative to develop and establish itself during the project period and then continue to grow independently after the project’s conclusion.

The project’s activities involve coordinating actors in a cross-border competence center for game development to gather education, research, and industry resources to collectively enhance innovation in the gaming industry and its interaction with other sectors and the surrounding society. This is achieved by creating meeting places for creative workshops, working on market-oriented gaming innovations with a focus on concrete results, strategically addressing gender equality issues in the gaming industry, and promoting collaboration between the gaming sector and other industries.

The overall goal and purpose of the project is to stimulate the establishment of a sustainable environment for game development and related activities through collaboration and interaction among project partners within the Botnia-Atlantica region’s innovation system. This is accomplished through various processes:

Establish Qvarken Game Lab

The goal of the competence center Qvarken Game Labs is to foster growth among gaming companies in the regions within the Botnia-Atlantica program area where the industry is currently lacking. This is achieved by networking, enhancing innovation and competitiveness through mentorship and expert knowledge, organizing creative spaces like game jams and hackathons, and working with venture capital to facilitate potential investments.

Research & Education

Qvarken Game Lab aims to strengthen and tailor the education available in the program area to better align with the gaming industry’s needs. This is accomplished through discussions between educational providers and the industry in coordinating the competence center. Relevant research and education are enhanced through collaboration with the competence center to elevate innovation and competitiveness.

This is facilitated through access to the User Experience Laboratory (Experience Lab), where gaming entities gain access to UX design expertise, research-based design methods, as well as equipment and techniques for testing the usability and user experience of their products. This occurs at various stages of development concerning the target audience.

Gender Equality & Inclusion

Qvarken Game Lab advocates for increased gender equality within the gaming industry. Since women are significantly underrepresented in gaming companies, the competence center strategically engages in initiatives to change attitudes and practices related to gender equality within the gaming sector. The focus is on leveraging the innovators, experts, and inspirers present in the regions.

Upon the conclusion of the project in June 2022, the competence center has developed or initiated the following processes:

Conducted a pilot initiative connecting a network of actors within the gaming industry, identifying effective methods and processes to enhance the gaming industry’s innovation capacity in the Botnia-Atlantica program area.
Strengthened the readiness of innovation system actors to contribute research and expertise to the competence center and to evolve collaboratively.
Ensured that gender equality, diversity, and accessibility permeate all parts of the project, contributing to a stronger competence center.

Experience Lab contributes by bringing expertise in user-centered design and research-based knowledge and methods in game development. Moreover, it connects to the growing research in gaming at the university and the networks associated with it.

Projects - Finished

RUXE

RUXE

The project’s objective is to find the best solution for conducting user experience studies of digital solutions entirely remotely. The need for remote testing has arisen due to the pandemic, which has made physical activities, both in the laboratory and on-site at companies, impossible. However, even without a pandemic, this development is essential to find a smooth and cost-effective way for companies and organizations to evaluate their digital solutions before launching them on a global market.

Remote testing also supports the transition to a digital and low-carbon society, where the significance of geographic location decreases.

During the project period, tests of various digital solutions are carried out in collaboration with four companies in the region and researchers in the environment, in the form of pilot studies, to find the solution that best meets the needs and provides the most reliable results to ensure a good user experience of the product/service/solution.

The project is co-financed by the Ostrobothnia Region Association.

Project Leader: Sören Andersson, soren.andersson@abo.fi

Projects - Finished

Työpeda

Workplace Pedagogy in Higher Education – Expertise, Agency, and Workplace Skills

The project aims:

Renewal of the operating cultures of higher education institutions, making collaboration with the workplace a natural part of their organizational structures.
Strengthening the connection between research, development, innovation activities, education, teaching, and learning.
Establishing permanent models for workplace pedagogical support and guidance, utilizing digitalization as well.
Enhancing students’ workplace readiness, their educational and ethical foundation, and facilitating a faster transition to the workplace.
Strengthening the competence of higher education staff in workplace relations and pedagogy.
Strengthening collaboration between universities and polytechnics.

Strengthening workplace collaboration and workplace pedagogy will improve students’ development of workplace skills and expedite their transition to the workplace. Simultaneously, the quality of education, guidance, learning, and expertise will improve. The project involves 10 universities and 6 polytechnics.

The project is divided into the following work packages:

Research-based models supporting practical workplace pedagogy.
Strengthening students’ workplace readiness.
Support and guidance in workplace pedagogy.
Workplace perspective in curricula.
Research, development, and innovation activities as part of education.

[FIN] Työelämäpedagogiikka korkeakoulutuksessa – asiantuntijuus, toimijuus ja työelämätaidot

Hankkeen tavoitteena on:

Korkeakoulujen toimintakulttuurien uudistuminen niin, että työelämäyhteistyö on luonnollinen osa korkeakoulujen toimintarakenteita.
Tutkimus- kehittämis- ja innovaatiotoiminnan yhteyden vahvistuminen koulutukseen, opetukseen ja oppimiseen.
Pysyvät toimintamallit työelämäpedagogiseen tukeen ja ohjaukseen hyödyntäen myös digitalisaatiota.
Opiskelijoiden työelämävalmiuksien sekä niiden sivistyksellisen ja eettisen perustan vahvistuminen ja nopeampi työelämään siirtyminen.
Korkeakoulujen henkilöstön osaamisen vahvistuminen työelämäsuhteissa ja _x0013_pedagogiikassa
Ammattikorkeakoulujen ja yliopistojen välisen yhteistyön vahvistuminen.

Työelämäyhteistyön ja työelämäpedagogiikan vahvistaminen tulee parantamaan opiskelijoiden työelämätaitojen kehittymistä ja nopeuttamaan heidän siirtymistään työelämään. Samalla koulutuksen, ohjauksen, oppimisen ja osaamisen laatu paranee. Hankkeeseen osallistuu 10 yliopistoa ja 6 ammattikorkeakoulua.

Hanke jakautuu seuraaviin työpaketteihin:

Tutkimuspohjaiset mallit käytännön työelämäpedagogiikan tukena
Opiskelijoiden työelämävalmiuksien vahvistaminen.
Tuki ja ohjaus työelämäpedagogiikassa.
Työelämänäkökulma opetussuunnitelmissa.
TKI-toiminta osana koulutusta.

Projects - Finished

Epic

Experience Lab jobbar med EPIC.

Projektet vidareutvecklar den existerande applikationen Pocket Democracy och gör den tillgänglig för alla österbottniska kommuner. Projektet ser även närmare på vilken effekt applikationen har på invånarna. Intresseområdet som är speciellt intressant är hur involvera yngre i politiken.

Tillgången till information om lokalpolitik kan vara svårt. Inom projektet har man konstaterat att det finns ett behov att göra kommunikationen mella kommunen och invånarna lättare och mera användarvänlig. Det är orsaken varför Pocket democracy skapades, men vilka effekter har applikationen?

I Pocket Democracy-appen kan du exempelvis följa ärenden, följa intresseområden eller se de senaste besluten från kommun. Sökfunktionen gör det möjligt att söka efter information i offentliga kommunala dokument. I appen kan du också se en lista på politiker och vilka organ de sitter med i.

Under hösten 2019 testades applikationen i Malax kommun, men vem som helst har möjlighet att ladda ner appen och testa på funktionerna.

Pocket Democracy utvecklas av Åbo Akademi (Statskunskap med masskommunikation) i samarbete med Experience Lab, Gambit och Malax kommun.

Läs mer på projektets webbsida: Här

Eller på åbo akademis webbsida: https://www.abo.fi/projekt/pocket-democracy/

Projects - Finished

@geing Online

Digital services for meaningful social activities among the elderly in the Bothnia region.

The project develops and evaluates a custom application (for touch screen/tablet) – with a focus on promoting meaningful social activities among the elderly in the Bothnia region. The planned application will support the opportunities for older people living at home to maintain social networks, relationships, and activities.

In the co-creation of the application, existing evidence-based prototypes are further developed and tested in collaboration with end-users and stakeholders in three municipalities in the project region. An open innovation approach with strong user involvement is applied throughout the project from prototype to finished product.

At the end of the project, three different cases will be presented, where various customized versions of the digital solution have been developed according to the specific needs and conditions identified in the different municipalities. The target group of the project includes stakeholders in the field, including smaller to medium-sized regional companies that, at the end of the project, can introduce the digital solution into their product range. Regional companies on both sides of the Kvarken Strait are also involved in the operation during the project period.

http://www.ageingonline.fi