{"id":598,"date":"2011-03-03T08:46:58","date_gmt":"2011-03-03T06:46:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/?page_id=598"},"modified":"2026-02-12T14:45:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T12:45:11","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/?page_id=598","title":{"rendered":"About me"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" src=\"http:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Marjaana_kuva2-600x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2815\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Marjaana_kuva2-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Marjaana_kuva2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Marjaana_kuva2-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Marjaana_kuva2.jpg 945w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Life gives you the chance to love, to work, and to play<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Title of Docent, <\/strong>playful and game-based learning, 2017, University of Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4<strong><br>PhD. in Education<\/strong>, 2010, University of Lapland, FINLAND<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Completed non-academic programs:<\/strong><br>REACH Acceleration program provided by Nordic Innovation House in Silicon Valley, 2018-2019, Palo Alto, California<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since 2003, my research has primarily focused on understanding teaching and learning processes in various innovative, technological, and nature-based and outdoor contexts. Specifically, I have been interested in <strong>playful learning and in harnessing human playfulness, play, and games within educational settings<\/strong>. Recently, generative AI in education has become a key area of my research. My main research areas include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Playfulness<\/strong> in education and working life, e.g. <a href=\"https:\/\/sjwop.com\/articles\/10.16993\/sjwop.408\">HERE<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Playful learning<\/strong> across school levels, e.g. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0742051X1630943X\">HERE<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education<\/strong>, particularly human-AI interaction, e.g. <a href=\"https:\/\/openaccess.cms-conferences.org\/publications\/book\/978-1-964867-35-9\/article\/978-1-964867-35-9_9\">HERE<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Outdoor play and learning,<\/strong> e.g. <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1186\/s12966-025-01813-9\">HERE<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Digital technology in education<\/strong>, e.g. <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s10643-024-01664-2\">HERE<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Game-based learning pedagogy<\/strong> in different educational contexts, e.g. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S1747938X23000398\">HERE<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In Finland, I&#8217;m a forerunner of the research on playful learning<\/strong>, and a co-developer of the conceptualization of a \u201cplayful learning environment\u201d (PLE). M<span class=\"jCAhz ChMk0b\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">y dissertation &#8220;School of the Future: Theoretical and pedagogical approaches to creative and playful learning environments&#8221; (<a href=\"https:\/\/lauda.ulapland.fi\/bitstream\/handle\/10024\/61661\/Kangas%20DORIA.pdf?sequence=1&amp;isAllowed=y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kangas, 2010<\/a>) received the national Professor Lea Pulkkinen&#8217;s award in 2012. <\/span><\/span>Beyond academia, my commitment to educational innovations has led me to collaborate with several organizations and companies, such as Lappset Group Ltd., ROVIO Learning, YALP, The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare, YLE Lapset, and Save the Children. I have also had the honor of serving as the Ambassador for Outdoor Playful Learning for Lappset Group Ltd. In the video, Ville Kemppainen from Lappset Group and I discuss about the importance of playful learning for children: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-GjM6U0nUws\">YOUTUBE VIDEO<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My dedication lies in sharing knowledge and inspiring change. Having trained hundreds of teachers in Finland and the United States, and giving lectures at the universities around the world, I have had the privilege of igniting a passion for playful and game-based learning, and collaborating with schools in Finland and abroad.&nbsp;<strong>For me, playful learning is not just a concept; it is a way of life<\/strong> &#8211; a belief that education should not be confined to the conventional, but should celebrate creativity, exploration, and the joy of discovery. It is this passion that drives me to pioneer change and forge a new path for the learners of today and the leaders of tomorrow. During my university years, <strong>I have conducted research as part of several multidisciplinary teams and projects<\/strong>, funded by European Social Fund, Business Finland, Ministry of Education or Finnish National Agency for Education:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ulapland.fi\/FI\/Yksikot\/Koulutus--ja-kehittamispalvelut\/Toiminta-ja-referenssit\/Jatkuvan-oppimisen-kehittaminen-Arktinen-tyoelama-ja-kestava-tulevaisuus\">Arctic working life and sustainable future (2024-2026)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/translit-eu.unibit.bg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TLIT4U \u2013 Improving Transliteracy Skills through Serious Games (2022-2024)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.helsinki.fi\/ai-in-learning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AI in Learning 2020-2022 (Business Finland)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/lacris.ulapland.fi\/en\/projects\/playful-learning(9f34c40f-af84-4940-9fc4-d086f7e7b7b8).html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Playful Learning 2018-2019&nbsp;(Business&nbsp;Finland)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/lacris.ulapland.fi\/en\/projects\/playful-lapland(110d3603-320e-48ce-8302-208ffb44ab16).html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Playful Lapland 2017-2018&nbsp;(Business&nbsp;Finland)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tyopeda.fi\/\">Work life pedagogy in higher education (2018-2020) (Ministry of Education)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/lacris.ulapland.fi\/en\/projects\/supporting-athletic-primary-school-students-wellbeing-through-digital-tools-and-subject-integration(c871bbda-072a-46c5-bc10-619d969eb6d6).html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Supporting athletic primary school students\u2019 wellbeing through digital tools and subject integration 2017-2018<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oph.fi\/english\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">(Finnish National Agency for Education)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/lacris.ulapland.fi\/en\/projects\/digitalization-in-teaching-and-learning(bf14f615-eac2-41cf-8227-81d990599338).html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DigiGo! Digitalization in Teaching and Learning 2017-2019 (European Social Fund)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/lacris.ulapland.fi\/en\/projects\/pedagogical-design-for-ipr-elearning-environment(3dd01f32-6d36-4604-9705-17db7ca8165a).html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pedagogical design for IPR e-learning environment 2017<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/helda.helsinki.fi\/bitstream\/handle\/10138\/156502\/LearningCreativelyTogether_Educational_Change_Report_2016.pdf?sequence=4&amp;isAllowed=y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OmniSchool 2011-2015<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/helda.helsinki.fi\/bitstream\/handle\/10138\/157417\/Yhdess%c3%a4LuovastiOppien_Opetuksen_ja_oppimisen_muutos_2016.pdf?sequence=2&amp;isAllowed=y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">(Koulu Kaikkialla -hanke) (Ministry of Education)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ulapland.fi\/InEnglish\/Units\/Centre-for-Media-Pedagogy\/Research\/Completed-projects\/InnoPlay-(2007-2010)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PlayIT and InnoPlay 2006-2010 (Busness Finland)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ulapland.fi\/InEnglish\/Units\/Centre-for-Media-Pedagogy\/Research\/Completed-projects\/LEVIKE---Research-(2004-07)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LEVIKE 2006<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ulapland.fi\/InEnglish\/Units\/Centre-for-Media-Pedagogy\/Research\/Completed-projects\/Lets-Play-(2003-2006)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Let&#8217;s Play 2003-2006<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Scientific awards, honours and major grants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>June 2024, <strong>AI in Learning: Designing the Future<\/strong>, the book compilation received the China Development Award in a Springer Nature event, Beijing, China (including a chapter written by me and my colleagues)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>11.11.2021, Best Paper Award, Journal of Professional and Vocational Education: Upola, Kangas &amp; Ruokamo, <strong>Towards working life skills \u2013 Vocational student as a learner in working life projects<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>29.6.2018, AACE Best Paper of Finland Award, EdMedia Conference: Keskitalo, Kangas &amp; Ruokamo (2018) <strong>Adult Playfulness in Simulation-based Healthcare Education<\/strong>. In T. Bastiaens et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology (pp. 2316\u20132324). Amsterdam, Netherlands.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2012 Reward for high-quality publications (\u20ac3000.00), University of Lapland<a>: <\/a>Kangas, M., Kultima, A. &amp; Ruokamo, H. (2011). <strong>Children\u2019s Creative Collaboration \u2013 A View of Narrativity<\/strong>. In D. Faulkner &amp; E. Coates (Eds). Exploring Children\u2019s Creative Narratives (pp. 63\u201385).&nbsp;London: Routledge.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>19.4.2012, Doctoral Dissertation Award, University of Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4, Finland: Kangas (2010) <strong>The School of the Future: Theoretical and Pedagogical Approaches for Creative and Playful Learning Environments.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>17.5.2010. <strong>ASLA Fulbright SIR Scholar-in-Residence Program Grant<\/strong> for 2010\u20132011: Finland\u2013U.S. Educational Exchange Commission, Fulbright Center &amp; J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, Helsinki, Finland.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Most downloaded and cited article in the journal: Kangas (2010) <strong>Creative and playful learning: Learning through game co-creation and play in a playful learning environment<\/strong>, Journal of Thinking Skills and Creativity, between the years 2010\u20132015.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"http:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/9e52d9f8-df2d-487c-ac54-3acd76460c16-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2817\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/9e52d9f8-df2d-487c-ac54-3acd76460c16-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/9e52d9f8-df2d-487c-ac54-3acd76460c16-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/9e52d9f8-df2d-487c-ac54-3acd76460c16-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/9e52d9f8-df2d-487c-ac54-3acd76460c16.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I am very inspired by pure nature in Finnish Lapland where I live.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Life gives you the chance to love, to work, and to play. Title of Docent, playful and game-based learning, 2017, University of Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4PhD. in Education, 2010, University of Lapland, FINLAND Completed non-academic programs:REACH Acceleration program provided by Nordic Innovation House &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/?page_id=598\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"sidebar-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-598","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=598"}],"version-history":[{"count":152,"href":"https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3053,"href":"https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/598\/revisions\/3053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marjaanakangas.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}