I just returned from a fascinating trip to Helsinki. I’m an external advisor on a research grant that’s studying how educators use studio practices of making to guide students to learn creativity more effectively: the MakerStudioPeda project. Here’s how the researchers describe the project:
The rapidly transforming innovation-driven knowledge society emphasizes the importance of non-routine problem solving, design thinking capabilities, and creativity. The revolution of digital technologies provides new instruments and materials for creative design and production. In this light, MakerStudioPeda focuses on analyzing pedagogical practices for fostering creativity at university-level design education and craft teacher education in the digital age.
Materiality is one of the big themes. The idea is that cognition is embodied and extended in the world. That “thinking” isn’t something that stops at your skull, but that thinking deeply depends on external artifacts. Sometimes I’ve seen people talk about “post-humanism” or about “de-centering the individual.”
The maker movement–students and adults making things in maker spaces–is a natural fit with a focus on materiality, because it’s a kind of creativity that’s unavoidably linked to craft. The MakerStudioPeda project studied design studio practice at Aalto University, a legendary design school in Helsinki. “Craft education” is a required part of K-12 school in Scandinavian countries, unlike in the U.S. where you could get a high school degree without ever making anything.
During my visit, the research team presented their latest findings; we had a tour of the studios at Aalto University; and we had saunas together on two different days! That was a first for me. Post in the comments if you want me to say more about that.
The Creativity Guru 
Here’s a summary of the research team meeting with some great photos: https://empirica.aalto.fi/news/makerstudiopeda-summer-school-2023. If you scroll all the way down there’s a photo of me on Kemio Island with two other researchers.
I want to hear more!
I just took a look at your blog, and Wow! this is so close to the Finland maker project, because the focus was on weaving. There’s a very big weaving / textiles program at Aalto University. One of the lead investigators, Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, has been a weaver for most of her life. I was in her house on Kemio island and there’s a weaving machine and a lot of weavings and quilts. Some of her towels were woven from linen thread that her husband’s grandmother spun. What an amazing culture and tradition of weaving!