Participatory Design and Making in Basic Education: Toward Future Competencies

This dissertation explores new methods of engaging lower-secondary school students in community-based participatory design and making processes. The main objectives are to develop new scientific knowledge on the value of empathy in students' design processes, on teachers' new roles in maker-centered classrooms, and the design and facilitation of community-based participatory design in education. The versatile data collected from two case studies are to be analyzed using content and interaction analysis methods. The dissertation will provide knowledge on the nature of both students' and teachers' collaboration and participation in authentic community-based design processes. On a practical level, the results will provide guidelines for teachers on how to design and implement community-based participatory design and making in formal education.