YVI Engine, February 2014

YVI ENGINE Introduction and instructions for use YVI Engine (www.yvi-moottori.fi) is a web tool for generating ideas and collaborating in entrepreneurship education.

YVI Engine provides a tool for discussions and networking regardless of time and space. In YVI Engine, users may learn constructive, encouraging ways for generating ideas in collaboration.

This document consists of 

a short introduction to the background, use and benefits of YVI Engine



step-to-step instructions for using YVI Engine

For all feedback and questions, please contact YVI Project's project manager Jaana Seikkula-Leino (jaana.seikkula-leino@utu.fi) or communications officer Laura Yöntilä (laura.yontila@utu.fi). www.yvi.fi/intro-english

February 2014

WHAT IS YVI ENGINE ABOUT? YVI Engine (www.yvi-moottori.fi) helps pupils and students strengthen their skills in sharing ideas, communicating and working together. YVI Engine may also be used by all networks in entrepreneurship education - everyone interested in idea generation and networking may join! Basically, YVI Engine (www.yvi-moottori.fi) consists of discussion threads (for creating and generating ideas) and a map that shows the starting location of different discussions.

YVI Engine is targeted to 

pupils and students of all ages



teachers and teacher educators



participants in entrepreneurship education networks



other entrepreneurship educators and stakeholders of entrepreneurship education.

In YVI Engine, the users may 

present their own ideas and thoughts (in writing)



comment, give feedback and develop ideas further



see on the map where the discussions (idea generation) have been initiated.

BEHIND YVI ENGINE: A LARGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION YVI Engine is developed in YVI Project (2010-14), a national project for promoting entrepreneurship education especially in teacher education in Finland. YVI Project is coordinated by the University of Turku, Teacher Training School, and funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) with the Finnish National Board of Education as the financing authority. Additionally, the project receives funding from Development Centre Opinkirjo, Turku Region Development Centre and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy.

YVI

has brought together over thirty partner organisations around Finland:

universities, teacher training schools within universities, vocational teacher education units, research units, vocational colleges and universities of applied sciences, as well as several organisations in entrepreneurship, worklife and education. Read more about YVI Project's activities and achievements at www.yvi.fi/intro-english.

GENERATING IDEAS IN YVI ENGINE - WHAT AND HOW? In YVI Engine, an idea can be something - or anything! - you'd like to present to others for commenting and further development. Ideas can be presented in a form of a proposal, suggestion or question, for example.

Examples of tasks/questions for idea generation (to be adapted to different needs and situations): 

How to organise excursions or implement a course on a certain topic?



How to develop co-operation between a class and an enterprise in the region?



How to create something valuable or useful of the materials available?



How to solve everyday problems and challenges - starting from, let's say, cleanliness in our classroom?

PLEASE NOTE: All ideas are welcome in YVI Engine. No restrictions exist regarding the theme or the context of the idea! Just keep in mind that discussions in YVI Engine are public, that is, open to all users of the engine. Therefore we recommend that all matters of a private nature - or truly close-circle innovations, for example be discussed elsewhere.

A FEW WAYS OF IMPLEMENTING YVI ENGINE INTO SCHOOL WORK 

Pupils or students start a new discussion thread (a new idea) in YVI Engine based on a brainstorming session they have had in the classroom. Idea generation continues in YVI Engine - even outside the classroom and between the classes or other face-to-face meetings.



Users of YVI Engine may add their ideas to the engine and comment each other's ideas individually as well, without any prior sessions in the classroom.



Two or more teachers (from the same school, or from different countries, for example) can agree to give the same task or question for their students, to be discussed in YVI Engine. Generating ideas may prove to be especially fruitful when several groups participate!

On the following pages: Step-to-step instructions for using YVI Engine



Registration and sign-up



Map and the interface



New ideas (a new discussion thread) o editor for adding an idea o adding an image o adding the geographical location



Saved ideas o finding ideas (discussion threads) o commenting on the ideas o editing my own ideas

PLEASE NOTE: So far, the interface of YVI Engine exists in Finnish only.

However, we believe that the language is not such an obstacle as it might seem at first. YVI Engine is easy to use - and, for these instructions, we have used Google Translate for translating the interface into English.

REGISTRATION AND SIGN-UP (www.yvi-moottori.fi)

Here, the entering site to YVI Engine has been translated into English with Google Translate.

The translation is not perfect, but all in all, quite sufficient for our needs.

USER NAME PASSWORD

MAP AND THE INTERFACE

By default, the map shows Finland and areas

Light bulbs on the map indicate

surrounding it. However, you can move the

where the discussions (ideas) have

map with your mouse and find any location in

been started. Coloured circles with

Europe or the world - as done in the image

numbers indicate that there are

below.

several light bulbs in the region.

You'll gradually see all the lamps by

Below, the interface has also been translated from Finnish to English with Google Translate.

double-clicking on the map.

Click "My ideas" to see

Click "new idea"

the discussion threads

to start a new

you've started.

discussion thread.

NEW IDEAS (A NEW DISCUSSION THREAD)

EDITOR FOR ADDING AN IDEA Click the "new idea" button. The window below appears on the right hand side of the interface.

OPTIONAL: ADDING AN IMAGE TO THE DISCUSSION First click "Select" in the "new idea" editor (see the previous page of this document). A separate window appears.

Then 1. Choose the file from your computer.

2. Click "Aloita vienti palvelimelle" to upload the file you chose.

3. Once the file is uploaded, click on the image. It is now activated and ready to be added to the editor.

4. Click "Lis채채" to add the file (the image) to the editor.

The image appears once the "new idea" has been saved.

4

3

1 2

OPTIONAL BUT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: ADDING YOUR GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

First click "Find coordinates for your idea" in the "new idea" editor. A separate window appears, showing a Google map.

Then follow the instructions given below (option 1 or option 2).

After you have saved your "new idea", a light bulb on the map will indicate the location of your idea.

THIS IS WHAT A "NEW IDEA"

...AND THIS IS WHAT THE

LOOKS LIKE IN THE EDITOR,

SAVED IDEA LOOKS LIKE.

BEFORE SAVING...

The location of the idea (the start of the discussion thread) is indicated on the map - if the coordinates have been added to the editor (see the previous page of these instructions).

FINDING IDEAS (DISCUSSION THREADS)

The are several ways for finding ideas

1

(discussion threads) in YVI Engine: 1. The dropdown menu in the upper right hand side corner of the interface: all ideas are listed in alphabetical order.

1

2. The newest ideas are listed in the lower right hand side corner of the interface.

3. "My ideas" shows your own ideas.

4. One click on a light bulb will show

2

the title of the idea as a link.

3

4

COMMENTING ON THE IDEAS

Add your comment here. The comment appears in the discussion thread right after you have clicked the "Kommentoi" button. - This is how the idea generation continues, in collaboration!

MY OWN IDEAS

Click "My ideas" button in the upper menu. The ideas (discussion threads) you have added appear as a list in the right hand side of the interface.

You can edit your ideas or even delete them - in the case of test ideas, for example.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST! For all questions and feedback, please contact Jaana Seikkula-Leino (jaana.seikkula-leino@utu.fi) or Laura YÜntilä (laura.yontila@utu.fi).