The Learning Sciences Research Institute (LSRI) researches the fundamental cognitive, affective and social aspects processes of learning to enhance education in formal, informal and non-formal contexts.
We aim to understand learning at every level and time scale: from a neuron to a society and from a millisecond to the century.
We conceptualise what and how people learn as happening through action in context, mediated through representational tools and practices, and impacted by the cultural contexts where these processes occur.
Learning scientists are interdisciplinary: we draw on cognitive science, psychology, computer science, anthropology, sociology, information sciences and neurosciences to conduct research in education. Our approach is inherently collaborative as we work with educators in schools, universities, workplaces, and arts and cultural organisations to advance and refine theory, shape educational practices, and inform policy across the world. Our methods are broad drawing on laboratory studies through to ethnography and case studies, and often involve designing innovative learning activities.
Themes that are particularly associated with LSRI are:
Human learning is fundamentally social as we learn from our parents, friends, fellow students, and colleagues. But that does not mean we are automatically good at it and need no help to thrive at collaborative learning. Consequently, we explore how to support learners to develop the necessary skills such as self-regulation, group awareness and supportive communication. We also explore the role of digital technology in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) addressing issues such as the availability of awareness tools or the impact of anonymous interactions. An increasingly prevalent theme is how collaboration changes with learners interacting with non-human agents generated through AI.
Representational learning
So much learning involves representations such as pictures, written and spoken language, animation, sounds, or augmented reality. Research in LSRI draws on theoretical frameworks such as embodied or distributed cognition, and social semiotics to explore learning topics as diverse as chemical kinetics, second language learning, fashion design and data literacy. Our research is sometimes about practices of learning with representations made by others (for example webpages or museum exhibits) but more frequently concerns forms that learners create themselves such as drawings or musical performance.
Designing interactive learning environments
We like to design. We particularly like to design and research interactive learning environments considering both their technological affordances and pedagogical needs. We design learning experiences with educational games, simulations, collaboration tools, AI, hypertexts, virtual learning environments and many more. We frequently co-design working with educational practitioners to address pressing issues (such as data and AI literacy, climate change) to inform theory and practice.
Not all learning happens in school and concerns formal curriculum knowledge. We study learning non-formal contexts (for example music venues, pub quizzes), informal contexts (arts and cultural organisations) and workplaces (such as chemical industries, engineering, journalism). We explore the identities people develop as they participate in communities of practice and how knowledge transforms as it moves between such communities.