Learning Sciences Research

We conduct research to expand opportunities for every learner.

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Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages

Overview

The Center for Learning Sciences Research at Digital Promise investigates how to improve teaching and learning opportunities for every learner. We connect the strengths of our research team with the capabilities of our broader organization and its external networks to answer pressing questions in education that respond to challenges on the ground and identify opportunities to generate powerful research-based innovations.

Our Work

Our projects explore the impact of educational innovations in PreK, K-12, and postsecondary settings in a variety of learning contexts. Through our research, we aim to:

Identify and co-design learning experiences that engage educators, families, and communities to ensure powerful learning.
Uncover teaching practices and continuous improvement processes that are feasible, sustainable, and positively impact learner outcomes.
Support school districts to effectively design, implement, and evaluate teaching and learning opportunities.
Conduct investigations that inform how edtech should be developed and used to support educators and help students engage deeply and meaningfully in their learning.
Explore the affordances of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies to spur their most ethical and beneficial uses, while identifying and managing risks.

Discover How Our Research Is Making an Impact

Empowering Teachers and Learners in Eastern Kentucky

We established a transformative partnership between researchers and educators that continues to enhance K-8 computational thinking education in Eastern Kentucky.

Leveraging Computational Thinking to Support Early Learning

Together with teachers and families, we designed playful activities to meaningfully introduce computational thinking to young learners across home and school.

Creating Evidence-Based Resources with and for Educators

We brought together researchers and practitioners—two traditionally distinct communities—to co-design resources that help educators build their students’ collaborative skills.

Designing Research-Based Tools for Mathematics Coaches

We created practitioner-informed, research-based resources to help K-12 educators implement high-quality math instruction.

Our Approach

We investigate learning in authentic educational settings, focusing on the needs and strengths of learners and how teachers, resources, and systems can enable powerful learning. In our research, we merge qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method research approaches with innovative data analytics.

Research-practice partnerships are essential to our work. Our research informs the design of education innovations that address local challenges and can be scaled to support learners and educators across the country.