What is Learning Science?

Summary

Learning science is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on developing effective learning methodologies and solutions, informed by empirical research from various fields such as neuroscience and education, and is integral to the innovation of educational practices and products.

Abstract

The article "What is Learning Science?" by the Applied Learning Sciences Team delves into the essence of learning science as a discipline that combines insights from neuroscience, cognitive science, instructional design, and other related fields to enhance educational practices. It highlights the historical context, with influences from ancient philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle to modern researchers such as Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. The discipline is described as both longstanding and emerging, with a focus on applying research to improve learning outcomes. The article emphasizes the practical application of learning science in educational settings, from the arrangement of classrooms to the materials used, and its role in bridging the gap between the science of learning and the art of teaching. It also points to the potential for ongoing innovation in education, as seen in initiatives like the Science of Learning Institute at Johns Hopkins University and the METALS program at Carnegie Mellon University. The McGraw-Hill Education Applied Learning Sciences (ALS) team is dedicated to translating this research into tangible product development, underscoring the transformative power of understanding learning processes.

Opinions

The authors believe that learning science is foundational to addressing core educational questions and enhancing teaching practices.
They suggest that the discipline's interdisciplinary nature is key to its continued evolution and relevance.
The article conveys optimism about the potential of learning science to drive innovation in education.
The ALS team at McGraw-Hill Education is positioned as a leader in applying learning science research to product development, indicating a commitment to empirical validation in educational decision-making.
There is an underlying belief that learning science not only improves learning and instruction but also has a profound impact on society by changing the way we approach education.

By Applied Learning Sciences Team

If you are reading these words, it is very likely you have spent some time as a learner in at least one educational setting — a classroom, for example, or an online course, or even a more informal setting such as an after-school club.

Take a moment to picture one of those settings. What do you see?

Perhaps what you notice in your mind’s eye is the arrangement of the room: desks or tables, bookshelves, whiteboards, and various materials and technologies. Maybe what you picture are learners engaged in various activities and the educators who are supporting those learners. Or possibly you are envisioning something else entirely — such as the actual content itself, or inter-personal interactions, or that feeling you have when you haven’t quite studied enough for a test.

If you can picture these things, you are already very well-acquainted with some of the foundational issues that are at the heart of learning science. As a discipline, learning science is both as old as the hills, and so new that it is still labeled an emerging field.

How we learn, and how to apply that knowledge of how we learn, has long been a point of human fascination. In ancient times, Socrates and Aristotle spent much of their lives developing theories of knowledge and learning — and their influence is still felt in education today. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, other influential researchers, ranging from Jean Piaget to Benjamin Bloom to David Kolb to Lev Vygotsky, began to shape educational practice through the application of their theories and research.

But learning sciences, as a standalone discipline, is relatively new. Definitions are still emerging, but most agree that learning science is an interdisciplinary field focused on the development of effective learning methodologies and solutions. The empirical and theoretical underpinnings of neuroscience, cognitive science, instructional design, data analytics, anthropology, linguistics, computer science, psychology, and education have formed the foundation of the discipline. We expect that the discipline will continue to evolve, especially with the introduction of programs and institutes designed specifically to build a learning work force (e.g. the Science of Learning Institute at Johns Hopkins University or METALS at Carnegie Mellon University).

But how does this all relate to the educational setting in your mind’s eye — or to actual practice?

Picture that imaginary learning setting one more time. Look once at the seating arrangements. Look at what the learners are doing. Take a peek at the materials they are using.

The learning sciences allow us to ask fundamental questions about every single aspect of the classroom, and then draw from a broad and deep base of research to answer those questions in ways that enhance our practice and empower our learners. This truly is the intersection of where the science of learning meets the art of teaching — because learning science offers us the power to apply empirical validation to our decision-making in education.

For us at McGraw-Hill Education, it is worth noting that there is one more very important, and very exciting, aspect of learning sciences. When we ask those fundamental questions, conduct that research, and apply it to practice, we place ourselves squarely in the space in which the greatest innovation may take place.

It is already happening. Educators and researchers are already asking incredible questions, and the learning sciences are already informing equally incredible solutions. As a learning science company, we will build on this momentum, explore this remarkable space, and adapt it further to improve learning and instruction.

Why?

The answer is everywhere we look: because learning, and understanding how that learning happens, really does change everything.

About the Applied Learning Sciences Team

The McGraw-Hill Education Applied Learning Sciences (ALS) team is dedicated to the application and translation of foundational and cutting-edge learning science research toward product development. Working collaboratively across all School Group teams, ALS draws upon the vast body of research in fields such as neuroscience, education, cognitive science, psychology (including educational psychology), learning analytics, applied linguistics, anthropology, computer science, and philosophy.