Learning in Informal and Formal Environments (LIFE) Center an NSF Science of Learning Center

On November 23rd, 2005, Professor Marcia Linn from UC Berkeley visited the LIFE Center and gave a talk at the University of Washington on “Merging classroom and laboratory research traditions: Knowledge integration and desirable difficulties.”

ABSTRACT: The Introducing Desirable Difficulties for Educational Applications in Science (IDDEAS) project merges insights from laboratory studies of learning with results from classroom studies using the Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE) (see also the TELS Center). In laboratory studies with straightforward materials psychologists show that conditions that introduce certain desirable difficulties for the learner — and appear to slow the rate of the learning — can enhance long-term retention and transfer. One desirable difficulty, substituting a requirement that learners generate a response for the opportunity to engage in additional study of material is also widely used in embedded assessments in technology-enhanced classroom learning.

In the research reported here we vary the forms of generation and compare generation consistent with work in laboratory studies to generation found in embedded assessments informed by the knowledge integration framework. We explore the effectiveness of the generation effect in two settings: undergraduate laboratory experiments and middle school classrooms. In all studies, the generation effect was demonstrated to improve retention and learning. In laboratory studies, the generation condition was significantly more successful than the read condition for single facts. In classroom studies asking students to reflect across topics was more successful than reflecting on single topics. These studies show the benefit of testing laboratory ideas in classrooms, enabling researchers to broaden knowledge about how principles of learning and memory operate in practice. Exploring generation in laboratory and classroom studies reveal the challenging design decisions faced by researchers wishing to make laboratory findings relevant to classroom instruction.

The LIFE Center has launched a new Graduate Student Internship Program. The program offers a unique opportunity for United States graduate students to spend a period of 3-5 months at a LIFE Center location and participate in LIFE research projects to broaden their understanding of the learning sciences.

This is a promising time for those interested in the learning sciences field. New graduate programs are appearing at universities across the globe. New research efforts are leveraging advances in education, psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, computer science, sociology, anthropology, and other allied fields. Future leaders in the learning sciences need deep expertise in a core area of the learning sciences and a general understanding of the many other active areas of research and application. A central goal of the LIFE Center is to provide the necessary breadth of experience for the next generation of researchers in the learning sciences.

To this end we will support up to four graduate students to spend several months between either September through December or January through June at the LIFE Center. There is some flexibility in starting and ending dates, but participants are expected to stay for the entire period for which they have been accepted. Stays of a full year may also be considered.

As part of the fellowship, students will be asked to: (1) participate in ongoing LIFE research activities and other relevant center activities, and (2) develop a detailed plan for a new learning study that could be conducted when they return to their home institution in ongoing collaboration with LIFE personnel. We are particularly interested in students who have compatible interdisciplinary goals (e.g., a student with a background in neuroscience who is interested in learning about socio-cultural accounts of learning).

Students must be citizens of the U.S. to be eligible for this program. We strongly encourage participation of students attending Minority Serving Institutions. Because we wish to make sure that the students admitted are fully able to benefit from the program while making progress in their own programs, we ask that the student’s advisor nominate the candidate student. Students cannot apply to the program directly. Students who wish to participate should ask their advisors to nominate them. Nominations should indicate the preferred LIFE Center location and faculty mentor(s):

• University of Washington, Learning Sciences (John Bransford, Philip Bell, Reed Stevens, Nancy Vye)
• University of Washington, Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) (Pat Kuhl, Andrew Meltzoff)
• Stanford University, Stanford Center for Innovations in Learning (SCIL) (Brigid Barron, Roy Pea, Dan Schwartz)
• Stanford University, Center for the Study of Language and Information (Byron Reeves)

(See the LIFE People Section for details on LIFE Center locations and mentors.)

Support for the Graduate Fellows will be provided in the form of reimbursement for local expenses (lodging and meals) up to a maximum of $1800/month. If necessary, some assistance with round trip travel between the Fellow’s home institution and the LIFE Center location can also be provided.

Nominations should be submitted by filling out and emailing the form included below. Alternatively, submissions will be accepted by regular mail:

LIFE Graduate Fellowship Program
c/o Professor Philip Bell
Learning Sciences
312 Miller Hall
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-3600

The nominator should describe the student, explain why she/he is suitable for such a program, and how it fits into their broader program of study. A copy of the student’s CV is optional, but recommended. Additional letters of support would be useful, but are not necessary.

Thank you for your consideration of this program.

Professor John Bransford, Director
The LIFE Center
University of Washington

NOTE: The LIFE Center is committed to diversity in its activities. As an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, we strongly encourage fellowship applications from minority and otherwise underrepresented candidates.

Nomination Form
Please complete and email the following information to pbell@u.washington.edu with a subject line of “LIFE Graduate Fellowship.”

Nominator Information
Name:
Institution:
Address:
Telephone:
E-Mail:

Nominee Information
Last Name:
First Name:
Complete Mailing Address:
E-Mail:

Preferred Fellowship Location: Univ of Washington or Stanford Univ
Preferred LIFE Faculty Mentor(s):
Preferred Fellowship Dates:

Please describe the student, and explain why she/he is suitable for such a program:

It is recommended that a copy of the student’s CV be attached to the nomination email.

LIFE continued funding of a collaborative research study between LIFE Center researchers at the University of
Washington’s Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences and researchers at the Univeristy of Texas, San Antonio, led by Harriett Romo, on a collaborative study on speech perception in bilingual infants, and how environment affects both early speech perception and later language. This study is examining infants being raised in bilingual homes (exposed to English and Spanish) at 7 and 11 months using brain and behavioral measures of speech perception that have previously been shown to predict future language abilities in monolingual infants. Children are being followed to examine the impact of learning two languages on the children’s linguistic, cognitive, and mathematical skills. This collaboration represents an enhancement to the knowledge, skills, and research of both research groups involved. This study is receiving support from the LIFE ECO funds for their work.

On November 2 & 3, 2005, the LIFE Center Science & Technology Review Board met with the LIFE faculty and students in Seattle. Board members in attendence included: Michael Posner (chair), Jim Greeno, Gerhard Fischer, Richard Patz, and Nichole Pinkard. LIFE researchers presented a detailed update on the Center’s scientific progress and future directions. The Board deeply engaged with LIFE’s research portfolio and offered a range of recommendations for shaping future research activities.