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

On November 18th 2006, LIFE Lead Philip Bell from the University of Washington visited the education department at Oregon State University (OSU) to present a research colloquium on “Documenting children’s everyday encounters with science and technology: Preliminary results from a cross-setting ethnography of learning.” He also met with faculty and students at Oregon State University in order present and discuss details of research methodology and equipment associated with cross-setting ethnographic fieldwork and video-based analysis. He engaged the group in shared video analysis of data sequences focused on peer play and learning of children. Bell has continued to consult with scholars at OSU since the visit on current and prospective research projects.

LIFE’s Education, Collaboration, and Outreach (ECO) Review Board held their annual meeting at SRI International on November 7th, 2006. The review panel, led by Shirley Malcom of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), engaged in a series of discussions focused on the impact and direction of ECO as an important tool for building partnerships and promoting the findings of the LIFE Center to the learning sciences and teacher communities. ECO Board members and LIFE personnel in attendance included:

• Shirley Malcom - AAAS
• Raj Chaudhury - Christopher Newport University
• Steve Sanchez - The Education Center, New Mexico
• Vanessa Svihla - LIFE Fellowship Awardee
• Baba Kofi Weusijana - LIFE Postdoctoral Fellow
• Rob Semper - Exploratorium, Institute for Inquiry
• Bill Sandoval - UCLA
• Nora Sabelli - LIFE, SRI International
• Jeremy Roschelle - LIFE, SRI International
• Brigid Barron - LIFE, Stanford University
• Na’ilah Nasir - LIFE, Stanford University
• Roy Pea - LIFE, Stanford University
• Philip Bell - LIFE, University of Washington
• John Bransford - LIFE, University of Washington
• Maritza Rivera-Gaxiola - LIFE, University of Washington
• Laurie McCarthy - LIFE Graduate Student at UW
• Robb Lindgren - LIFE Graduate Student at Stanford

LIFE recently awarded Kevin Rocap of Long Island University (Brooklyn), School of Education, a seed grant to begin work on a Delphi study for which he will engage 50 to 100 scholars from 4 areas: learning science, multicultural education, bilingual education, and education technology. The purpose of this study is to find areas of agreement, as well as areas of disagreement, with the eventual goal of informing teacher education. The LIFE Center seeks to integrate issues of diversity-responsiveness across its research agenda. However, good, professional conversations and studies of the similarities, differences and possible synergies in purposes, theories, approaches and practices of multicultural education, language acquisition/development and learning sciences including how they might work together to support positive learner outcomes have not been undertaken substantively. This work is planned to begin in Summer or Fall 2006.