Learning Takes the Front Seat at NAS

The Committee on Developments in the Science of Learning at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recently hosted a workshop, 'The Sciences of Science Learning: An interdisciplinary discussion.' This daylong workshop focused on how our current knowledge about cognitive development, cognition, and pedagogy can improve science education. The meeting was attended by approximately 50 people, including the members of the NAS Committee, invited speakers, researchers, and officers from federal funding agencies. The program included lectures, demonstrations, and discussions and was followed by a reception hosted by the Science Directorate.

The purpose of the workshop was to examine developments in science instruction derived from the collaborative work of subject experts, cognitive scientists, and educational researchers. Sessions focused on concepts and conceptual change, model-based reasoning, cognitive restructuring of math and science education, and demonstrations of new technologies that support innovative science curricula.

At reception (left to right): Merry Bullock, PhD, APA Senior Scientist; Rodney Cocking, PhD, Senior Program Officer at the National Research Council; and Kevin Dunbar, PhD, Director of the Laboratory for Complex Thinking and Scientific Reasoning at McGill University.