A network to improve educator-preparation
The Learning by Scientific Design Network is a group of 10 educator-preparation programs redesigning their coursework and clinical experiences around our best scientific understanding of how students learn. Together, they’re working to ensure novice teachers understand the basic principles of cognitive science and how to apply these principles during instructional decision-making.
Want to learn more about this work or get in touch about a potential partnership? Contact us.
Explore program case studies
Building congruence in Louisiana educator preparation
What does science tell us is the most effective way for humans to learn? That’s the question that drove the Louisiana Resource Center for Educators (LRCE) — one of the state’s oldest and largest alternative teacher-certification programs — to join the Learning by Scientific Design (LbSD) Network.
Case Study: Fighting folk pedagogies with science at UNC Charlotte
After engaging with learning science, teacher-candidates at UNC Charlotte are demonstrating significant changes in their instructional decision-making and prioritizing the complex, scientific nature of teaching.
Download our new report!
In Deepening Meaning and Learning, we highlight stories and data that answer questions at the heart of the network: What does it look like when a teacher uses learning science to design instruction and build relationships with students? How does a teacher create an environment where all students receive equal access to learning? And what are the implications for educational equity?
Listen to the Learning by Scientific Design podcast
In our podcast, former education reporter Claire McInerny talks with LbSD program faculty and a mentor-teacher on their experiences putting learning science into practice. Through four episodes, we explore:
- Episode 1: What are some foundational principles of learning science? How can they facilitate more effective teaching?
- Episode 2: How does teaching with a deep understanding of learning science lead to equitable experiences and outcomes, especially for students with special needs?
- Episode 3: How does learning science influence specific teaching practices? How might an understanding of learning science lead to stronger relationships with students?
- Episode 4: How can the growing adoption of learning science in teacher preparation contribute to systemic change in U.S. education?
Listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or YouTube.
Connections to equity and justice
In June 2021, we hosted a webinar exploring “Transformative change: How instruction based in the science of learning advances educational justice.” We spoke with experts from three sites in the LbSD Network to hear how learning science has helped them work towards equitable outcomes for all students. Click here to watch the recording. Or, watch a brief excerpt below.
Meet future teachers using learning science
