Since February 2013, the UIC's Faculty of Education has been hosting internationally renowned experts from top universities such as Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard and Wisconsin for the International Scientific Seminar in Learning Sciences, the first event of its kind held in Spain. Industry gurus such as Anne Edwards, Courtney Cazden, Linda Hargreaves and Carol D. Lee have all taken part in the event, or are scheduled to do so before the final session in May.
Running until May, the seminar analyses scientific learning methodologies based on dialogue and interaction. These aim to improve academic performance, reduce school dropout rates and boost social cohesion.
A pioneering line of research in the United States, the Learning Sciences are focused on furthering scientific understanding of the learning process so as to enable the design of more effective, evidence-based learning environments. An interdisciplinary field strongly rooted in cognitive and social psychology, it also draws heavily on branches of knowledge such as anthropology, neuroscience and linguistics. The field is still in its infancy across Europe and is virtually unknown in Spain.
So far, some of the leading thinkers in the area have spoken at the seminar, including Anne Edwards, Courtney Cazden and Linda Hargreaves, from the universities of Oxford, Harvard and Cambridge, respectively. Other speakers have included professors Ramón Flecha and Marta Soler from the Universitat de Barcelona and Dr. Sandra Racionero, the Scientific Director of the seminar and the Head of Research at the UIC's Faculty of Education.
Dr. Racionero will be speaking at one of the next sessions of the seminar, which are scheduled for 5 and 6 April 2013, as will Carol D. Lee of Northwestern University (USA).
