Future Directions for the Science of Learning

In the future, I believe that the science of learning will increasingly embrace an integrated management approach that will combine effective learning theories with relevant technological resources to create productive educational environments. For some time, many have expected that technology would eventually provide some sort of educational panacea. When technology did not produce this, many early believers became doubtful. However, technology alone does not improve cognition.

Unlike the skeptics, I feel that a systematic process of integrating appropriate technological tools with constructivist, student-centered instruction can provide efficient, unique, and enhanced learning environments. Furthermore, these environments may potentially produce unprecedented cognitive enhancement. I think that this is especially true for topics, such as science and math that are important but difficult for students to comprehend. Yet, educators must identify, select, and evaluate technological resources that help make these topics relevant, intriguing, and compelling to students.

I envision that subsequently, educators will disseminate meaningful goals, objectives and infuse lessons with valuable learning components, such as generative topics and opportunities for reflection. And, they will provide opportunities for ongoing assessment and feedback. Students will contribute, collaborate, and corroborate using social network applications, such as wikis, blogs, and instant messaging. Unprecedented creative opportunities will follow as students produce videos and podcasts of their schoolwork and proudly share them with everyone. Moreover, the entire world, at least theoretically, can provide feedback. Iterative feedback will enable students to gain a broader perspective, make improvements, resubmit their work, and obtain additional feedback. This process is perhaps the first “perpetual beta” version of schoolwork. While this may seem farfetched to some, it is a familiar scenario for many of the current generation of learners.

Ever the optimist, I hope that education, especially public education, will become effective for all students. I grew up in a relatively complex society. However, it was simple by comparison to contemporary society. To provide a productive learning environment for current and upcoming generations, educators must not only move ahead, but sideways, backward, up, and down, or maybe in an undiscovered dimension. Perhaps the next stage is educational reform based on chaos theory. Scientists and mathematicians find order in chaos. Perhaps someday educators will also find order in chaos.