Last week, we asked the editors of Reflections on the Learning Sciences about common misconceptions about learning sciences

This week, we ask:

What are some barriers to innovation in the realm of learning sciences?

Participants: 

Michael A. Evans, North Carolina State University

Martin J. Packer, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia

R. Keith Sawyer, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Michael A. Evans

One obvious barrier, at least in the US, is that there are still an insufficient number of departments of learning sciences in schools of education. What I mean is that there is somewhat of a bottle neck for opportunities for newly graduated learning scientists to procure positions as, for example, faculty or research scientists in schools of education or research and evaluation institutes. Another barrier to innovation is that the learning sciences still needs to identify its identity that clearly establishes its contributions to educational research more broadly. In fact, one purpose of this book was to make this issue one of the most prominent for the field as it moves past its first quarter century.

Martin J. Packer

This is precisely a question that learning science researchers are exploring. Their interest in design, and design research, extends into the exploration of obstacles and challenges in the implementation of new approaches to learning, as well as in ‘scaling up’ their interventions.

In addition, Cody Maddox and I have suggested that the two distinctions that have often been made the learning sciences, first between the laboratory and the ‘real world,’ and second between ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ contexts, may have discouraged a thorough analysis of the multiple settings in which learning occurs. Learning sciences promises to dissolve, or at least rethink, the distinction between theory and practice. We suggest that it would be helpful to rethink these other two distinctions too.

R. Keith Sawyer

None that I can think of!

*Next week, the authors discuss the future of learning sciences