About the Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center

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About the Pittsburgh Science of Learning
Center Funded by the National Science Foundation,
the Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center (PSLC)
provides a novel research facility, called
LearnLab. LearnLab is an internationally
available resource designed to dramatically
increase the ease and speed with which learning
researchers can create the rigorous, theory-based
experiments that pave the way to an understanding
of robust learning. A Facility for Rigorous
Learning Research In pursuit of providing a
facility where researchers can conduct rigorous
laboratory-quality studies in a realistic
classroom setting, the PSLC has created seven
highly instrumented technology-enhanced online
courses, called LearnLabs. These courses include
mathematics, physical science, and second
languages at the high school and college level.
LearnLab courses incorporate intelligent tutoring
systems and face-to-face and computer-mediated
peer, tutor, and instructor interactions. Use of
technology-enhanced courses produces volumes of
high-density data both on the short-term
consequences of variation in learning processes
and on effects of these changes on long-term
retention, transfer, and accelerated future
learning (i.e., robust learning). Technology
facilitates realism in learning studies by making
it feasible to embed experimental manipulations
in the context of real courses that persist over
weeks, months, or years. In addition, LearnLab
technologies are being developed to enable the
creation of experimental materials and the
analysis of data. LearnLab Courses and LearnLab
Technologies LearnLab courses currently exist for
high school-level Algebra and Geometry, and
college-level Physics, Chemistry, French,
Chinese, and English as a Second Language.
LearnLab courses and technologies serve three
purposes to provide a testbed for
experimentation, to create new kinds of data
analysis tools, and to develop authoring tools
for advanced educational technology. These tools
are intended to make it easier for experimenters
to develop experimental materials and to analyze
the resulting data. Once a tool has been
developed and refined with real users, it is
taken over by the PSLC Data Shop which provides
user support and software maintenance.
For More Information Visit us on the web _at_
www.LearnLab.org Email us _at_ pslc-submit _at_lists.an
drew.cmu.edu Call us _at_ [phone] PSLC
Managing Director 3507 NSH Carnegie Mellon 5000
Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213
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• Participate in the PSLC Research Community
• The PSLC welcomes learning researchers to design
  and conduct experiments in the context of the
  LearnLab courses. Projects in our facility are
  intended to produce results that survive rigorous
  experimentation with laboratory-quality methods
  in real classroom settings. Our mission is to
  integrate these results into computationally-inspi
  red, experimentally-grounded theories of how and
  when robust learning occurs. We encourage you to
  join us in this mission and take advantage of the
  many levels of support offered by the PSLC a
  community of learning researchers available for
  collaboration, a diverse Executive Committee
  committed to providing valuable feedback at all
  stages of the development and implementation of
  research projects, limited funding, and the use
  of the LearnLab courses and LearnLab technologies
  for the purpose of conducting high-quality
  experiments.
• We have a three-stage semi-annual project review
  process for all projects, with project plans
  being requested by January 15 and June 30 of each
  year. The three stages are Letter of Intent,
  Pre-submission Formative Presentation, and
  Project Plan Submission. Please visit our
  website, www.learnlab.org, for more information
  about the PSLC and guidelines for project plans.
  
• Important PSLC Dates
• November 1 Letter of intent cutoff date
  (post-doctoral candidates are encouraged to
  submit during this round)
• December 1 Pre-submission formative presentation
  in Pittsburgh or by phone
• January 15 Project plan due
• February 15 Executive Committee response is
  mailed to PIs
• April 15 Letter of intent cutoff date (for
  post-doctoral candidates as well)
• May 15 Pre-submission formative presentation in
  Pittsburgh or by phone
• June 30 Project plan due
• July 31 Executive Committee response is mailed
  to PIs

For More Information Visit us on the web _at_
www.learnlab.org Email us _at_ pslc-submit _at_lists.an
drew.cmu.edu Call us _at_ [phone] PSLC
Managing Director 3507 NSH Carnegie Mellon 5000
Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213