GRT/The Learning Sciences Ph.D. Program: Building a Scientific Infrastructure for Applications of Advanced Technologies for Teaching and Learning

学习的认知科学研究的新见解和计算机技术本质上的重大进步使学习科学成为基于可靠理论和证据的教学创新的关键研究领域。学习科学博士项目是西北大学教育与社会政策学院于1991年推出的一个新的跨学科博士项目，有20多名新聘用的教师（教育、计算机科学和心理学学科），旨在培养该领域的新一代专业人士。该计划的教师和学生从事研究，以促进学习和教育的科学理解和实践，以及学校和工作场所创新技术和学习环境的理论，设计，建设和评估。学习科学博士包括一个有凝聚力的培训计划，在其核心课程，方法论基础和研究学徒中整合了三个专业领域的实质性治疗：(1)学习的社会背景研究，研究从教室到校外环境中学习的社会、背景和文化动态；(2)认知研究，开发获得领域知识和技能的结构和过程的科学模型；(3)学习技术研究，专注于理论指导的设计和多媒体计算、人工智能的使用；以及支持学习和教学过程的通信技术。该提案描述了学习科学的研究生培训计划，以及在西北大学最近少数民族博士项目招生急剧增加的背景下，我们积极招聘以吸引代表性不足的群体进入这一领域的计划。

New insights from cognitive scientific studies of learning and significant advances in the nature of computer technology make the Learning Sciences a critical area of study for innovations in teaching and learning based on sound theory and evidence. The Learning Sciences Ph.D. program is a new interdisciplinary doctoral program launched at Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy in 1991 with over twenty newly-hired faculty (in the disciplines of Education, Computer Science, and Psychology) targeting the training of a new generation of professionals in the field. Faculty and students in the program are engaged in research to advance the scientific understanding and practice of learning and education, and the theory, design, construction, and assessment of innovative technologies and learning environments for schools and workplaces. The Learning Sciences Ph.D. comprises a cohesive training program integrating substantive treatment of three areas of specialization in its core coursework, methodological foundations, and research apprenticeships: (1) the study of social contexts of learning which investigates the social, contextual, and cultural dynamics of learning in situation ranging from classrooms to out-of-school setting, (2) the study of cognition, developing scientific models of the structures and processes by which domain knowledge and skills are acquired and (3) the study of learning technologies, which concentrates on the theory-guided design and use of multimedia computing, artificial intelligence, and communications technologies for supporting learning and teaching processes. This proposal describes the graduate training program in Learning Sciences and our plans for aggressive recruiting to attract underrepresented groups to this field in the context of Northwestern's recent dramatic increases in minority doctoral program enrollment.