Exploring a Century of Advancements in the Science of Learning

Abstract

The past century has yielded a plethora of advancements in the science of learning, from expansions in the theoretical frames that undergird education research to cultural and contextual considerations in educational practice. The overarching purpose of this chapter is to explore and document the growth and development of the science of learning using a tripartite approach. The authors first provide an overview of definitions of learning that have been forwarded in the extant literature, with particular emphasis on journals published by the American Educational Research Association. Next, they overview the epistemic frames that have undergirded investigations of learning during the past century. Finally, they explore the ways in which the nature of investigations of learning has transitioned over time and how these transitions have manifested themselves in settings such as classrooms. In reflecting on the maturation and adaptation of the science of learning over the past century, the authors conclude with thoughts on the future of the science of learning.

Data Mining Applications Used in Education Sector

“…Wong et al (2019) reasoned that a good understanding of how learning occurs, how learning can be supported, and how student characteristics influence learning is needed if the goal of LA is to understand and optimise learning. Based on a recent review of papers published in the Review of Educational Research (RER) journal over the last century, Murphy and Knight (2016) found that learning sciences have been guided by three predominant theoretical lenses: behavioral, cognitive, and contextual (Wong et al,…”

Automated Scoring of Students’ Small‐Group Discussions to Assess Reading Ability

“…Finally, while the sociocognitive perspective is situated at the intersection of both social constructivist and cognitive frameworks, it uniquely grounds the vital and influential role of the teacher in enhancing students’ comprehension through discussion (Bandura, ). Indeed, teachers can support students’ comprehension by modeling critical‐analytic thinking, challenging students with misconceptions, and prompting them to elaborate their thinking aloud within small‐group discussions (Murphy & Knight, ; Wei & Murphy, in press). In sum, the weaving of such robust and comprehensive foundations provides a strong theoretical foundation for the prediction that small‐group classroom discussions can facilitate students’ reading comprehension.…”

Educational Theories and Learning Analytics: From Data to Knowledge

“…Based on a recent review of papers published in Review of Educational Research (RER) journal over the last century, Murphy and Knight (2016) found that learning sciences have been guided by three predominant theoretical lenses: behavioural, cognitive, and contextual. The authors used the word "lenses" to analogously refer to the theories that researchers use.…”

“…Theories that developed from the contextual lens included social constructivism and social learning theory. Murphy and Knight (2016) concluded that the shift in theoretical lens occurs when findings from new studies cannot be explained by the existing lens.…”

“…Given that understanding learning is a highly complex issue (Phillips, 2014), many learning theories have been developed over the last century based on different views of what learning is (Murphy & Knight, 2016). Learning theories are important not only because they can help to explain the phenomenon of learning but also because design principles for learning environments, materials, and tasks can be derived from the theories (Ertmer & Newby, 1993).…”