While ISLS sees many Learning Sciences researchers around the world come to present their studies and discuss new ideas intensively at our annual conferences (ICLS and CSCL), it also recognizes that more researchers are interested in the field but cannot be at the annual conference for financial reasons. We receive many requests of support for regional or affinity group activities. There are also scientists that do research having affinity to ours, but are not aware of ISLS.

The newly initiated Grants Program for Regional and Affinity Outreach & Engagement Promoting the Learning Sciences is funding three programs this year. 

Learning Design, Technology and the Learning Sciences: a Research Colloquium

This is an intensive workshop that aims to connect ISLS to the research community in China working in an area most closely allied to the learning sciences: technology-enhanced learning and learning technologies. The objective of the colloquium is to make advances on the topic of Learning Design, Technology and the Learning Sciences, and to create substantial connections among participants that will lead to sustained engagement between LS-related Chinese researchers and the broader ISLS community. The proposed event will be hosted by Beijing Normal University and takes the form of a small-scale intensive workshop that aims at co-producing serious scholarly outputs, with extensive preparation and a plan for follow-up work.

Organizers:

• Li CHEN, Professor and Vice President, Beijing Normal University
• Stian Håklev, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
• Nancy Law, Hong Kong University, Hong Kong

Promoting LS research between Hebrew speaking and Arabic speaking researchers across the Arabic/Jewish educational field

The learning sciences have yet to make an impact on Arabic speaking educational research. The region is underrepresented in the LS community. Scientific collaboration between Hebrew speaking and Arabic speaking researchers in the region is limited in educational and human development contexts, although the research potential is vast in terms of the richness of the different contexts, languages, and cultures. Intra-Israeli collaboration (Tel Aviv University, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, The Hebrew University, The University of Haifa, and The Technion) will serve as the basis for cross-institutional basic and advanced programs in the LS.  Arabic and Hebrew speaking learning scientists from dominantly Hebrew speaking research institutions will collaborate to form a research partnership with up to two research groups from Arabic speaking research institutions in the Palestinian Authority and/or in Israel. The goal is to create a scientific dialogue and to promote the Learning Sciences while building a shared research space. The ‘research field’ is expected to be expanded as well, as we view studies to take place in a broader context and settings.

Organizers

• Benzi Slakmon, Assistant Professor, School of Education, Tel-Aviv University
• Islam Abu Saad, PhD Candidate, The Laboratory for the Study of Pedagogy, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
• Einat Heyd Metzuyanim, Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology
• Tsafrir Goldberg, Senior Lecturer, Head of Undergraduate Studies and Teacher Education, University of Haifa
• Soryna Sabbah, PhD. Candidate, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology
• Baruch Schwarz, Full Professor, School of Education, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Translating Across Disciplines: Urban/Community Planning & Learning Sciences

In recent years, there has been a good deal of interest in building a bridge between planning research and work in the field of learning sciences, which has robust theoretical and methodological tools for studying learning (e. g. Meléndez & Parker 2018; Radinsky, et al., 2016; Taylor, 2017). We propose two special pre-organized sessions and a culminating Roundtable discussion at the 2019 Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) Annual Conference. We aim to create opportunities for collaboration, to reframe and advance the conceptualizations of learningin the learning sciences and planning disciplines, with implications for both practice and research.

Organizers:

• José W. Meléndez, Assistant Professor of Planning, Public Policy, and Management, University of Oregon
• Joshua Radinsky, Associate Professor of the Learning Sciences and Curriculum Studies University of Illinois at Chicago
• Katie Headrick Taylor, Assistant Professor, Learning Sciences & Human Development, University of Washington