Chapter 2 Page 39 Foundations and opportunities for an interdisciplinary science of learning

In this chapter, we argue that the learning sciences are poised for a “decade of synergy. ” We focus on several key traditions of theory and research with the potential for mutually influencing one another in ways that can transform how we think about the science of learning, as well as how future educators and scientists are trained. The three major strands of research are: (1) implicit learning and the brain, (2) informal learning, and (3) designs for formal learning and beyond. As Figure 1A illustrates, these three areas have mainly operated independently, with researchers attempting to apply their thinking and findings directly to education, and with the links between theory and well-grounded implications for practice often proving tenuous at best. ==INSERT FIGURES 1A and 1B HERE== The goal of integrating insights from these strands in order to create a transformative theory of learning is illustrated in Figure 1B. Successful efforts to understand and advance human learning require a simultaneous emphasis on informal and formal learning environments, and on the implicit ways in which people learn in whatever situations they find themselves. We explore examples of research from each of these three strands. We then suggest ways that the learning sciences might draw on these traditions for creating a more robust understanding of learning, which can inform the design o