UNESCO Expert Meeting on the Learning Sciences

August 11, 2023 - Last update: March 21, 2024

UNESCO organized a meeting of experts on the Learning Sciences on 25-26 October 2023 in Paris. ​The meeting aimed to further the recommendations of the 2022 Transforming Education Summit and the United Nations Secretary General Vision Statement on Transforming Education. The latter articulates the importance of the curriculum and pedagogy while emphasizing the need for innovations, powered by but often neglected from Learning Sciences, to prepare the learners of today for a rapidly changing world. The meeting also explored the role that Learning Sciences and the networks associated with these interdisciplinary areas of study could play to support inclusive, quality, and holistic learning and the work of the SDG 4 High-Level Steering Committee (HLSC)’s Functional Area 1 on evidence-based policy formulation and implementation .​

 

Why an Expert Meeting on Learning Sciences?

•  There is exponentially growing interest and enquiry in how learning sciences can be applied to improving learning outcomes, yet many initiatives are scattered and remain “experimental” in nature, and many come to an end when financing ends.

•  The gap between the scientific knowledge and how it can be applied to policy and practice remains enormous, and the ‘translation’ issue remains a challenge.

•  Learning Sciences, referred to as an interdisciplinary area of study that investigates the process of teaching and learning and new ways to enhance learning outcomes, can suggest alternative or innovative models of teaching and learning that can cater to the diverse needs of learners and learning environments and institutions, in particular those related to learning content, methods, and environments.

 

Themes/Sessions

Day 1: Wednesday 25 October 2023

Morning:

  • Setting the stage

Session 1: Mismatch and missing links between the Learning Sciences and educational policies and practices

Session 1: Chang

 

Afternoon:

  • Deep dive discussion

Session 2: How the science of learning can mitigate the impacts of poverty and inequality on learning outcomes

Session 3: Pedagogical innovations for improving early and foundational learning

Day 2 : Thursday 26 October 2023

Morning:

  • Exploring and sharing

Experiences of national, regional, and global networks in bridging sciences, polices, and practices

Afternoon:

Outputs

  • - A community created on the Global Learning House website for sharing resources, peer learning and networking to promote the uptake of learning research for improving policies and practices in education. ​ 
  • - A Compendium of Insights from invited experts working in the domains of the  Learning Sciences to be published at the end of 2024.
  • - Read the Summary Report: 
UNESCO Expert Meeting on the Learning Sciences - Summary Report.pdf

 

Find out more about the meeting:

 

For more information, including sponsorship, partnership and networking, contact: educationpolicy@unesco.org

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