International Conference on Learning Sciences

International Conference on Learning Sciences
Name	International Conference on Learning Sciences
Status	Active
Discipline	Learning sciences
Frequency	Biennial
Country	Various
First	1990

Contents

International Conference on Learning Sciences is a biennial scholarly gathering that convenes researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Cambridge, and University of Oxford to present work on technology-enhanced learning, classroom studies, and cognitive design. The conference attracts delegates from organizations including Educational Testing Service, SRI International, Microsoft Research, Google Research, and Apple Inc., alongside attendees from ministries and foundations like the National Science Foundation, European Commission, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Venues have ranged across cities such as Chicago, London, Sydney, Vancouver, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.

History

The conference was established following dialogues among scholars affiliated with Northwestern University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Michigan, University of Toronto, and Rutgers University that parallel meetings at forums like the International Society of the Learning Sciences and workshops connected to ACM SIGCHI, IEEE Education Society, and American Educational Research Association. Early iterations featured collaborations with labs such as the MIT Media Lab, Carnegie Mellon University Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Learning Research and Development Center (University of Pittsburgh), Centre for Innovation in Learning (Imperial College London), and National Institute of Informatics (Japan). Over time, the program integrated strands tied to projects from DARPA, Wellcome Trust, European Research Council, Apple Distinguished Schools, and networks like The LEGO Foundation and IEEE Computer Society.

Typical structure mirrors formats used by gatherings such as CHI (conference), NeurIPS, ICML, EDM (conference), and AIED. Formats include keynote talks from figures at Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Columbia University, and Duke University; paper sessions; hands-on workshops hosted by MIT Press authors and editors from journals like Journal of the Learning Sciences, Cognition and Instruction, Educational Researcher, and Learning and Instruction. The program often comprises panels with representatives from UNESCO, OECD, World Bank, UNICEF, and regional consortia such as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI). Satellite events collaborate with centers including Stanford Graduate School of Education, UCL Institute of Education, Monash University, and University of Sydney Faculty of Education.

Research themes reflect intersections evident in work by investigators at Microsoft Research Redmond, Google DeepMind, OpenAI, IBM Research, and labs at ETH Zurich and Max Planck Society. Core areas include design-based research influenced by studies from SRI International, dialogic learning practices linked to scholarship at University College London, cognitive apprenticeship tracing to Brown University, computational modeling related to Carnegie Mellon University, and human-centered AI approaches similar to projects at Stanford Human-Centered AI Institute. Cross-cutting topics engage with assessment innovations like those from Educational Testing Service, learning analytics comparable to efforts at Dartmouth College, maker-centered learning connected to MIT Media Lab, game-based learning paralleling initiatives at University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, and equity-focused inquiries aligning with research at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Keynote speakers have included scholars and practitioners from Howard Gardner-affiliated projects, researchers linked to Seymour Papert's legacy at the MIT Media Lab, and influential educators from Paulo Freire-inspired movements observable at Universidade de São Paulo and Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Awards presented at the conference parallel recognitions like the ACM SIGCHI Lifetime Research Award and include best paper, best poster, and early career researcher prizes supported by sponsors such as National Science Foundation, European Research Council, Microsoft Research, Google Research, and Intel Corporation.

The conference is stewarded by a committee drawn from members of the International Society of the Learning Sciences and academic partners at institutions including University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Education, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Washington, Indiana University Bloomington, and University of Melbourne. Governance structures use program chairs, local organizing committees, and advisory boards resembling models at Association for Computing Machinery and IEEE, and incorporate ethics and equity advisory groups with contributors from UNESCO, World Bank Education Global Practice, and civil society organizations such as Teach For All.

Category:Conferences in learning sciences