Professor Daniel Ansari speaks at the official launch of The Centre for the Science of Learning on October 4, 2019.
Western Education announces new Centre for the Science of Learning
Understanding how children learn is critical to their success in school and in life. For this reason, the Faculty of Education has officially launched a new research centre that examines how children learn in school.
The Centre for the Science of Learning is made up of researchers from cognitive science, psychology, neuroscience and education. They will conduct evidence-based research to determine the psychological and biological factors that help children learn. The aim of the centre is to build connections between researchers and educators in order to facilitate evidence-informed practice as well advances in the Science of Learning.
“Working with school boards will be one of the keys to our success,” said Professor Daniel Ansari, Director of the Centre for the Science of Learning. “We won’t be telling educators what to do. Rather, they’ll tell us their needs, then we’ll analyze and conduct research to address them.”
Research will be shared with policymakers and educators so it can influence education policies that will be incorporated into the education system.
The Centre’s research will also be integrated into the teacher education program at Western University, allowing new teachers to enter their classrooms with the most up-to-date research so they can have an immediate impact on their students.
Ansari, a faculty member of the Faculty of Education and a cross-appointed faculty member with the Department of Psychology, said the Centre will also look beyond Canada’s borders to advance education research.
“International relationships are important because it gives opportunities for our own researchers to learn from their international colleagues,” said Ansari. “By comparing our research, we can see similarities and differences between different education systems, which will assist us in applying the right solutions to Canadian schools.”
