Future directions for the Science of Learning

Learning is a capacity that all of us have since we are born. Researchers have demonstrated that children are able to develop knowledge of their own capacities at a very early age. It is therefore vital for parents to begin encouraging their children to engage in learning activities. As learners grow they build some of their knowledge on the basis of certain misconceptions. Hence, teachers in schools have a great responsibility in correcting students while closely monitoring their learning. By doing this, students gain a solid knowledge base that can help them as they learn additional subjects. So, in order to promote expertise students should be encouraged to spend time in learning about things that matter most to them.

Teachers need to be adequately prepared to teach children. They have to understand how children develop their thinking and cognition. Apart from this, teachers have to demonstrate mastery in their subject matter as well as competent pedagogical skills. When teachers enter the profession they are very enthusiastic about their job, however, the truth is that many fail to prepare themselves in lifelong learning. This is why, when technology knocks at their door they freak out. They have not prepared to incorporate new tools into their teaching practice.

Technology plays an important role in today's educational settings. In schools that have never used computers before, there is a great interest in adopting computer-based instruction. The OLPC program in countries like Peru is being used as an instrument to augment learning and reasoning of students and teachers in remote rural areas. That said, this program is also being used as an instrument to engage the families and community in becoming active participants of the progress of the children. It is not just in school but also when the children return to their houses. This may sound somewhat weird in developed countries but, parents in these rural areas will have the chance to learn about the world from their children. You will be surprised to know how many parents wait for their children to fall asleep in order to have a chance to use the computer to navigate through the Internet.

A key component in this chain to support learning is assessment. Effective teachers will always find ways to gauge their students to see how they are doing. This way, if necessary, they will modify the plans in order to incorporate elements that can contribute to provide better understanding of concepts. Assessment also needs to take into account the evaluation of depth-of-understanding rather than memorization of facts and procedures.

A lot has been said about the time that students spend outside school. As observed in the Two Million Minutes of High School, it is important to realize that students that strive for better opportunities will always find it fruitful to engage in after-school programs. It is therefore essential for families to get involved in guiding their son's and daughter's education.

To conclude, given that there have been many changes in society's requirements and tools of technology, the need to prepare learner-centered and culturally knowledgeable students lies in the hands of the family with later collaboration from schools. Ultimately, I would suggest that parents be involved in seminars to have a better understanding of learning sciences, since they are held responsible for educating children at an early age.