Advancing the Science and Practice of Learning
At the Cognitive Science-Based Learning Hub, we bring together research, teaching, and student engagement to understand how people learn and how to support more effective, independent learning in higher education.
Our work focuses on three interconnected areas:
1. Helping Students Learn How to Learn
Our Learning Hub program translates findings from cognitive science into practical learning experiences for first-year college students.
Through six structured, small-group sessions led by trained undergraduate mentors, students learn and practice evidence-based strategies for reading, organizing information, remembering course material, and monitoring their own understanding.
Our approach emphasizes understanding why particular strategies work and developing the ability to select and apply them independently across academic contexts.
2. Research on Learning Strategies and Academic Success
The Learning Hub also serves as a research platform for investigating how students develop effective learning habits and how these practices influence their academic experiences.
Our research examines changes in students' metacognitive awareness, self-regulated learning, study strategies, and academic performance. We also investigate how different instructional formats, including peer-mentored and online interventions, influence students' engagement and learning outcomes.
3. Learning and Thinking in the Age of AI
As generative AI becomes integrated into education, an important question emerges: Does AI help students become better thinkers and learners, or does it sometimes replace the cognitive effort necessary for learning?
Our emerging research investigates how interactions with AI can either augment or erode learning and cognitive independence.
We examine how students use generative AI when studying, the cognitive processes they engage in or delegate to AI, and how these interactions relate to learning outcomes.
Our goal is to develop and evaluate approaches that help students use AI strategically, supporting deeper understanding, critical thinking, and metacognitive regulation rather than substituting for these essential cognitive processes.
Connecting Research and Practice
Across these areas, the Learning Hub provides opportunities for undergraduate students to contribute as mentors and researchers, connecting scientific knowledge with meaningful educational experiences.
Through this integration of research and practice, we aim to advance our understanding of learning while helping students develop the knowledge, strategies, and intellectual independence needed to thrive in a rapidly changing educational environment