Learning Sciences

Learning sciences is an interdisciplinary field that  advances scientific understanding of learning. The field is driven by two key goals: 1) to understand the cognitive, social, and cultural processes that shape learning, and 2) to use this knowledge to design innovative environments and experiences that support deep, effective learning. As an interdisciplinary field, learning sciences draws on methods and theories from psychology, cognitive science, anthropology, sociology, applied linguistics, and other fields. Learning scientists take a wide variety of creative approaches to investigate the many unknowns of learning. Much research in learning sciences studies learning as it happens in real-world, naturalistic situations, such as museums, classrooms, and digital spaces. 

At NHMU, the Learning Sciences Department was launched within Collections & Research with the arrival of Dr. Lynne Zummo in 2020 as the Curator of Learning Sciences. Composed of  undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and volunteers, the Learning Sciences team is led by Dr. Zummo and aims to study learning in many forms across the Museum. Overall, our goal is to produce empirical knowledge about learning processes unfolding at and beyond the Museum, and what features, exhibits, and experiences support this learning. 

Research Staff