The Children's Research Initiative: Integrative Approaches: Building Capacity for a Research Center on Mediated Learning

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract Building Capacity for a Research Center on Mediated Learning Mary Martini Higher-order thinking skills are important in enabling young people to prepare for our rapidly changing society. The proposed project will establish the groundwork at the University of Hawaii for a collaborative research center on the role of socially mediated learning in the cognitive development of children. The proposed center will facilitate and sustain a research program focused on determining how children develop higher order thinking and problem-solving abilities and how adults mediate this learning in everyday social interactions and cultural and learning activities. The center aims to advance our knowledge in this area by encouraging collaborative projects that combine different but potentially complementary research approaches-specifically those of ethnographic observation, experimental cognitive development research, and developmental neuroscience. Two models of such integrative work are: 1) to initially study learning and teaching processes in their natural contexts in homes, classrooms, lessons, playing fields, etc., using observational and ethnographic methods, and then to evaluate hypotheses about the processes operating in those settings using experimental research designs; and 2) to initially study cognitive and learning processes in laboratory settings, and then seek to deepen our understanding of how those processes take shape through more naturalistic, observational research. A major goal of the planning year will be to examine the potential applicability of these two models, as well as of other possible models, to the study of children's socially mediated learning. Center research will focus on the effects of adult (and peer) guidance on cognitive and neuro-cognitive processing. Some research questions will be: How do children take on the problem solving strategies presented by others? How do children generalize the strategies learning in one domain and context to others? How do adults mediate learning in different settings-at home, in classrooms, in work settings, in lessons or sports activities? Can effective mediation styles used in one setting transfer to other settings to enhance learning? A workshop will be held to develop the activities that will be incorporated into a center proposal, including: 1) developing a shared knowledge base and set of research models among the participating researchers; 2) providing a working forum in which participating researchers can develop specific research proposals; 3) developing collaborations among University of Hawaii, mainland and community researchers; and 4) developing the infrastructure for the envisioned research center at the University of Hawaii.