New website provides cutting-edge information on education, human development

LearnNow.org is working to tear down the wall between academic research and real-world practice. This new website, featuring the tagline "From research to the real world," is designed to provide readers with cutting-edge research on education and learning that has been translated into refreshing material geared toward implementation.

LearnNow.org was developed as a joint effort by UD researcher Roberta Golinkoff and collaborators from Johns Hopkins Medicine Brain Science Institute; Temple University; Harvard University's Graduate School of Education; the Families and Work Institute; and Maryland Institute College of Art. By creating the first comprehensive research index on the topic, Golinkoff and her colleagues wanted to affect the way parents, teachers and policymakers understand how learning really happens and how to facilitate it.

Individuals involved in the care and education of children at all levels can connect to the latest research and advances in psychology, education, neuroscience and cognitive science to support children's success.

The website brings together a community of distinguished scientists who actually generate the data and are eager to share what they have learned. The material is sent to independent editorial advisers who make sure that it is comprehensible and presented in a thought-provoking way. All of the research is peer-reviewed and of "excellent quality."

"One of our main overarching goals is to offer what our science has taught us about how to rear and educate today's children who will be tomorrow's leaders," says Golinkoff, H. Rodney Sharp Chair in UD's School of Education.

Susan Magsamen from Johns Hopkins University adds, "People really don't know where to turn for good, evidence-grounded advice and this site is unique in drawing on the world's leading scientists."

The site is deliberately interactive, inviting readers to submit questions, investigate learning myths and find tip sheets. Stimulating videos are offered in which visitors to the site can hear experts talk about how children think and learn. Information is grouped into categories that readers can easily relate to: attention, play, STEM and stress.

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek of Temple University says, "With this website, we can provide readers with an inroad into the scientific literature that used to take years to trickle down through child development books."

To enhance the usefulness of the site, the creators will make use of metrics and assessments built in to the website to evaluate what they are offering. They are very excited about sharing the science of learning with the public and passionate about helping people differentiate the hype from the principles behind how children learn.