|
|
The Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC) is home to multidisciplinary research on human learning and education. Our research spans a wide range, from the neural bases of learning and memory through literacy, language, reasoning, and STEM learning, the social and developmental contexts that affect educational attainment and equity, and large-scale efforts for educational improvement. We are pleased to share some of our research with the University of Pittsburgh community and the wider learning and educational sciences communities through these occasional reports.
LRDC Research News is prepared by Elizabeth Rangel, LRDC Director of Communications. See the LRDC website for more on Center research.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Applying a Strengths-Based Approach to Randomized Control Trials
Diana Leyva and her co-authors illustrate how to apply a strengths-based approach in various stages of the research process, from program design and evaluation to result interpretation and dissem-ination, using three examples from recent randomized control trials (RCT). Read about the research here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
IFL Fellows Release New Book
Institute for Learning (IFL) fellows and co-authors Sara DeMartino, Tony Petrosky, and Glenn Nolly take readers into the heart of a large urban district — the classrooms, the practices, the deep collaborative work of continuous improvement. More on the volume here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Building Educators' Confidence and Skill in Improvement Science
Researchers investigate how deliberate practice and social learning, two central components of the network improvement community (NIC) model, shape the development of improvement science confidence and skill. Read about the research here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2026 LRDC Colloquium Series: Digital Literacy
On February 2, LRDC welcomes Michael Cohen, Senior Research Analyst, University of Chicago, to present "Effects of Individual Differences, Psychological Inoculation, and Neural Mechanisms on Impacts of False Accusations against Hypothetical Political Candidates." More on the LRDC Colloquium Series.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Distinguished University Professor Charles Perfetti to Retire
After 58 years, Dr. Charles Perfetti is retiring from the University of Pittsburgh. We are planning a celebration in his honor on March 16, 2026. If you'd like to send a remembrance of your time at LRDC with Chuck, or if you have photos you can share, please email Marge Gibson, mgibson@pitt.edu, by February 20, 2026.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Insights into Cognitive Development
A sample of LRDC research is currently featured on the University of Pittsburgh's "Research Matters" webpage (click on this link and scroll down).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New in the LRDC Learning Sciences Video Series
"Insights into Digital Literacy" details student strategies for successfully navigating digital text, sources, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) outputs. Link here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pitt Day of Giving
Mark your Calendars! On February 24, 2026, LRDC will participate in the 10th Pitt Day of Giving. All gifts support student initiatives at the Center. Details to come.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coutanche, M.N. (2025). Seeking cognitive and neural specificity in occipitotemporal cortex. Cognitive Neuroscience.
Duricy, E., Durisko, C., & Fiez, J. A. (2025). Lesion-symptom mapping reveals differential relationships between language and precise versus approximate numeracy. Cortex.
De Bellis, B., Vaughn-Coaxum, R., Huguley, J.P., Henderson, M., Hunter-Rue, D.S., & Eack, S. (2025). Trauma-Responsive restorative practices: Developing relational, emotional, adaptive minds program (DREAMs). Children and Schools.
Miller-Adams, M., & Iriti, J. (Eds.) (2025). The Free College Handbook: A Practitioner’s Guide to Promise Research. (2nd edition.) Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
Lin, Y., Iriti, J., Sherer, J. Z., Lowry, D., Matthis, C., & Legg, A. S. (2025). Building educators' confidence and skill in improvement science: A longitudinal study of the STEM PUSH Network. Frontiers in Education.
Lowry, D., & Li, A. (2025.) How do Promise programs benefit students? Early messaging. Chapter 5. In M. Miller-Adams, & J. Iriti, (eds.) “The Free College Handbook: A Practitioner’s Guide to Promise Research. (2nd edition.) Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
Ortega-LLebaria, M. & Nagao, J. (2025). When pitch falls short: Reinforcing prosodic boundaries to signal focus in Japanese. Languages.
Rubio, J., Schunn, C.D., Castleman, S., & Robles, B. (2025). Home language use in mathematics classrooms supports processing, not just input-output work. Language and Education.
Tiv, M., Ennis, S., Fernandez, L., Bhaskar, R., & Porter, S. (2025). Examining heterogeneity in racial identification among Middle Eastern and North African peoples in the American Community Survey. Self and Identity.
von Suchodoletz, A., Leyva, D., Ren, L., Li, Y., Zhang, Z., Yu, D., & Ng, F. F.-Y. (2025). How Chinese grandmothers and mothers share books with toddlers and relations with toddlers’ verbal contributions. Developmental Psychology.
LRDC authors in bold.
|
|
|
|
|
|
