The Learning Kit Project: Advancing Research on Learning as Learners Learn in Everyday Settings

Realizing the full promise of software technologies in education requires thinking differently about how software can advance research while simultaneously making direct and powerful contributions to learning. In the Learning Kit Project,12we are developing software that meets this two-fold need. We describe here major components of our software suite: gStudy, the Coach, gChat, and the Log Analyzer. We then examine how using this software may revolutionize some research in the learning sciences. Finally, we identify 10 ways that this software can make important contributions to the dual goals of advancing science and increasing learning effectiveness.