Learning Sciences Lab
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About
Our research investigates the cognitive processes that support learning and educational design in the classroom and broader society. We collaborate with STEM educators and interdisciplinary researchers in engineering, political science and complex social-ecological systems.
Current Projects
Exploratory Learning in STEM Classrooms
Funded by the National Science Foundation, NSF-IUSE 2012342
Modern education stresses practical experience, first-hand learning and lasting understanding. Exploratory learning before instruction gives students the opportunity to explore a new topic themselves. For example, students solve a new problem, invent a new strategy or try a simulation — before learning the underlying concepts. We work with STEM faculty to examine when and why exploratory learning before instruction deepens conceptual understanding, compared to more traditional methods that emphasize direct instruction. This work is used to improve educational instruction and inform theories of learning.
Social Dilemma Games as Tools for Exploratory Learning and Democratic Education
In this project, we use games that simulate real-world dilemmas as exploratory learning activities to teach students and citizens about social dilemmas and principles of democracy. We are also developing theoretical frameworks and models to test the social and cognitive learning mechanisms at play. This research is conducted in collaboration with the Constitutional and Cooperative Decision-Making Lab. This work informs both civic education and institutional design and analysis.
Problem Solving Flexibility
This research studies how people find novel solutions and break out of rigid and inflexible ways of thinking. We examine the role of individual differences (e.g., working memory capacity), context (e.g., method of instruction) and task characteristics (e.g., demands on working memory). We examine these questions using creative and insight problem-solving tasks and educationally-relevant materials (e.g., math problem solving).
Collaboration on the Virtual Learning Factory Project
Funded by the National Science Foundation, NSF-RETTL 2302833
We collaborate with the Aqlan lab and faculty in engineering and education to study learning in virtual environments: https://www.aqlanlab.org/research/the-virtual-learning-factory.
Team
Marci DeCaro, Lab Director
marci.decaro@louisville.edu
View Research Profile
- Noelle Peace, Doctoral Student
- Email: noelle.peace@louisville.edu
- Alex Brenes, Masters Student
- Gustavo Francisco Saldo, Masters Student
- Kyisha Walter, Honors Thesis Student
- Sabrina Palazzo, Research Assistant
Our Work
- Applying Cognitive Psychology to Education
- Active Learning, Experiential Learning, Exploratory Learning before Instruction, Productive Failure
- STEM Education
- Civic Education, Learning about Social Dilemmas and Democracy
- Flexible Problem Solving
- Societal Problem-Solving and Cooperation
- DeCaro, M. S., McClellan, D. K., Patrick, R. K., Powe, A., Franco, D., Chastain, R. J., Fuselier, L., & Hieb, J. (in press). Flipping a simulation before instruction can improve students’ learning, interest and perceived competence. British Journal of Educational Psychology.
- Velić, L., & DeCaro, M. S. (2025). Comparing effectiveness of exploratory learning activities given before instruction: Generating multiple strategies vs. inventing one strategy. Instructional Science. doi:10.1007/s11251-024-09701-8 [PDF]
- Douin, T. A., DeCaro, M. S., Hieb, J. L., Chastain, R. J., & Fuselier, L. (2025). Participation in a discipline-based education research project mitigates barriers and enhances drivers to teaching reform differently across faculty positions and departments. Cogent Education, 12(1). doi:10.1080/2331186X.2024.2437884 [PDF]
- Aqlan, F., Begum, R., Sparks, D., Saleem, J., & DeCaro, M. S. (2025). Exploring group dynamics in virtual reality environments. IISE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors. [PDF]
- Velić, L., & DeCaro, M. S. (2025). Exploring a problem before instruction using graphs versus tables. Proceedings of the Cognitive Science Society.
- French, S., DeCaro, D. A., & DeCaro, M. S. (2025). Using exploratory learning methods to challenge sociopolitical beliefs. Proceedings of the Cognitive Science Society.
- Begum, R., Hamado, N., Aqlan, F., Saleem, J., DeCaro, M., Yang, H., Murphy, K., Zhao, R. (2025). A collaborative virtual learning factory for exploring human-human teaming and human-machine interaction. Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education.
- DeCaro, M. S., Bego, C. R., Velic, L., & Newman, P. M. (2024). Increasing contrasting cases during exploration or practice problems given before or after instruction. Instructional Science. doi:10.1007/s11251-024-09696-2 [PDF]
- DeCaro, D. A., DeCaro, M. S., Janssen, M., Lee, A. Graci, A. A., & Flener, D. (2024). Learning from regulatory failure: How Ostrom’s restorative justice design principle helps naïve groups create wiser enforcement systems to overcome the tragedy of the commons. PLoS ONE, 19(8): e0307832. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0307832 [PDF]
- DeCaro, M. S., Bego, C. R., Thompson, A., & Velic, L. (2024). Exploratory learning for Python error messages: Looking beyond the learning outcomes. Proceedings of the IEEE Frontiers in Education conference.
- DeCaro, M. S., Isaacs, R., Bego, C. R., & Chastain, R. J. (2023). Bringing exploratory learning online: Problem-solving before instruction improves remote undergraduate physics learning. Frontiers in Education. doi:10.3389/feduc.2023.1215975 [PDF}
- DeCaro, M. S., & Van Stockum, C. A. Jr. (2023). Reconcilable differences: Working memory capacity both supports and hinders insight. International Handbook of Creative Cognition (Eds. Linden Ball and Frederic Vallee-Tourangeau). doi:10.4324/9781003009351-22 [PDF]
- McClellan, D. K., Chastain, R. J., & DeCaro, M. S. (2023). Embedding cognitive prompts in an online science lecture improves learning. Journal of Computing in Higher Education. doi:0.1007/s12528-023-09379-w [PDF]
- Bush, J., DeCaro, M. S., & DeCaro, D. A. (2023). Playing a social dilemma game as an exploratory learning activity before instruction improves conceptual understanding. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied. doi:10.1037/xap0000470 [PDF]
- Bego, C. R., Thompson, A. K., Crockett, C., Chastain, R. J., Hieb, J., Fuselier, L., Patrick, R., & DeCaro, M. S. (2023). Exploratory learning in engineering programming. Proceedings of the IEEE Frontiers in Education conference.
- Bego, C. R., Thompson, A., *Patrick, R., Chastain, R. J., Hieb, J., Fuselier, L., & DeCaro, M. S. (2023). Exploration with ellipses helps students learn transferrable isometric drawing skills. Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education.