This project is being funded through the Learning and Intelligent Systems (LIS) Initiative. The focus is on learning as it occurs in complex environments, where the data have rich and potentially confusing structures. Nine investigators in five different disciplines - biology, chemistry, linguistics, psychology, and high school teaching of mathematics and science - will mount a collaborative, multi-level experimental and theoretical analysis of the mind's learning structures. The work integrates research on formal analyses of learnability, the evolution of complex natural and artificial adapative systems, the genetics of memory, the mind's ability to keep track of language learning data, perceptual learning of complex displays like equations and molecular models, and the creation of integrative math and science modules for use with interactive learning technologies. The unifying theme running through all of the projects, and across every level of analysis, is the interaction between the structure of the brain's learning mechanisms, and the structure of the data that support learning. Two related leitmotives cut across the planned work. First, the project itself is conceived of as a complex, interdisciplinary learning environment for people ranging from high school students and science teachers in the Los Angeles community, to senior faculty at UCLA. Second, the research efforts interact with and inform advancements in the rapidly evolving technologies for learning, instruction, genetic screening, and the development of artificial systems.
