State of Play VI: Speakers' Bios

Profile

Sasha Barab is a Professor in Learning Sciences, IST and Cognitive Science at Indiana University. He also holds the Barbara Jacobs Chair of Education and Technology, and is the Director of the Center for Research on Learning and Technology. The intent of his research is to develop rigorous claims about how people learn that have practical, pedagogical, theoretical, and ethical implications.

His current work involves the research and development of rich learning environments, frequently with the aid of technology, that are designed to assist children in developing their sense of purpose as individuals, as members of their communities, and as knowledgeable citizens of the world. As one example, the Quest Atlantis project is a learning and teaching project that leverages strategies used in the commercial gaming environment to develop a 3D multi-user environment to immerse children, ages 9-12, in educational tasks.