R&D Unplugged

In this episode, we explore a personal and professional journey beyond the code. Our guest, Colin de la Higuera, shares the realization that guiding research toward human values is not something that can be improvised; rather, it has become a vital field of research in its own right. We move beyond the personal narrative to examine the critical interactions between Artificial Intelligence and the...

In this episode, we explore creativity not as a mysterious gift, but as a process that can be studied, modeled, and nurtured. At the crossroads of computer science, cognitive science, and the learning sciences, our guest, Chloé Mercier, examines creativity as a situated and iterative learning process shaped by reflection and feedback. Using computational approaches, we discuss how creative work ca...

In this episode, Jean Vassoyan explores a fundamental question in machine learning: how can we design “teacher” algorithms that effectively guide “student” agents? Using a broad and abstract framework, he connects fields such as Curriculum Learning, Active Learning, and Reinforcement Learning, showing how they share a common mathematical foundation aimed at optimizing learning. Applied to human ed...

Empowering students: how to make digital transition an opportunity for inclusive education? Empowering students is the cornerstone of inclusive education. To do this, we look at inspiring situations to understand the conditions and context that help teachers grow into inclusive practice. We ask what travels and what needs tailoring – what can be replicated, what must be adapted to local conditions...

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affects roughly one child in every classroom. As common as dyslexia yet far less recognized, DCD can significantly impact a child’s daily school experience. In this episode, Caroline Huron sheds light on the unique challenges faced by children with DCD and explores practical ways to support their learning and inclusion. Drawing from cognitive science resea...

The jobs of the future are uncertain, and education is evolving fast. As we move beyond the industrial model toward competency-based learning, how can we empower human-centered education? In this episode, we explore with Nathan Roberson how advancing 21st Century Competencies - like creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking - can make education truly transformative. He shares insights from...

In this episode of R&D Unplugged, we explore together with Prof. Shawn Ginwright how institutions can better support young people who have experienced harm. While trauma-informed care is a vital framework, he shows why it can be incomplete - often creating blind spots that limit healing. Blending research with personal stories, Dr. Ginwright highlights how racial and social inequality compound...

Why do we reject fruits and vegetables just because they look imperfect? Let's explore the invisible biases in our brains that drive food waste—and how learning can help shift them. Drawing from six psychological experiments and a neuroscience study using eye-tracking, Carina Castagna shares how aesthetic imperfections trigger risk aversion in the brain’s more primitive regions, leading to the...

Tackling complex challenges—whether in healthcare, education, or climate change—demands breaking down disciplinary silos and actively collaborating with diverse stakeholders. Traditional approaches often fall short, making it crucial to adopt longitudinal, process-driven methods. This episode dives into how action-based research and co-design methodologies can deepen our understanding of complex p...

In this episode, we welcome Seth Frey to explore how participating in small-scale democracies can shape better citizens for large-scale ones. The internet, with its countless online communities, serves as a modern laboratory for self-governance. But how do these groups unite limited resources around shared goals? Together, we examine three major platforms hosting self-governing communities and tac...

In an era of climate instability, social fragmentation, and deep uncertainty, fostering collective intelligence is more crucial than ever. But how do we create the conditions for meaningful collaboration? In this episode, Marc Santolini explores the relational dynamics that enable sensemaking and coordination for systemic change. From psychological safety and deep listening to AI-driven network an...

How do educators' views on knowledge, science, and values shape the way they teach? In this episode, we welcome Maria Angelica Mejia Caceres to explore how these perspectives influence educational practices—affecting not just what is taught, but how it is received. We discuss the impact of language, emotions, and underlying beliefs in the classroom, questioning the limitations of a purely scie...

In scientific crowdsourcing and citizen science, a striking pattern often emerges: a very small group of participants contributes the majority of the data. This phenomenon, known as participation inequality or the 90-9-1 rule, is evident in platforms like Google Local Guides, Wikipedia, iNaturalist, and OpenStreetMap. In this episode, we dicuss this topic with Muki Haklay, a renowned expert in cit...

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim for a better, more sustainable future, but progress is slow, and in some areas, we are regressing. Evaluating the impact of policy on sustainability is key to understanding this stagnation. In this episode, we speak with Serge Stinckwich, computer scientist and head of research at the United Nations University Institute in Macau. We disc...

In this episode, we sit down with Manon Sala, a second-year PhD student in Sociology and Learning Sciences at the FIRE Doctoral School at the Learning Planet Institute. Manon’s research delves into the institutionalization of Social and Ecological Transition Pedagogies in Higher Education in France, through a comparative analysis of various curricula. Our conversation centers around the French gov...

Teachers play a critical role in ensuring high-quality education for all, but top-down recommendations on proven teaching practices often miss the mark. In reality, teachers rely on their own experiences to navigate challenges in the classroom. While this experiential knowledge is widely shared, it’s often localized and intuitive, raising the question: can it become a trusted, shareable knowledge...

Nearly two years after the public release of ChatGPT and the widespread adoption of Large Language Models (LLMs), what have we learned about their relevance in real-world applications? In this episode, we’re joined by Jean-Marc Sevin, a senior data scientist at the Learning Planet Institute, to tackle some of today’s most pressing questions: How can we effectively apply this technology to support...

Although we like to believe that we care about children and their future, studies on climate change and children's mental health reveal that their concerns about the planet and their actions are often undermined. In this episode we will discuss with Laelia Benoit how childism, the prejudice against children, is prevalent in our daily lives. Additionally, we will discuss ways to become more awa...

Given the vast amount of information currently available on the internet and the spread of fake news and other types of disinformation, source evaluation has become a key competence for all users. But what is exactly “source evaluation” and why/when should users perform it? How do reading literacy theories define this construct? Together with Mônica Macedo-Rouet, we delve into the findings of empi...

We live in a moment of epochal precarity, amidst irreversible environmental catastrophe that is impacting all life on Earth. Signaling the end of human exceptionalism, this era calls for an urgent redefinition of what it is to be human and a reconfiguration of the relationship between human and Earth. With Iveta Silova we discuss how education should respond to a world of shifting planetary bounda...

In this first interview, we discuss with Pedro Ramaciotti-Morales about the ever-evolving landscape of social media, online politics, and algorithms. From elections to individual opinions, we've heard it all - polarization, segregation, algorithmic manipulation. But as new studies emerge, our understanding has shifted over the years. Let's explore the changing narratives and hypotheses sur...

Through engaging stories and clear explanations, "R&D Unplugged" demonstrates the vital role of research in solving real-world problems. Whether you're a student, a professional, or simply curious about the world, our podcast offers a unique perspective on how research drives positive change. Join us and be inspired to see how research can make a difference!