Scientist Herb Simon first coined the term learning engineering, and it is defined as  “the process and practice that applies the learning sciences using human-centered engineering design methodologies and data-informed decision making to support learners and their development.”

There are many sources of evidence that should influence decisions about learning and motivation to learn, including cognitive science, motivational science, social psychology and more. Recently, for example, there’s also been growing interest in the use of computer science to pursue rapid experimentation and continuous improvement with the goal of improving student outcomes.

This learning engineering approach is critical because the current process to test and establish the efficacy of new ideas is too long and too expensive. Learning science research remains slow, small-scale, and data-poor, compared to other fields. The result is that teachers and administrators often have neither proven tools nor the research at hand they need to make informed pedagogical decisions.