R&D Unplugged

Learning Planet Institute
  • 0.0 (0)
  • SCIENCE
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Welcome to "R&D Unplugged", a podcast from the Learning Planet Institute that delves into the real-world impact of research. Each episode features an insightful conversation with a leading researcher who shares their journey, key findings, and the practical implications of their work. Our aim is to make complex research accessible and relatable. How research addresses critical global challenges, providing concrete examples of its impact on society? Listen to us and gain valuable insights into how research bridges the gap between theory and practice, transforming lives and communities! 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!

  1. #18 Empowering students: how to make digital transition an opportunity for inclusive education? with Muriel Epstein

    12/18/2025

    #18 Empowering students: how to make digital transition an opportunity for inclusive education? with Muriel Epstein

    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 and context, and what should not be copied. In particular, we will address the ambivalent role of digital technology: it can lock in inequities or, when guided on purpose, expand agency and support the sustainability transition. More about our guestMuriel Epstein is a researcher in the educational sciences at the EMA laboratory (Ecole Mutations Apprentissage) at CY Cergy Paris University, and is affiliated with the SAMM laboratory (Statistical Analysis and Multidisciplinary Modeling) at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. After working on school dropout and spatial segregation, her research focuses on digital technology as a possible lever for transforming schools toward greater inclusion. She is particularly interested in the risks of “crystallization” associated with digital technology and in the potential evolution of teachers’ roles and professional stance. She also works on methodological issues and on how qualitative and quantitative methods can be combined in social science research.

    18 min
  2. #17 Supporting Every Learner: Understanding Developmental Coordination Disorder with Caroline Huron

    11/24/2025

    #17 Supporting Every Learner: Understanding Developmental Coordination Disorder with Caroline Huron

    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 research and real-world classroom practice, she highlights how collaboration between researchers, teachers, and children themselves leads to more inclusive and effective educational environments.

    19 min
  3. #16 Beyond Education: Building the Future of Learning, with Nathan Roberson

    11/13/2025

    #16 Beyond Education: Building the Future of Learning, with Nathan Roberson

    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 Beyond Education’s development of innovative tools to assess and support these future-ready skills. While the path ahead is full of tensions, it also holds immense opportunity. Together, we imagine an education system that not only prepares learners for work, but helps them shape a more sustainable and compassionate future.

    18 min
  4. #15 A New Paradigm: Healing Centered Engagement, with Shawn Ginwright

    09/24/2025

    #15 A New Paradigm: Healing Centered Engagement, with Shawn Ginwright

    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 trauma and why a new vision is needed. He introduces Healing Centered Engagement, an approach that expands beyond trauma-informed care by shifting systems from harm, discipline, and punishment toward restoration, hope, and well-being. This episode invites educators, practitioners, and policymakers to reimagine institutions as spaces not just of intervention, but of renewal - where resilience, joy, and thriving become possible.

    20 min
  5. #14 Why We Fear Ugly Fruit—And How to Unlearn It, with Carina Castagna

    06/17/2025

    #14 Why We Fear Ugly Fruit—And How to Unlearn It, with Carina Castagna

    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 unnecessary disposal of edible produce. But there’s a powerful insight: when people are encouraged to think abstractly, this wasteful bias drops significantly. What does it means for education, behavior change, and sustainability transitions? The talk offers practical implications for teaching sustainability and reframing how young people—and adults—learn to care about food and waste.

    18 min
  6. #13 Bridging disciplines: process-oriented co-design approaches to complex challenges, Olga Kokshagina

    06/10/2025

    #13 Bridging disciplines: process-oriented co-design approaches to complex challenges, Olga Kokshagina

    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 problems and drive meaningful change. Through real-world, multi-year collaborative projects—including partnerships with the WHO on health guideline design, studies on managing online communities to advance cancer epidemiology, and challenge-based learning initiatives—we explore how to effectively bridge research and practice in dynamic, interdisciplinary settings.

    20 min
  7. #12 Online communities as model systems for collective self-determination, with Seth Frey

    04/23/2025

    #12 Online communities as model systems for collective self-determination, with Seth Frey

    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 tackle key questions: What makes small-scale democracies thrive? How do they manage resources and maintain order? And what lessons can they offer for governing both online spaces and the world beyond? Tune in to discover the future of community-driven governance in the digital age!

    17 min
  8. #11 Reinventing wisdom: mapping pathways to collective flourishing, with Marc Santolini

    03/28/2025

    #11 Reinventing wisdom: mapping pathways to collective flourishing, with Marc Santolini

    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 analysis, we discuss emerging frameworks that blend wisdom traditions with participatory methodologies to support collective flourishing. How can we shift from outcome-driven approaches to process-aware collaboration? Tune in to discover new insights at the intersection of science, technology, and human connection.

    23 min
See All (19)

Trailer

About

Welcome to "R&D Unplugged", a podcast from the Learning Planet Institute that delves into the real-world impact of research. Each episode features an insightful conversation with a leading researcher who shares their journey, key findings, and the practical implications of their work. Our aim is to make complex research accessible and relatable. How research addresses critical global challenges, providing concrete examples of its impact on society? Listen to us and gain valuable insights into how research bridges the gap between theory and practice, transforming lives and communities! 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!

Information

  • Creator
    Learning Planet Institute
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Learning Planet Institute
  • Show Website
    R&D Unplugged