We are investigating whether, how, why, and when humans can learn about, and act on, their environmental and social impacts. Most fundamentally, we are developing theories to understand better the cognitive, social, political, and institutional/organizational facets of learning. What does learning mean at individual, group, and societal scales? How do agency and the motivation to act on environmental impacts change with learning? What are the conditions under which learning may (or may not) occur?

We are asking questions such as: How can humans visualize their environmental impacts more effectively? What are the causes and implications of “distances” between humans and their impacts? What is the role of information visualization in cognition about the environment? How do experiential and sensory learning influence decisions and values? What are the ways in which humans observe the behavior and values of others, and potentially change their own? Does observing others generate greater motivation to act? Can learning tools and processes be integrated into policy-making?

We are also paying attention to the participatory nature of learning. How can participatory design and needs assessment help shape the development of learning tools? For example, NGOs and community members may be integrated more or less into the process of designing a specific tool, and mechanisms for user-driven adaptation of the tool can be created.

We are analyzing user-interface features and their value to consumers, and will do user-testing of new types and designs of interfaces and information visualization methods. We are also investigating a range of experiments with learning processes and artifacts, including the chemical body burden concept, using XRF guns to measure toxics in furniture, carbon footprint labels for consumer products, interactive lighting design tools, and Pesticide Action Network North America’s pesticide catcher.