About ISLS

The International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS) is a professional and widely interdisciplinary society dedicated to the empirical investigation of learning as it exists in real-world settings and to how learning may be facilitated both with and without technology

ISLS is a leading professional society for academics, professionals and students seeking to advance the sciences and practices of learning. ISLS brings together those interested in learning experiences across schools, homes, workplaces and communities, and who seek to understand how collaboration and learning is enabled by knowledge, tools, networks, and social structures.

ISLS is devoted to expanding the impact and relevance of the field and its exciting potentials for transforming the future of learning and collaboration. It provides venues for dialogue on all aspects of computer-supported collaborative learning and the learning sciences through conferences, publications, web sites, social networking sites, committees and other member services.

For any stage of your career, involvement in ISLS can be a major mechanism for networking, for presenting your scientific work and for benefitting from the dialogue about concepts, theories, and methodologies. We are especially committed to the preparation of future leaders of our fields and to making available to students, post-doctoral researchers and early career faculty a variety of professional development opportunities suited to the challenges and needs of the different phases of their careers.

Members receive free digital and reduced-rate paper copy subscriptions to our ijCSCL and JLS journals,  and are eligible to register for our Annual Conference. In addition, members receive the ISLS newsletter, job postings, and notifications of other scholarly and professional opportunities. After joining the society, attending ISLS-sponsored conferences and participating in committees is an excellent way for you to become involved, grow your professional community, and learn about and contribute to the newest developments in this exciting interdisciplinary field.

Read the full ISLS mission statement as well as the 2021 brochures below for more information.

Warning about Predatory Organizations

The growth of the Learning Sciences community has increased visibility and awareness of the work that we do. While it is leading to organizations engaging with the International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS), it also is leading to the creation of groups who have questionable intentions. Specifically, predatory conferences and businesses have emerged. Websites and social media profiles for these groups can be very deceptive. They often use terminology of the field and provide the names of actual institutions to suggest legitimacy when they are actually part of a dishonest scheme. Community members have identified some already.

Please be aware that ISLS-affiliated events and media will be identified as connected to the society and promoted through official communications channels, such as ISLS newsletters, emails, and social media posts. Given the interdisciplinary nature of our field, there are many legitimate activities, journals, conferences, businesses, and organizations that involve and support learning sciences research but are not affiliated with ISLS. Please exercise careful judgment when encountering unfamiliar events, publications, and organizations online.