The Centre for Smart Learning and Development aims to leverage APHD faculty research in technology-rich learning environments and their impact on students' self-regulation, emotion, and cognitive development. With the ubiquity of portable technology and recent advances in artificial intelligence systems, education is undergoing remarkable development in educational goals, teaching practice, and learning environments. Learning is moving away from knowledge acquisition to knowledge implication, collaboration, and self-regulated learning skills.
CSLD is an intellectual centre dedicated to the research, applications, and dissemination of Smart Learning, AI, School Programming, and Evaluation. The Centre for Smart Learning and Development promotes applications of smart learning technologies, along with cognitive psychology and instructional design to improve learners’ engagement and outcomes. The centre is designed to serve as a hub for synthesizing emerging technologies with learning, to build research capacity in the cognitive and social processes of development. The CSLD connects faculty to external stakeholders, including researchers, industry, community, and government partners, and will foster networking opportunities and international collaborations.
Faculty members whose research is located in this area have been spearheading discussions on the creation of the centre along with international community partners. Led by current Director: Dr. Kang Lee, these are the faculty who will advance the mission and goals of the centre, as well as articulate the activities of the centre, including membership, course offerings, and student involvement.

The strategic activities of the centre will include:
Advancing Research and Knowledge Dissemination
Specialized course offerings and graduate training
Guest Lectures
Community and Industry Consulting
Securing international and industry partners and sponsors
We are recruiting doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers in AI and data sciences in education and human development.
Meet the Faculty

Kang Lee
Ph.D. & FRS (Director & Professor)
Email: kang.lee@utoronto.ca
Research Interests: AI in psychology and education, with a special focus on moral development in children.
(Please check for more information.)

Eunice Jang
Ph.D. (Professor)
Email: eun.jang@utoronto.ca
Research Interests: Language assessment, educational measurement, and program evaluation.
(Please check Eunice Eunhee Jang | Innovative Dynamics in Educational Language Assessment Lab | Ontario Institute for Studies in Education for more information).

Feng Ji
Ph.D. (Assistant Professor)
Email: f.ji@utoronto.ca
Research Interests: Psychometrics, AI and applied machine learning in psychological and educational research, Quantitative and computational methods, Applied statistics, Psychological and educational measurement.
(Please check for more information.)

Alexandra Makos
Ph.D. (Assistant Professor)
Email: alexandra.makos@utoronto.ca
Research Interests: Online teaching and learning across the lifespan and the design of learning experiences for student engagement.
(Please check Alexandra Makos | Ontario Institute for Studies in Education for more information.)

Earl Woodruff
Ph.D. (Associate Professor)
Email: earl.woodruff@utoronto.ca
Research Interests: Computer-supported learning environments and flexible modes of education; technology, play, and gaming; emotion and cognitive engagement.
(Please check Earl Woodruff | Emotions & Learning Optimization Lab | Ontario Institute for Studies in Education for more information.)