Labs and Institutes

Researchers at of the Centre for Leading Research in Education (CLRiE) are constantly learning and developing new and better ways to improve our understanding of education. Some of the major labs associated with CLRiE are:

Child and Adolescent Research and Education Lab (CARE Lab)

The Child and Adolescent Research and Education (CARE) Lab broadly, led by Danielle Law, focuses on child and adolescent social-emotional growth as they develop in this technologically advancing world.  Some research projects have focused on Cyberbullying and some of the individual, familial, and peer predictors associated with mental health outcomes, and cyber-kindness through social-emotional learning, emotion regulation, and compassion.  The CARE Lab is also interested in mobilizing information in diverse and ways using social media and experiential learning activities as well as providing weekly programming to youth.

Child Memory Lab

Research in the Child Memory Lab, led by Kim Roberts, focuses on how children remember and learn. It seeks to understand how children’s memory works and what are the best ways of questioning children about their experiences and knowledge.

Educator and Leadership Institute (ELI)

The Educator and Leadership Institute, led by CLRiE Director Steve Sider, provides a collaborative space for educators from Canada, Haiti, Nepal, and Egypt to come together and develop their teaching and leadership skills. This cross-border connection highlights the commonalities between educators’ goals, challenges, successes, and values. ELI seeks to facilitate the reciprocal exchange of knowledge and amplify education in a global context. 

Global Adversity and Wellbeing Research Group 

The Global Adversity and Wellbeing (GAWB) Research Group is led by Bree Akesson.The group examines intersections of extreme adversity and wellbeing through the lens of place theory, with a specific focus on the family and home. Their core research areas are parenting in the context of war, domicide as a human rights violation, and global social systems strengthening.  This research builds upon their previous work with war-affected families by using participatory mixed methods, sharing research results with academic communities, practitioners/policymakers, and lay audiences, and training a new cohort of student-researchers.  Driven by a belief that humans can only solve the world’s most intractable adversities at the intersections of disciplines, the Global Adversity and Wellbeing Research Group brings together scholars and students from social work, health, education, geography, political science, and human rights.

Learning for Humanity (L4H)  

Learning for Humanity (L4H)’s mission is to Disrupt Poverty Through Education. As a director, Sospeter Gotabu helps L4H work with NGOs, Ministries of Education, donors and other like-minded organizations to provide e-learning solutions to schools throughout the developing world. In association with Wilfrid Laurier University’s Faculty of Education, L4H provides ongoing teacher training through “Centres of Excellence” globally. 

Living and Learning in a Digital World Lab

Eileen Wood’s work in this lab examines the impact of technologies across the lifespan in both formal educational contexts and informal play environments. Issues examined include the social and cognitive factors for individuals and families.

Teach Digital Lab

The Teach Digital Lab, led by Julie Mueller, conducts research to study the integration of technology in teaching and learning for the benefit of student wellness. The lab has several research projects such as Learning in Motion, Global Competencies and Digital Fluency, Computational Thinking, Technology-Enhanced Design Thinking, Teaching with Technology.  The lab also works on Mission on the Moon;  an intra-agency project supported by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Inksmith and Laurier's Faculty of Education.