SBE-UKRI: Learning to innovate: Development and diversity

Humanity’s technological achievements are extraordinary, from the invention of basic tools to the creation of self-driving cars and smart devices. These advancements rely on the ability of humans to build on previous generations’ cumulative knowledge. Central to this is innovation, creating new tools or finding novel uses for old ones to solve problems. Yet, young children often struggle to invent tools, raising important questions about how innovation develops. This project explores the cognitive processes and educational experiences that shape human capacity for tool innovation. By understanding how humans learn to innovate, this research helps inform efforts to enhance STEM education and foster creativity in the next generation. This research brings together an international group of researchers to collaboratively study the development of innovation. The investigators use behavioral methods to evaluate children’s tool innovation skills across a variety of educational contexts. Specifically, this research examines the role of access to education and other contextual factors in the development of innovation skills. This project aims to deepen an understanding of how innovation develops and how humans can nurture it in a rapidly advancing technological world. This proposal is awarded under the SBE-UKRI Lead Agency Opportunity. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.