The Learning Variability Network Exchange (LEVANTE) brings together researchers from around the world aiming to capture the richness and diversity of child development and learning.
Only by conducting open-access, cutting-edge research can we enhance our knowledge on learning and developmental variability.
Delve into the science of learning variability, explore cutting-edge research, and discover practical insights to enhance learning for all.
Home » University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
The LEVANTE site at the University of Sheffield, led by Principal Investigator Alicia Forsberg, focuses on the development of working memory, metacognition, and their roles in learning. By studying how these cognitive processes vary across individual children and developmental stages, the research aims to identify factors that can help reduce learning inequalities. A key component of the research involves integrating metacognition—awareness of one’s own cognitive processes—into the LEVANTE framework, assessing its impact on learning success. The team also plans to develop metacognitive interventions tailored to individual learning profiles. Through these efforts, the site contributes to a better understanding of how to support personalized learning and address variability in educational outcomes, in line with the goals of the LEVANTE network.
Principal Investigator
Alicia Forsberg is a Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. Her research explores developmental changes in working memory and metacognition—how children think about their own thinking—and how these cognitive processes relate to learning outcomes. Forsberg’s team is particularly interested in understanding how individual differences in metacognitive ability influence educational success, with the aim of reducing learning inequalities through evidence-based interventions.
Co-Principal Investigator
Agnieszka Graham is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast. An expert in cognitive child development, Graham’s work focuses on translational research in educational psychology, particularly on the role of executive function and mind wandering in academic progress. She develops innovative methods to assess mind wandering in real-world classroom settings, aiming to better understand and support children’s cognitive engagement and learning outcomes.