ABSTRACT
This chapter synthesizes foundational and recent research studies related to these issues and articulates directions for the future. We build on the previous edition of the Handbook that began to make the case for a cross-setting research agenda (e.g., Bransford et al., 2006; Perry, Turner, & Meyer, 2006). The discussion is organized in four sections. In the first section we frame our review with a theoretical perspective that foregrounds learning in relation to cultural practices. In the second section, we review research that informs our understanding of varieties of learning environments, with an emphasis on out-of-school settings. We make
connections and highlight contrasts to what is known about successful school-based learning environments, particularly project-based approaches designed for engaging learners in ambitious work. In the third section, we turn to research that helps us understand how learning takes place across settings and time. We identify conditions associated with catalysts and barriers to cross-setting learning, including the roles of learner interests, practice-linked identities, and learning partners who help coordinate opportunities, often over extended timeframes. In the final section, we outline several directions for research with a special emphasis on design-based research and the need for work that can continue to advance a social justice agenda of equal opportunities to learn for all (Moss, Pullin, Gee, Haertel, & Young, 2008).
