THE LEARNING SCIENCE CONFERENCE 2026

OVERVIEW

What Learning Professionals Need to Know About How Learning Works.

Bridge the gap between research and practice: join the Learning Science Conference 2026.

The Learning Science Conference is Learning Development Accelerator’s signature event, focused on the foundational science behind how people learn, and what that means for learning design decisions.

Each year, we go deep into the mechanisms that shape learning: memory, retrieval, cognitive load, motivation, feedback, assessment, and more. Not as abstract theory, but as practical insight you can use to design more effective learning experiences.

This conference is designed to ground new learning professionals and to refresh, sharpen, and deepen the judgment of experienced designers and leaders. Because without an understanding of learning science, everything else we do in L&D rests on shaky ground.

During the conference, you will:

• Deepen your understanding of how learning happens.

• Gain readily applicable evidence-based tools.

• Network with leading thinkers and practitioners.

Whether you design, deliver, manage, or support learning, you’ll leave with actionable insight and renewed confidence in creating learning that truly sticks.

WHAT’S IN IT?

The Learning Science Conference is where learning professionals come together around evidence-based L&D.

The conference is a one-month experience that includes:

• 9 practical topics to explore the nuances of learning presented by the expert speakers

• 5 special events to spark reflection and expand your perspective

• Asynchronous and live, online sessions

• A dedicated forum to interact with speakers and fellow attendees

Our handpicked speakers will dive into the science of how learning happens, covering: encoding, retrieval, emotion, motivation, multi-media, social learning, assessment & measurement, feedback, and more. You’ll walk away with the insights and tools you need to design solutions that are engaging and effective.

And because the conference is paced intentionally, you’ll have time to watch sessions, reflect, try ideas in your own context, and then join the live sessions with questions—so you can learn from peers and get feedback from experienced experts.

The conference is intentionally paced! You will have ample time to watall of this happens at your own pace, our conference careful planning and format gives time to go through the materials, experiement and join the live week with questions, results of the experiments and gain feedback from the industry leading experts.

HOW IT WORKS (conference Format)

The Learning Science Conference isn’t a single-day event! It’s a month-long learning experience designed to support deep thinking, reflection, and application, not passive consumption. That’s why we are using a hybrid format, which means

You’ll have time to think, question, revisit ideas, and connect theory to real learning challenges. We want you to leave with clearer next steps for applying what you learned.

CONFERENCE TOPICS (SESSIONS)

Each topic will have an asynchronous video presentation and two live sessions (90 minutes long) to accommodate differences in time zones as much as possible. Plus, you’ll be invited to five special sessions (60 minutes long), including panel-style conversations and other curated gatherings, to explore ideas from multiple angles and connect with the community.

Topics will include areas such as:

• How people learn, from perception to expertise

• Motivation and engaging learning

• Feedback and reflection

• Assessment and evaluation

• Learning together and alone

• Myths and other issues

Additional details about session titles, formats, and facilitators will be shared very soon!

Conference Bundle: Foundations + Practice

For participants who want a more complete professional learning experience, we offer a bundle option that includes access to both of our 2026 conferences:

• L&D as Ecosystem: Strategy, Science, and Organizational Dynamics. (Spring)

  Focused on learning and development as a practice and ecosystem, including topics such as stakeholder management and communication, marketing, measurement, and building sustainable impact.

• Learning Science Conference (Fall)

  Focused on the foundations of how people learn and how learning science informs design decisions.

Together, these conferences support learning professionals in developing both sound learning judgment grounded in science and practical capability to apply that knowledge in real organizational contexts

The bundle is ideal if you want to move from knowing the theory to making it work in practice.

You can register for each conference individually, or choose a bundle option designed for learning professionals who want both strong foundations and practical impact.

conference bundle pricing

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Professional Development Request Template