LIA DAVIS :: CURRENT RESEARCH

I feel very fortunate to work at Project Zero, a place I fell in love with even before moving to the Boston area. Most of the work at Project Zero is about learning and creativity, two things I think a lot about. I am currently involved with two projects.

Studio Thinking Project :: April 2004 - August 2005

The Studio Thinking Project is a study of visual arts learning, assessment, and integration in K-12 schools. It is funded by The J. Paul Getty Trust, the Ahmanson Foundation, and the US Department of Education.

The Story Work Project :: March 2003 - February 2004

On the Story Work Project, which ended February 2004, we sought to understand the role of story in supporting learning in the fields of education, organizations, and peace negotiations. We explored the following facets of story work:

Why do people use stories in schools, organizations, or in peacemaking efforts? What are the urgent needs, problems, and puzzles they are trying to address?
What are the various approaches that people use to address these problems?
What are the key challenges in using story in these fields?
Given the current state of story work, what are the most fruitful areas for pursuing innovations that will enhance story work in these settings?

This project was a partnership with the International Storytelling Center and was funded by the Krispy Kreme Foundation.

Learning Innovations Laboratory :: October 2002 - present

I am an administrative and research assistant on the Learning Innovations Laboratory (LILA) project. We explore issues of organizational intelligence, including knowledge management, communities and collaboration, and innovation and change. Executives from diverse industry sectors join LILA and attend quarterly meetings to learn about and share experiences on a wide range of topics related to organizational learning.