UB's Institute for Learning Sciences Presents at American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2026 Annual Meeting

Published April 3, 2026

Unforgetting Histories and Imagining Futures: Constructing a New Vision for Education Research 2026 AERA Annual Meeting Los Angeles California April 8-12 2026 #AERA2026.

Faculty and Postdocs from the University at Buffalo Institute for Learning Sciences (UBILS) will present a number of sessions at the AERA2026 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles California. Hope to see you there!

Title/Session

Time/Location

UBILS Members

Community-Informed STEM Learning

Wed, April 8, 11:45am to 1:15pm PDT
Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two,Room 501A

Heather Killen (Chair)

Strengthening Pre-Service Elementary Science Education with Community Storytelling
In session Community-Informed STEM Learning

Wed, April 8, 11:45am to 1:15pm PDT
Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two,Room 501A

Ari Hock

Contextualizing Institutional Data with Lived Experience: Collaborative mapping to catalyze data science learning and engagement
In session Community-Informed STEM Learning

Wed, April 8, 11:45am to 1:15pm PDT
Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two,Room 501A

Heather Killen

Novel Pathways to Sustained Equitable Computing Education
In session Bridging Institutions, Building Futures: School–University Partnerships for Sustainable K–12 CS Education

Thu, April 9, 7:45 to 9:15am PDT
Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two,Room 501A

Christopher Hoadley

The Voice from Our Community: Appalachian Youth Crafting Data Visualizations for Social Good
In session Data Science as a Tool for Engaging in Civic Education

Thu, April 9, 9:45 to 11:15am PDT
Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two,Room 515A

Yilang Zhao

Beyond the Numbers: Youth Interpreting and Acting on Data for Social Change
In session Beyond the Numbers: Youth Interpreting and Acting on Data for Social Change

Thu, April 9, 2:15 to 3:45pm PDT
Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two,Room 309

Yilang Zhao (Chair)

On “Heaviness”, Racialized Emotions, and “Big” Emergencies: Community Knowledge and Education for Social Justice Amid Climate Coloniality
In session Climate Emotion, Agency, and Justice in Formal and Informal Settings

Thu, April 9, 2:15 to 3:45pm PDT
Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two,Room 515B

Noemi Waight

Computational Playgrounds: Foundations and Futures of AI, Play, and Pedagogy in Early Childhood

Thu, April 9, 4:15 to 5:45pm PDT
JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: 3rd Floor,Georgia I

X. Christine Wang, Xintian Tu-Shea (Chairs)

Zooming Out: How AI Agents Help Young Children See Interdependence in Ecological Systems
In session Computational Playgrounds: Foundations and Futures of AI, Play, and Pedagogy in Early Childhood

Thu, April 9, 4:15 to 5:45pm PDT
JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: 3rd Floor,Georgia I

Xintian Tu-Shea

Preparing Young Children for an AI Future: What Two Decades of CT Research Tell Us
In session Computational Playgrounds: Foundations and Futures of AI, Play, and Pedagogy in Early Childhood

Thu, April 9, 4:15 to 5:45pm PDT
JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: 3rd Floor,Georgia I

X Christine Wang, Chris Proctor, Xintian Tu-Shea

Young Children’s Perception and Interaction with Intelligent Agents: A Scoping Review
In session Computational Playgrounds: Foundations and Futures of AI, Play, and Pedagogy in Early Childhood

Thu, April 9, 4:15 to 5:45pm PDT
JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: 3rd Floor,Georgia I

X. Christine Wang

Reimagining Rural Schools Worldwide: Policy, Community Engagement, and Student Development
In session AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:45 am - Gold 2

Fri, April 10, 9:45 to 11:15am PDT
JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: GroundFloor, Gold 2

Yilang Zhao (Chair)

"They took my mom to a detention center...": Latinx teachers at the intersection of their families and their student's lives
In session From Awareness to Action: Educators in Solidarity with Undocumented Communities

Fri, April 10, 9:45 to 11:15am PDT
JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: 4th Floor,Diamond 6

Timothy Monreal

AI in K-12 Education
In session AI in K-12 Education

Fri, April 10, 1:45 to 3:15pm PDT
Westin Bonaventure, Floor: Lobby Level, SantaBarbara C

Yilang Zhao (Chair)

“The reality of teaching is that…we don't get our own classroom”: Language teacher identity through intra-action and subjectivity
In session Negotiating Identity and Pedagogy: Exploring Language Teachers’ Roles and Experiences Across MultilingualEducation ContextsEducation Contexts

Fri, April 10, 1:45 to 3:15pm PDT
JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: 2nd Floor,Platinum I

Timothy Monreal

Emotions, identities, and engagement in climate change education

Fri, April 10, 3:45 to 5:15pm PDT
Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two,Room 404AB

Alexandra Schindel (Discussant)

Innovating K–12 Teaching and Learning with Generative AI: Insights From IES-funded National R&D Centers

Fri, April 10, 3:45 to 5:15pm PDT
Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two,Room 515A

X. Christine Wang (Chair)

AIRE: AI Reading Enhancer for Personalized Decodable Texts in Early Literacy
In session Innovating K–12 Teaching and Learning with Generative AI: Insights From IES-funded National R&D Centers

Fri, April 10, 3:45 to 5:15pm PDT
Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two,Room 515A

X. Christine Wang

Imagining Futures for Early Literacy and Responsible AI: Results from CELaRAI’s Year 1 Exploratory Study
In session Innovating K–12 Teaching and Learning with Generative AI: Insights From IES-funded National R&D Centers

Fri, April 10, 3:45 to 5:15pm PDT
Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two,Room 515A

X. Christine Wang, Xintian Tu-Shea

Responsible AI in K–12 Education: A Policy Review
In session Innovating K–12 Teaching and Learning with Generative AI: Insights From IES-funded National R&D Centers

Fri, April 10, 3:45 to 5:15pm PDT
Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two,Room 515A

X. Christine Wang, Ari Hock, Christopher Hoadley

Towards the Critical Use of AI in Foreign Language Learning: Insights from AI-assisted Songwriting
In session AERA Poster Session Saturday 7:45 am

Sat, April 11, 7:45 to 9:15am PDT
Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two,Poster Hall - Exhibit Hall A

Yunjeong Chang

AI vs. Parent: Supporting Early Literacy at Home Through Conversational Agents
In session AERA Poster Session Saturday 9:45 am

Sat, April 11, 9:45 to 11:15am PDT
Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level Two,Poster Hall - Exhibit Hall A

Xintian Tu-Shea

AI vs. Parent: Supporting Early Literacy at Home Through Conversational Agents
In session e-Lightning Ed-Talk Session 16 - Stage 2

Sat, April 11, 9:45 to 11:15am PDT
Los Angeles Convention Center, Floor: Level One,Exhibit Hall A - Stage 2

Xintian Tu-Shea

Examining Asset-Based Pedagogical Development for Preservice Language Teachers: Theory into Practice
In session AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 11:45 am - Gold 1

Sat, April 11, 11:45am to 1:15pm PDT
JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: Gold Level 1

Timothy Monreal

From Remembering to Repositioning: A Returning Youth’s Languaging of Memory, Belonging, and Future Possibility
In session Critical Narratives From Carceral, Educational, and Community Contexts

Sat, April 11, 11:45am to 1:15pm PDT
Westin Bonaventure, Floor: Lobby Level, La Brea

Noemi Waight

Theorizing Social Studies Education from Below: Civic Knowledge, Praxis, and Possibility from Los de Abajo

Sat, April 11, 1:45 to 3:15pm PDT
JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: 3rd Floor,Atrium II

Timothy Monreal (Discussant)

Critical Dialogues in Latinx Education

Sun, April 12, 1:45 to 3:15pm PDT
JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Floor: 3rd Floor,Plaza II

Timothy Monreal (Chair and Discussant)