Future Education Institute
Scientific research for learning innovation
Who we are
Future Education Institute (FEI) It is the non-profit foundation founded at the end of 2024 that formally represents Future Education Modena for non-profit activities.
Our mission is to generate and disseminate cutting-edge knowledge in the field of learning, translating the latest scientific discoveries into concrete and effective educational practices.
FEI represents the scientific and research arm of Future Education Modena, focusing on the production of academic knowledge and the international dissemination of the methodologies developed by the Modena center.
What we do
The foundation operates on three strategic fronts:
Scientific publications
We collaborate with international academic publishers and edit the series “Learning Papers”, which brings together peer-reviewed studies in FEM's three disciplinary areas: cognitive sciences of learning, educational technologies, and innovative teaching. Each year, we publish research documenting concrete experiments in schools and measuring the real-world impact of new methodologies on student learning.
Applied research
We conduct field studies in collaboration with schools, universities, and research centers. We test new teaching methodologies in real classrooms, collect data on student acquisition and motivation, and develop evidence-based protocols that can be replicated in different educational contexts. Our research projects typically last 12-24 months and involve hundreds of students and dozens of teachers.
International Network
We promote the edtech validation model developed by FEM through partnerships with educational institutions in Europe, America, and Asia. We organize workshops, conferences, and exchange programs to share validated methodologies, train researchers, and develop common protocols for evaluating the effectiveness of educational innovations. We currently actively collaborate with 15 research centers in 8 countries.
Research projects
We participate in national and international research projects, Collaborating with universities, research centers, and educational institutions to develop and validate innovative, evidence-based methodologies. Our projects range from evaluating the effectiveness of educational technologies to developing new teaching approaches grounded in cognitive neuroscience.
✨ Active projects:
Learning Papers: our research series
“Learning Papers — for diving deep, when needed”"" is FEI's multidisciplinary series that delves into the major transformations affecting information, learning, and technology. Each volume is the result of the work of our research groups in FEM's three disciplinary areas—digital humanities, STEM education, and augmented arts—and intertwines cognitive neuroscience, learning psychology, and technological culture.
The first published issues addressed crucial topics such as the comparison between reading on paper and on screen, the effects of technology on cognitive processes and multitasking, and the skills needed to critically decode images in the digital age. Each paper is available for free download and provides data, scientific evidence, and tools to guide informed educational practices.
List of publications
1. Reading on paper, reading on screen
Learning Papers, vol. 1/2025
Explores how reading (and therefore learning) changes when moving from the printed page to the digital. An investigation that interweaves linguistics, cognitive science, and technological culture to explore how attention, comprehension, and our relationship with texts change as devices and habits change. The paper stems from the work of FEM's Digital Humanities research group.
Link: https://fem.digital/lettura-su-carta-lettura-in-digitale-learning-papers-1-2025/
2. To tech or not to tech?
Learning Papers, vol. 2/2025
Explores how learning changes when mediated by digital technology and its effects on cognitive processes. The paper interweaves neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and technological culture to analyze the transformations of attention, multitasking, and the relationship with digital tools. A key finding emerged: only 2.51% of people can actually multitask without losing efficiency, yet multitasking has become a daily practice for the majority.
Link: https://fem.digital/to-tech-or-not-to-tech-learning-papers-2/
3. See digital
Learning Papers, vol. 3/2025
Analyzes how the invisible grammar of images is redefining literacy in the age of screens and artificial intelligence. The paper, edited by the Augmented Arts research team, interweaves art history, cognitive neuroscience, and visual culture to explore how images have become the dominant code of our age and what skills are needed to critically decode them in the contemporary iconosphere.
Link: https://fem.digital/vedere-digitale-ad-hoc-papers-3-download/
4. Navigating Eco-Anxiety
Learning Papers, vol. 4/2025
It addresses the issue of eco-anxiety in the era of climate crisis, exploring how to address environmental concerns constructively.
Link: https://fem.digital/navigare-lecoansia-learning-papers-4-2025/
5. Neuroarchitecture
Learning Papers, vol. 5/2025
Explores the intersection of neuroscience and spatial design, analyzing how environments influence well-being, learning, and cognitive processes.
Link: https://fem.digital/neuroarchitettura-learning-paper-5/