Qualitative study reveals intertwined social and 4E cognitive learning processes in engineering undergraduates, highlighting living labs as effective bridges between theory and practice.
This study explores how Living Labs (LLs), as innovative higher education (HE) environments, support engineering students in addressing real-world challenges alongside academic and external stakeholders. LLs facilitate the integration of theoretical knowledge and practical application supported by digital and virtual tools. Grounded in situated learning theory and the 4Es framework of cognition (embedded, embodied, enacted, extended), this research investigates how students bridge theory and practice, collaborate, and intertwine social and cognitive learning processes. Data consist of in-depth interviews with eight engineering undergraduates and are analysed using theory-driven methods for cognitive aspects and inductive thematic analysis for social collaboration. The results have been validated through the experiences of teachers and lab leaders and demonstrate the importance of all four Es in LLs. Social aspect analysis revealed four key themes: informal discussions, helping, finding close collaborators, and expansion of professional networks, which underscore the interaction between social and cognitive aspects.
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Pehkonen et al. (2026) studied this question.
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