Sarah Chardonnens is a professor of didactics at the Haute École Pédagogique de Fribourg, the Institute of Curative Education at the University of Fribourg, and the Center for Teaching and Research in Teacher Education at the University of Fribourg. With a PhD in Education Sciences, Sarah is a musician, author, and lecturer whose research and work focus on the phases of learning, self-regulation, and the implications of artificial intelligence for learners. Since 2025, she has been a distinguished member of the American Society for AI and author of the book “The Learning Revolution.”

 

Biography

Scientist – Researcher – Author – Lecturer

With a PhD in Education Sciences, Sarah Chardonnens is a recognized expert in learning sciences in the age of artificial intelligence. Her research combines insights from cognitive science, psychology, and pedagogy to understand and support the evolution of human learning mechanisms.

A professor at the University of Fribourg, she trains the teachers of tomorrow and supports professionals in adapting their educational practices to technological change. The author of several reference books, she is committed to making major scientific advances in her field accessible to the general public.

In her latest book, La révolution de l'apprentissage (The Learning Revolution), she presents the SYNAPSE model, an innovative and humanistic approach to learning designed to enhance human capabilities in the age of artificial intelligence. Through this model, she proposes a vision in which AI is not a substitute for humans, but a catalyst for their creative, adaptive, and reflective potential.

Sarah Chardonnens also has a solid musical background. A precocious musician from a family and educational background committed to music, she began her training at the Fribourg Conservatory at the age of six. Winner of her first regional competition at the age of fourteen, she continued her musical studies alongside her university studies in education sciences. Her artistic career has led her to perform and train in Switzerland and Europe (Austria, Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy), developing a particular sensitivity to the emotional, cultural, and creative dimensions of learning.

Her current research focuses on the development of cognitive and emotional self-regulation during the different phases of learning, as well as on the impact of artificial intelligence on the cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational processes of learners.

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Areas of expertise

• Development of autonomy and self-regulation

• Learning management and artificial intelligence

• Motivational dynamics

• Teacher training/stance

• Music and language