When it comes to finding out what other people are researching in regards to object learning, a first point of call, particularly in the area of design is the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning through Design. Based at the University of Brighton and working in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Royal College of Arts (RCA) the projects taking place here are looking at object scholarship and object-based learning.
A particularly good starting point is the book Museums and Design Education: Looking to Learn, Learning to See (2010, edited by Beth Cook, Rebecca Reynolds and Catherine Speight, Ashgate).