Presentation Slides

Connecting Research,
Policy and Practice
Without Evidence, We Cannot Learn
Elizabeth R. Albro, PhD
Associate Commissioner of Teaching and Learning
National Center for Education Research
IES/U.S. Department of Education
CRESST Conference 2015
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Technology is …
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Evidence is …
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What counts as evidence in education
technology?
A correct answer
A partially correct answer
A completely wrong answer
How long it took you to get to your answer
What path you took you get to your answer
Where you were looking when you were
learning
…..
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Evidence at IES
Knowledge
Use
Evaluation
Research
Centers
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NCES
R&D in Technology at IES
•
•
•
•
As a supplement to classroom instruction
As a replacement for classroom instruction
Adaptive assessment
Games and other technologies to support
learning outside of school
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HOW DO WE USE EVIDENCE TO
SHAPE EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY?
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Use evidence to develop technology
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http://insightlt.com/
Use evidence to develop learning
algorithms
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Cepeda, N. J., Vul, E., Rohrer, D., Wixted, J. T., & Pashler, H. (2008). Spacing effects in
learning a temporal ridgeline of optimal retention. Psychological science, 19(11),
1095-1102.
Use evidence to support instruction
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http://learningovations.com/a2i/
What can we do when technology
speeds past evidence?
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And gather evidence.
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http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/
Use evidence to make choices about
current technologies
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Hirsh-Pasek, K., Zosh, J. M., Golinkoff, R. M., Gray, J. H., Robb, M. B., & Kaufman, J.
(2015). Putting Education in “Educational” Apps Lessons From the Science of
Learning. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16(1), 3-34.
Four Pillars
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Active
learning
Engagement
in the
learning
process
Meaningful
learning
Social
interaction
Where will evidence take us next?
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The Future of Ed Tech at IES
Virtual Learning Lab
• research on and evaluation of
– instructional practices, content, and learning tools
provided to students
– within widely-used online instructional delivery
platforms,
• explore how the large amounts of data generated
within such platforms can be used
– to address the practical needs and questions posed by
school administrators, teachers, policymakers and
researchers.
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How can online instruction address:
instructional needs of learners across the spectrum –
typical, advanced, and struggling –
learning and retention of material over longer schoolrelevant time periods
persistence and completion
needs of low-income students and reduce achievement
gaps
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Research Questions for VLL
What data, metadata, analytical tools, and
models are most useful for understanding
and improving student learning?
How can big data be used to predict students’
performance and help them receive the
instruction and services they need?
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Stay Tuned
• Education Technology Compendium
• Follow us on Twitter @IESResearch
• Learn about our SBIR program
http://ies.ed.gov/sbir/
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Thank you!
Elizabeth Albro
elizabeth.albro@ed.gov
@IESResearch
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