Background, Process & Overall Outcomes

Quick Hints on Research for Busy Educators

Recommended Rubrics for Evaluating Research

Communicating Research Findings Effectively

Tool Participants

Background, Process & Overall Outcomes

• Background
• Process
• Overall Outcomes

Background
Although states, districts, and schools implement educational technology programs that appear to improve teaching and learning, education stakeholders struggle to provide data and research that demonstrate the effectiveness and impact of the programs.

In many cases, research or data exists to support the program effectiveness; but it is not communicated or identified effectively because the research is not readily consumable or understandable.

SETDA identified a need to provide education stakeholders with assistance in identifying and analyzing research and results that demonstrate the rigor and proof to make the case for continued funding for educational technology programs and to facilitate policy and program decisions.

Process
Through a grant from the Intel Foundation, the “Showing Evidence of Educational Technology’s Effectiveness” project was designed to engage SETDA members in a year-long collaborative effort to assemble and communicate research data.

SETDA members attended the “Becoming a Better Consumer and Communicator of Research” session lead by Jason Osborne, PhD, of North Carolina State University at the 2005 Leadership Summit. The group utilized this and other resources to develop rubrics which provide criteria for ranking research.

The rubrics are provided as tools, as they help in the evaluation of research. The first rubric looks at the type of research, and the second provides ratings based upon peer review.

Finally, the online “Showing Evidence” thinking tool was used to allow individuals to work together with others in a team-like setting to evaluate evidence which supports or refutes a claim.

Overall Outcomes
Participants in the Showing Evidence project noted that the discussions about research methodology and results enhanced their knowledge about research.

Having the opportunities to discuss the research design and utilize the language learned through the rubric development and “Becoming a Better Consumer and Communicator of Research” session increased comfort levels with research.

A primary challenge was finding the time to devote to a thorough analysis of research, its design, or an evaluation of either. With this in mind, participants chose to develop tools which allow other SETDA members to learn from their experience and provide templates and examples that all SETDA members can readily use to communicate research, program, and evaluation findings.

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