This summer’s hot new trend is learning science, right? ...read more at original post>

ll bet you’ve read something about technology and learning recently. You may have read that device use enhances learning outcomes. Or perhaps you’ve read that screen time is not good for kids. Maybe you’ve read that there’s no link between adolescents’ screen time and their well-being. Or that college students’ learning declines the more devices are present in their classrooms.

If ever there were a case to be made...read more at original post>

The inaugural Digital Learning Annual Conference (DLAC) took place on April 1-3, 2019, and one of the highlights of the event for me was the prominent and focused conversation around research and evidence. In fact, DLAC kicked off with a research community meeting, which attracted almost 50 attendees representing roles from across the digital learning sector. Teachers, administrators, policy makers, service providers, developers, and, of course, researchers attended the meeting to learn more about the existing evidence, as well as how to better connect research and practice...read more at original post>

In 2017, we launched our annual measurement fellowship at The Learning Accelerator to catalyze the effective measurement of blended learning innovation and implementation to understand outcomes and inform collective improvement by building the pipeline of relevant and actionable research. We're excited to announce our 2019 Measurement Fellows whose work – both independently and in partnership with school systems – spans a variety of problems of practice, approaches, and methods, and aligns with our Measurement Agenda...read more at original post>

Honestly, both my conversation with and subsequent column in The Hechinger Report may have focused more on the difficulty of research and educational innovation, and not enough on the importance of building an evidence base. Evidence is the only way to determine which innovations are promising and effective, and integrating evidence helps prevent practitioners from implementing ineffective ideas, like the 1 development project found to have statistically negative effects in the i3 evaluation...read more at original post>

Learning sciences seem to be everywhere these days. Over the last couple of years, the message that educators have been getting about evidence has flipped from, “the research is new,” or “the evidence isn’t conclusive,” to “learning science clearly shows us...” This is a positive development, but the challenge still remains to help educators clearly connect these learning science facts to practice. What is the most actionable learning science evidence and, perhaps more importantly, what is its relevance to instruction?...read more at original post>

As millions of students head back to school, families are probably wondering if those shiny new devices, apps, and even games that are becoming a typical part of the school day are good for learning. As an education researcher focused on blended learning, I am often asked if education technology “works.” The underlying question here...​read more at original post>

As part of our work to catalyze measurement that increases our evidence base of equitable, effective blended practices, TLA is currently piloting a one-year Fellowship to support research that advances our measurement agenda. Our goal is to help folks across the ecosystem...read more at original post>

The randomized control trial (RCT) is the best tool education researchers have for understanding cause and effect, but there are times - like in blended learning settings - when this research design is undesirable, infeasible, or both. As I have previously noted, innovative instructional models like blended learning...read more at original post>

Co-authored with Emily Pulham

Blended learning research is at a very interesting crossroads when it comes to interests of the public school system, nonprofit organizations, corporate entities, private research firms, and traditional academic institutions. There are several ongoing initiatives dedicated to disseminating research to practitioners with the goal of...read more at original post>

​Over the past year, I’ve written about how educators, researchers, ed tech developers, and funders are all important to enacting TLA’s Measurement Agenda for Blended Learning to connect the research and implementation cycles and help us all understand how to best support all students in reaching their full potential. This post, the last of the...read more at original post>

Everyone, including social scientists, is eager to highlight results that suggest an innovative education model is working for students. It might surprise you to learn, therefore, that I am excited by negative findings about blended learning (or technology-supported personalized learning)–findings that suggest interacting with technology might actually have a negative effect on student learning.

In recent years, there are two negative trends...read more at original post>

For the last few years, MVLRI & TLA have been co-hosting the preconference K-12 Research Community Meeting at iNacol. We hope to see you this year!
We have several great panels...read more at original post>

The Learning Accelerator (TLA) believes that supporting effective blended learning innovation and implementation requires effective measurement to understand outcomes and inform collective improvement. As part of our work to catalyze this measurement, TLA is piloting a one-year Fellowship to support individuals conducting research that advances our measurement agenda. Our goal is to help actors across the ecosystem (including future researchers, leaders, and educators) to work together towards the mutual goal of all students receiving an outstanding education, enabling them to reach their full potential.

We’re now excited to announce...read more at original post>

The Learning Accelerator is pleased to pilot a one-year Fellowship (fall 2017 - spring 2018) with a diverse cohort of individuals who will be conducting research that advances our measurement agenda for blended learning. Through these fellowships, we will catalyze the measurement ecosystem (including future researchers, leaders, and educators) to work together towards the mutual goal of all students receiving an outstanding education, enabling them to reach their full potential.

Our Vision for Blended Learning Measurement
The Learning Accelerator’s vision for blended learning...read more at original post>

In previous posts, I illustrated to edTech developers and educators how they can contribute to our shared understanding of if, when, and how blended learning is effective through TLA’s Measurement Agenda for Blended Learning. In this post, I focus on researchers, and how their role can be expanded out of the traditional boundaries of “evidence curation” in to dissemination, competence-building, and implementation.

​Moving Evidence into Implementation
Researchers are no strangers...read more at original post>

At this year’s iNACOL symposium, there was increasing consensus around the idea that understanding the effectiveness of blended and personalized learning in different contexts can no longer be put off into the future or left to researchers and think tanks alone. Several speakers agreed that we need these answers today and a broad group of stakeholders, including educators, must play a critical role.

This is why The Learning Accelerator (TLA) recently released...read more at original post>

As the implementation of blended and personalized learning grows, questions about effectiveness are becoming relevant to more students and families, teachers, and classrooms across the nation. Researchers and think tanks cannot generate these answers alone. A broad group of stakeholders must play a critical role, and edtech developers have a unique position in their ability to both contribute to the evidence as well as drive the sector towards evidence-based implementation.

The more developers rely on and share evidence...read more at original post>

Recently, the White House hosted a Symposium on the Future of Education R&D and Digital Learning, at which 100 or so researchers came together to share with and learn from each other. The purpose of this meeting was twofold—first, to review progress made in supporting educational innovation by the outgoing administration, and second, to consider what research and development path forward would support an effective education for each and every K-12 student in America.

One of the ideas that was discussed...read more at original post>

For the third year, the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute is pleased to host a pre-conference workshop specifically focused on research at iNACOL’s annual symposium. This year, MVLRI is joining with The Learning Accelerator (TLA) to bring you a free, day-long session open to all attendees — not just researchers!

Title: K-12 Online and Blended Learning Research...read more at original post>

Last year’s enactment of the Every Student Succeeds Act, when viewed alongside other recent federally supported education initiatives such as the expansion of the national E-Rate program, the ConnectED initiative, and the Go Open campaign, was perceived by proponents of personalized learning as a clear victory. Their expectation is that under ESSA, educational innovations, especially ones that use technology to support effective instructional strategies, will become increasingly used in all classrooms, and more and more students will be supported in achieving their full potential.

Many of us conducting research...read more at original post>

It seems that everywhere I turn these days, there’s another book or article reproaching our reliance on averages, and, by extension, the “gold standard” of scientific research–the randomized controlled trial (RCT)–in education. The two concepts are intertwined, since RCTs rely on both random assignment as well as averages (or means) as the statistic of importance in order to minimize bias and maximize our ability to reject or not the “null hypothesis” (the default assumption that our intervention did not make a difference to those who received it).

The idea that individual...read more at original post>

Personalized learning practices are increasingly being used in a variety of K-12 settings. These include public, private, and charter schools; at elementary, middle, and high school levels; in many content areas—including core subjects like reading, English language arts, math, and writing; and with students from various backgrounds.The current pace of growth in the implementation of personalized learning means that questions about its effectiveness are becoming relevant to an increasing number of classrooms, educators, students, and families across the nation.

Last month, The Learning Accelerator (TLA) released...read more at original post>