educational_transformation for B.Ed students.ppt

ed

1. Educational Transformations
Enabled by Technology
Robert Tinker
The Concord Consortium
http://concord.org

2. 1/20/03 2National Academy
The Problem
INNOVATION and APPLIED RESEARCH are:
•Essential to major advances in education
that technology makes possible
•Under funded
•Overlooked in most policy debates

3. 1/20/03 3National Academy
It’s a Long Way from Basic
Research to Improved Schools
•A single development does not lead
to classroom change
Instead
•Insights and innovations cascade
from more basic to more applied
research
•New materials draw from many
sources of insight and innovation

4. 1/20/03 4National Academy
The Research Spectrum
AppliedBasic
Implementation
Research
Cognitive
Research
Tools and
Platforms
New
Technologies
IT-based
Curricula
Human Resource Development
Educational
Applications
This all takes place in “Pasteur’s Quadrant” (Don Stokes)
Technical
Innovations
Curriculum
Innovations

5. 1/20/03 5National Academy
Implementation Research
•Focus on in-schools studies.
•Examples
–Use of models across the curriculum
–New approach to political science in
which students design institutions and
role play
–Intuitive calculus in elementary grades
followed by major curriculum changes
–Atomic physics before molecular biology

6. 1/20/03 6National Academy
Implementation Research
•Characteristics
–Like medical field trials (somewhat)
–The step before large-scale
implementation
–A few years ahead of current practice
–Large numbers of students and teachers
–Technology and training may be needed

7. 1/20/03 7National Academy
Example: Implementation
Research
•Modeling Across the Curriculum
–Three-year longitudinal study
–Thirteen schools and 10,000 students
–Consistent approach to modeling
–Random assignment of treatments
–Look for cumulative improvements in
basic problem-solving skills

8. 1/20/03 8National Academy
Example: Guidance and
Assessment Using Tools
Embed the
tool into
lessons. Kids
can learn from
these through
exploration.
Careful design
and testing
with students
needed.

9. 1/20/03 9National Academy
Educational Innovations
•Transformative, large scale
educational innovations
–Are feasible
–Require large scale applied R&D
–Are based on basic research and
technical innovation
–Draw from IT developments in other
areas: games, science research, etc
–Should be open source/open content

10. 1/20/03 10National Academy
Who Creates Innovations?
•The funding picture
–MSP: $1B total for implementation
–Labs, Resource Centers, Systemic Initiatives:
$1B/yr for dissemination
–Centers for Teaching and Learning: $1B total
for human resource development
–No major government program for IT-based
innovation
–Business can reach large audiences
•Where are the inputs?

11. 1/20/03 11National Academy
Who Creates Innovations?
Where are IT-based educational innovations
going to come from that transform K-14
education?
–Not basic research
–Not business
–Not schools

12. 1/20/03 12National Academy
A Missing Link
Basic
Research
Dissemination
Implementation Research
and Innovation
Teacher Professional
Development
Improved
Teaching and
Learning
New
Technology

13. 1/20/03 13National Academy
Recommendations
•To realize the educational potential of
information technologies, a research
strategy is needed that is balanced
between pure and applied
•Innovation in technology and
curricula must be central to the
strategy

14. 1/20/03 14National Academy
Education Accelerators
•Promote, support, and study large-scale change in
schools
•School-centered
•Large-scale change has risks
•Cannot make mistakes with students
•Schools need insurance and assurance
•Theory-based change supported by evidence
•Support for teachers, administrators, parents
•Extensive formative assessment: early-warning
system in place

15. 1/20/03 15National Academy
Education Accelerators
•Applied research requires interdisciplinary
teams
•Centers, analogous to research centers in
the sciences, are needed: Education
Accelerators
•Centers must have close connections to
schools and colleges
•By concentrating resources and expertise
the research is more efficient and effective

16. 1/20/03 16National Academy
Education Accelerators
•Need base funding for staff and a
general research agenda
•Five-year, renewable grants
•Bulk of funding comes through peer
reviewed projects to affiliated
institutions

17. 1/20/03 17National Academy
The Cost
•Cognitive research: 75 projects at $200K/yr =
$20M/yr
•Technology: 50 projects @ $500K/yr = $25M/yr
•Software: 50 projects at $1M/yr = $50M/yr
•Curriculum: 50 at $1M/yr = $50M/yr
•Implementation: 50 at $2M/yr = $100M/yr
•Accelerators: 10 at $5M/yr = $50M/yr
•Human Resources: 200 @ $50K/yr = $10M/yr
•Total: $300M/yr for ten years

18. 1/20/03 18National Academy
Worth it?
•$3B total over ten years
•50 times current levels for innovation
and applied research
•Tiny compared to the educational
enterprise
•Comparable to current dissemination
expenditures
•Can transform education

19. 1/20/03 19National Academy
Fin
Contact:
[email protected]
Information, free software, research
results, reviews, and more at:
http://concord.org