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Never have I been more aware of the lack of evidence-based tools and resources to meet the needs of our students than when I worked in the central office of the New Orleans School District after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. I considered many curriculum and professional learning options, but there were very few high-quality, evidence-backed products. We were at the mercy of the market, which at the time offered little or no support to meet the diverse needs of students living in poverty.
In today’s education landscape, research and development is essential to driving progress and innovation in K-12 teaching and learning. However, the dominant approach continues to revolve around market-driven solutions developed without evidence or teacher input. Unlike industries such as healthcare and energy, where scientific discovery and practical application are seamlessly integrated, education requires a formal process for investing in tools and solutions based on scientific research and proof of effectiveness. is often missing. This fragmentation in research and development results in inefficiencies, wasting funds on solutions that don’t work for most students, and leading to missed opportunities for innovation that improve learning outcomes.
In healthcare, the effectiveness of new treatments and drugs must be rigorously demonstrated before they are put into practical use. Similarly, in education, research must be tailored to the actual needs of students and educators to ensure that solutions are effective and truly useful to everyone they seek to impact. This trajectory from initial scientific advances to classroom applications requires rigorous measurement, evaluation, and feedback. It takes a commitment to explore, make mistakes, and constantly improve without sacrificing your dedication to positive change. And they require meaningful and frequent input from the people who use these innovative solutions from the beginning.
As Chief Learning Officer at the Higher Education Research and Development Fund, I have seen firsthand the real impact of systemic change and the design of educational technology based on student-centered research. Understanding the experiences of students, parents, and educators is essential to keeping the focus on the learner from the beginning. Especially since parents have dreams for their children’s futures and teachers know the academic needs of young people. By involving researchers, developers, and policy makers from the beginning, we can help identify the right opportunities and design solutions that meet the needs of all students. And once a promising innovation takes shape, it’s essential to bring in industry experts and investors who can provide financial backing for expansion beyond a single classroom or school.
The need for innovative solutions to help students recover from the learning disruption caused by the pandemic has never been more urgent. The nation must pull out all the stops, including educator and community engagement, high ethical standards for educational technology, and, importantly, federal investment in educational research and development. Here are four important criteria that teachers, administrators, and school district buyers of educational technology and curriculum should look for.
A focus on both scientific evidence and real-world experience is essential to building new solutions for the future. Educators discuss with colleagues what has worked in supporting student learning and improving classroom practices, including fellow teachers, administrators, industry experts, researchers, policy makers, and others. , must draw on expertise from many sources.
Look for products created based on how students learn best and with expert insights from educators, researchers, and product developers. These must include diverse perspectives to ensure technology is accessible to students who are disproportionately affected by poverty. Ask where the product has been piloted, in what types of schools, in what geographic locations, and with what demographic and socio-economic groups, and look for evidence of positive impact. .
Does the product promote inclusivity, equity, and transparency? Does it serve the best interests of all participating students while treating each student as an individual? Is the data private? Is it accessible? And does it offer diverse content? Will it work in rural areas or in diverse metropolises? These are important ethical questions to consider.
Teachers don’t have the time or bandwidth to spend valuable time navigating their way in and out of each ed-tech tool. New products must work together interoperably and seamlessly with teacher workflows. These should not just be created in the lab, but developed based on what works in the classroom and with a lot of input from the people who will use them.
These four elements have the potential to change the way educational solutions are developed, enabling faster and bigger breakthroughs that benefit K-12 preschool teaching, learning, and assessment systems.
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