Using Research to Improve Education: Resources to Explore over the Summer

Presented by Babe Liberman, Research Project Manager; Sierra Gibson, Research Associate; and Wendy Xiao, Program Manager, Learner Positioning Systems
Hosted by Barbara Pape, Communications Director, Learner Positioning Systems
Sponsored by Digital Promise

Watch the Recording

If you view the recording and would like a CE certificate, join the Research and Evidence in Edtech or Personalized Learning for All community and go to the CE Quizzes link in the Community Toolbox.

The goal of this presentation is to provide educators, edtech developers, and researchers with free tools and resources to apply research to their practices. In this edWebinar, presenters from Digital Promise share research-based tools and resources that support iterative improvements among instructional practices, school and district evaluation processes, and edtech development. They answer the following questions:

• How might educators access relevant, high-quality education research that helps them evaluate innovative programs and understand and address learner variability? How might researchers identify educational challenges that need further research?
• How might educators, researchers, and product developers evaluate edtech implementation?
• How might product developers use research to improve their product and meet the needs of the full diversity of learners?

Digital Promise works at the intersection of researchers, educators and edtech developers. In this edWebinar, the presenters share how several Digital Promise and Digital Promise Global initiatives strive to connect all three. One initiative is the Research Map, a tool that connects education practitioners to over 100,000 learning sciences research articles that can help them shape powerful learning solutions for all students.

The presentation also reviews the Edtech Pilot Framework, a research-based process for conducting short cycle evaluations of innovative programs and practices. Additionally, the presenters will discuss the newly launched Learner Positioning Systems that translates learning sciences research into easily accessible Learner Models for product developers and educators. This recorded session will benefit pre-K through high school educators, school and district leaders, edtech developers, and researchers.

About the Presenters

Babe Liberman manages the Research@Work project at Digital Promise, which aims to increase the use of research in the design, development, and implementation of education programs and practices. Previously, Babe worked at the Center for Childhood Creativity, the research and advisory division of the Bay Area Discovery Museum, where she managed projects to help schools, libraries, media outlets and toy companies use the latest education and child development research findings to improve their work; and facilitated educational programs for children and families at several museums and cultural institutions. She holds a B.A. from Yale College and an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

At Digital Promise, Sierra Gibson focuses on building districts’ and educators’ capacity to make evidence-based decisions around innovative programs and practices. In addition to conducting and supporting edtech pilot studies in collaboration with districts across the country, Sierra is also working on research projects studying technology integration to support low-resourced K12 students and adult learners. Prior to joining Digital Promise, Sierra was an applied behavior analysis instructor and curriculum coordinator at an autism center in New York. While working on her Master’s in Education Policy and Management from Harvard Graduate School of Education, she also served as project manager and policy analyst for a nonprofit creating hybrid academic and SEL courses for students with Dyslexia and ADHD. Sierra received her B.A. in Government from Claremont McKenna College.

Wendy Xiao oversees the strategies research process for the Learner Positioning Systems and also works with partners to infuse learning sciences research into products and classroom practice to reach the full diversity of learners. Prior to joining Digital Promise, Wendy was pursuing her master’s and concurrently working with a number of edtech products. She previously taught in the elementary division of a school for children with learning differences, focusing on reading and dance instruction. She earned her M.A. in Learning, Design & Technology from Stanford Graduate School of Education and her B.S. in Neuroscience from Duke University.

About the Host
Barbara Pape is the communications director for the Learner Positioning Systems (LPS) at Digital Promise Global (DPG). She has 20 years experience in strategic communications, writing, and policy analysis, primarily in education. Previously, she served as Executive Producer of the award-winning Teaching & Learning conference, sponsored by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, where she developed content and oversaw outreach and communications. As a writer, she has written for numerous publications, including Harvard University, the National Education Goals Panel (U.S. Department of Education) and Parents magazine. Barbara also served as editor and publisher of the first electronically delivered education newsletter, the Daily Report Card. She earned an EdM at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and launched her career as a middle school language arts teacher.

Join the Research and Evidence in Edtech or Personalized Learning for All community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, view past edWebinars, take a quiz to receive a CE certificate for a past edWebinar, and access free resources.

Digital Promise was created with the mission to accelerate innovation in education to improve opportunities to learn.