The CATAALYST - Planning a Rigorous Study

Sri International, Menlo Park CA

Investigators

Abstract

Prior research on a group of similar technologies that the investigators call "CATAALYST" (Classroom Aggregation Technology for Activating and Assessing Learning and Your Students' Thinking) suggests that these rapid response learning and instructional technologies can produce sustained improvements in achievement and participation when coupled with an appropriate pedagogy of questioning. Yet research on CATAALYST-like technologies is limited in quality and quantity. As a result, the investigators propose, through planning activities and a workshop, to devise a methodologically rigorous study of CATAALYST effects in K-12 math and science education. The proposed work seeks to resolve issues of experimental design, recruitment, instrumentation, and analysis so that a well-designed study subsequently can be proposed. The central research question is: Does a CATAALYST intervention that combines an appropriate pedagogy and teacher professional development with the enabling technology increase participation among diverse students in K-12 math and science classrooms and increase student achievement? The workshop will bring together, for the first time, researchers who have investigated CATAALYST (and closely-related approaches) at different educational levels and for the teaching of different subject matters. Intellectual Merit: The controlled, experimental study that the investigators intend to develop will be appropriate for evaluating the inference that CATAALYST enables these outcomes. It may additionally differentiate among possible factors contributing to the outcomes and explanations of the mechanisms involved. Further, it will enable the researchers to evaluate whether prior outcomes reported in undergraduate education can be replicated in K-12 settings. Given decreasing costs and increasing capabilities of the technology, adoption is increasingly within reach for K-12 and university educators in STEM, but decisions to adopt should be based on evidence. Further, implementations should be based on understanding of the factors and mechanisms involved. Broader Impacts: The investigators will hold a workshop to bring together researchers from different disciplinary communities who have not yet cross-pollinated their work. We intend this workshop to elicit comprehensive research summaries of what is known, to interrelate practice-based and theory-based accounts, and to encourage other researchers to form teams to plan additional rigorous studies. A report will be disseminated, documenting both the knowledge base and how interdisciplinary teams of scientists could proceed in greater alignment.