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Created by the Mobile Technology Learning Center at the University of San Diego

Using Research to Inform Teaching Educators use academic research to inform their teaching.

Key Method Educators access peer-reviewed research and determine whether it is legitimate and relevant in informing their teaching.

Method Components Educators access scholarly publications on areas that may inform their teaching. The following websites are recommended: Curated Websites

§ What Works Clearinghouse, http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/ § Harvard Usable Knowledge, https://www.gse.harvard.edu/uk § researchED, http://www.workingoutwhatworks.com/ § dml Research Hub, http://dmlhub.net/research/ § National Writing Project, http://www.nwp.org/ § American Educational Research Assocation (AERA), http://www.aera.net/ § Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), http://www.ascd.org/Default.aspx § Education Week, www.edweek.org § KQED’s Mind/Shift, http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/ § Edutopia, http://www.edutopia.org/

Research Databases

§ Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), http://eric.ed.gov/ § Google Scholar, https://scholar.google.com/ § JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/

Educators determine whether the research is applicable by asking four questions

§ What are they trying to learn? § What is the study design? § How was the data in the study collected and analyzed? § What steps did researchers take to ensure quality?

Supporting Research § Preparing Our Children: Math and Science Education in the National Interest. Publication no. NSB 99-

31. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation, 1999. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1999/nsb9931/nsb9931.pdf Like other professionals, teachers need support networks in various forms--Internet bulletin boards,

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websites, in-person professional development experiences, university faculty mentors, etc.--to refine their knowledge and skills. Technical assistance by those who understand classroom settings and have the confidence of teachers is essential. In short, “getting the word out” only begins a process of using knowledge to inform ongoing teacher preparation and education practice.

§ Edyburn, Dave L. "Using Research to Inform Practice." Special Education Technology Practice 11.5

(2009): 21–28, https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/edyburn/www/ResearchInformPractice.pdf Educators and related service personnel need to become familiar with core resource organizations that review and certify evidence-based practices in education. In addition, it is essential that professionals understand the process that is used to validate a claim that a given instructional practice is research-based.

§ Stanovich, Paula J., and Keith E. Stanovich. Using Research and Reason in Education: How Teachers

Can Use Scientifically Based Research To Make Curricular & Instructional Decisions. 2003, https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/Stanovich_Color.pdf Standards- and assessment-based educational reforms seek to obligate schools and teachers to supply evidence that their instructional methods are effective. However, findings suggest research-based evidence that the instructional methods being used by teachers lead to student achievement.

Resources

§ Advancing Accessible, Relevant Educational Research, http://www.digitalpromise.org/blog/entry/advancing-accessible-relevant-educational-research For research on digital learning to be effective, it needs to be more accessible and relevant. One way this is achieved is by publishing research results in open-access journals and through publishing methods like blogs that link to the longer work. Organizations such as Footnote and Digital Promise are working to communicate findings in a clear and concise manner, and researchers can do so, too.

Submission Guidelines & Evaluation Criteria To earn this micro-credential, you must receive a passing evaluation for Parts 1 and 3 and an Exemplary score for Part 2. Part 1. Overview questions (300-word limit for each response)

§ How has research informed your instruction in the past? Please cite one specific example. - Passing: Description of past practices is clear and specific.

§ How effective or ineffective was the inclusion of research into your planning process? Please cite one specific example. - Passing: Description of research implementation is clear and specific.

Part 2. Work examples/artifacts Submit PDFs or links to three scholarly sources on a topic related to your needs for improved learning and teaching with explanations of how you determined the sources were legitimate. Also submit artifacts/evidence (such as links to writing, audio, images, video, or other products) that were created while using the research you selected to inform your instruction, including such items as:

§ A video of instruction based on the research § A lesson plan with explanations of how it was informed by the research

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Your whole artifact submission will be assessed on the following rubric. You must earn an Exemplary score on this portion of the submission in order to earn the micro-credential.

Needs Improvement Developing Exemplary

Literature is not relevant to educator’s learning and teaching needs; sources are in blog format and not considered scholarly. Educator does not demonstrate how research has been determined to be legitimate or how it has informed teaching and learning.

Some literature is not relevant to educator’s learning and teaching needs; some sources are in blog format and not considered scholarly. Educator makes an attempt to describe how research was determined to be legitimate and to connect research to teaching and learning.

All literature is relevant to the educator’s learning and teaching needs; all sources are scholarly. Educator describes how he or she determined research was legitimate and makes a clear connection between research and practice.

Part 3. Reflection (300-word limit)

§ Please describe why you chose to research your selected topic, how you determined your research sources were legitimate, and how the research will inform your practice. - Passing: Reasoning for why the topic was selected makes sense and it is clear how academic

literature will inform educator’s practice.