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Science Education Research at GSLC

Teachers, you are a key part of creating quality materials that work in the real world. Please consider lending your voice as part of our research! Compensation is included.

 

Curriculum testing is an integral part of our work. Through research and evaluation, we explore both the effectiveness of our materials and how students learn. Our research includes quantitative and qualitative tools, such as pre/post testing, classroom observations, interviews, and student work. Teachers and students are our research partners. We’re looking for help during several different steps:

Assessment Validation: Help us test the test! This step is the foundation upon which all of our research is built. Students participate in “cognitive labs” where they read-aloud the assessment questions and explain their answers to us in an interview. This helps catch questions that are confusing, too hard, or too easy.

Pilot Testing: Take new materials out for a test drive and let us know what you and your students think. We revise based on your feedback, making our materials better for all to use.

Field Testing: Check the efficacy of the curriculum. This step assesses whether the materials support students in their conceptual understanding of the disciplinary ideas presented.

 

Current Opportunities:


Grade Level Curriculum Description Current Research Studies (links to more information and application)
Middle School (6th-8th ) Symbiosis and Other Relationships Explore a three-part symbiotic relationship involving parasitic wasps, caterpillars, and a virus to build a better understanding of ecological relationships and a fascinating real-world example of symbiosis. Pilot testing
High School (9th-12th) All of Us Data Browser (AoU)Introduce students to research and the power of “big data”! Get familiar with an exciting, new, publicly-available biomedical database and use it to investigate questions about health. Cognitive Labs
Pilot testing
Field Testing
Engineering for Health Reinforce genetics concepts through an exploration of genetic technologies and the molecular processes they employ to understand and identify genetic disorders. Each technology focuses on different levels: DNA, mRNA, protein, and protein function emphasizing that genetic disorders are the result of information transfer gone wrong somewhere between DNA and function. Pilot testing

 

Your participation in these studies helps us gain insight into how students learn and connect with science. You’ll also contribute to the body of knowledge in the science education research field.