How the Internet is Changing Education R&D
Barbara Means, SRI International
Current Department of Education funding programs reflect the traditional model of education R&D in their three stages of research: small investigations testing the principle behind an intervention, somewhat larger studies testing the efficacy of the intervention under ideal conditions, and then effectiveness studies (large-scale randomized field trials). Positive findings from the prior stage of R&D are a prerequisite for the next stage with larger funding.
Under this model, the maturity of the technology-based intervention, the scope at which it has been implemented, and the extent of evidence concerning its impact grow together over time. It is common for investigators to take their innovation through several rounds of small-scale studies—taking place over multiple years—before concluding that it is ready for large-scale implementation and impact testing. READ MORE
