SEERNet is a network of platform developers, researchers, and education stakeholders working together to create and expand the capacity of digital learning platforms (DLPs) to enable equity-focused and rigorous education research. SEERNet is funded by the Institute of Education Science, with a deliberate intention to fund both DLPs and researchers, as well as a growing network connecting DLPs, researchers, and practitioners. It is called “SEERNet” in reference to IES’s SEER principles, a set of aspirations for educational research.
This paper presents a conceptual exploration of how Digital Learning Platforms (DLPs) can be utilized to investigate the impact of language clarity, precision, engagement, and contextual relevance on mathematics learning from word problems. Focusing on three distinct DLPs—ASSISTments/E-TRIALS, MATHia/UpGrade, and Canvas/Terracotta—we propose hypothetical studies aimed at uncovering how nuanced language modifications can enhance mathematical understanding and engagement. While these studies are illustrative in nature, they provide a blueprint for researchers interested in leveraging DLPs for empirical investigation so that future investigators gain a better understanding of the emerging infrastructure for research in digital learning platforms and the opportunities provided by them. In highlighting three distinct implementations of the same core research question, we reveal both commonalities as well as differences in how different educational technologies might build evidence, offering a unique opportunity to advance the field of math education and other education research fields.
One of SEERNet’s aims is to enable alignment of research on digital learning platforms to practitioner needs. Office Hours: A Conversational Series was SEERNet’s first initiative to convene practitioners and researchers in identifying problems of practice relevant to digital learning platforms (DLPs) and co-designing research questions. Participants discussed their experiences, goals, challenges, and vision related to DLP use. The conversations were synthesized and feedback from the participants led to refined research questions. In addition, we asked the participants to reflect on the value of the Office Hours process.
The Data Science Corps program seeks to engage data science students in real-world data science implementation projects. This engagement will help bridge the data-to-knowledge gap in organizations and communities at all levels, including local, state, and national, and will empower better use of data for more effective decision making. Data Science Corps participants will be able to sharpen their skills in data science by working on real-world projects focused on specific community needs, including rural communities, urban communities, academia, industry, or government.
In a new blog, IES Acting Director Matt Soldner highlights examples of how IES is committing to a future R&D ecosystem that is more inclusive than the ecosystem of today.
The February 2024 School Pulse Panel (SPP) release provides information on concerns from school leaders and parents, social and emotional skills, and state assessment perceptions during the 2023-24 school year,…
The School Pulse Panel has collected data on a range of high-priority, education-related topics from public primary, middle, high, and combined-grade schools in four U.S. Outlying Areas – American Samoa,…
This project is supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305N210034 to Digital Promise. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.