Project TestDrive: Students and Teachers “Speak Up” about NSDL NSDL Annual Meeting 2008 Washington DC October 1, 2008 Julie Evans and Laurie Smith Project

Project TestDrive: Students and Teachers “Speak Up” about NSDL

NSDL Annual Meeting 2008Washington DCOctober 1, 2008

Julie Evans and Laurie SmithProject Tomorrow

Our discussion today:

About Project TestDrive

National Project Results and Findings

Recommendations

Next Steps

Discussion – what do you think?

NSDL Annual Meeting 2008Speak Up about NSDL

About Project Tomorrow

Our VisionPreparing today’s students to be tomorrow’s

innovators, leaders and engaged citizens

Our MissionTo support the development of critical thinking,

problem solving and creativity skills in K-12 students through innovative, research-based

uses of science, math and technology resources.


About Project Tomorrow


Our strengths:

Provide national leadership to improve K-12 education

Incubate and replicate school based science, math & technology programs that engage students & teachers

Leverage online tools, resources and events to build local capacities for reform and innovation

Conduct national research to inform and stimulate new discussions around education topics

About Speak Up

Annual national research projectOnline surveys - Open for all K-12 schoolsSchools/districts get back their own data for planning and budgeting

Collect data ↔ Stimulate conversationsK-12 Students, Teachers, Parents and Administrators

Inform policies & programsAnalysis and reporting – national reports, state reports, district reports Services: custom reports, consulting with districts and state agenciesNCES back end database – provide statistically significant samplings from the data

5 years of empowering authentic voices – since 2003: 1.1 million K-12 students74,000 teachers34,000 parents3,200 school leaders14,000 schools – from all 50 states, DC, American military base schools, Canada, Mexico, Australia


1.2 million respondents

What is Project TestDrive?

National research project on the classroom effectivenessof K-12 STEM resources in the National Science Digital

Library - Supplemental to Digital Libraries go to School

Goals

– Evaluate the relevance and quality of existing resources, accessibility and impact in the classroom

– Develop rubrics for evaluating current and future NSDL content

– Develop recommendations for promoting NSDL to K-12 educators


Why Project TestDrive?

Wealth of resources have been developed for NSDL Who is using them?How are they being used?

Extends DLgtS by…

– Modifying workshop curriculum to create JIT training for

teachers on NSDL and IA

– Additional rubrics and evaluation instruments to implement

with DLgtS workshop curriculum

– Advertises DLgtS workshops with more audiences


Project TestDrive Methodology

Promotion to participate: + 50,000 teachers

Teacher application – screened for school diversity/mix

MOU with teachers – informed consent with students

Evaluation rubrics developed for the resources

Just in time training provided

Recommended list of resources identified

Teachers select and use 7-10 resources in classroom

Teacher and student feedback via surveys and focus groups


Link to documents on our websitehttp://www.tomorrow.org/programs/testdrive.html

http://www.tomorrow.org/programs/testdrive.html

http://www.tomorrow.org/programs/testdrive.html

Project TestDrive Participation2007/08 School Year:

78 teacher applications approved

29 teachers used 111 resources in their classroom– 86% used at least 7 different resources

20 teachers completed online surveys

2697 students completed online surveys

11 teachers participated in focus groups


Project TestDrive Participation

2007/08 School Year:


Who created the resource?

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

Museums

Commercial

Fed Agencies

Prof Societies

Other

Universities

Can't determine

Project TestDrive Participation

2007/08 School Year:


Type of resource

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Software

Audio

Datasets

Other

Video

Articles

Lesson Plans

Animation

Images

Project TestDrive Key Findings

Strategy: Outreach and Awareness Building

Strategy: Developing the Value Proposition


Outreach and Awareness Building

How did you find the resource?

What is the most effective way to use the

resource?

How would you like to learn about resources?

How to encourage more classroom usage?




How did you find the resource?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Other

Colleague

NSDL promo

Project Tomorrow

Own search

NSDL listserv



What is most effective way to use the resource?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Other

Assessment

Homework

Free time

Part of lab rotation

Guided practice

Extra credit

Direct instruction

Cooperative groups

Students own time

Independent practice

Intro activity

Core curriculum input

Whole class activity



Preference for finding and learning about resources

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Prof Dev Classes

Other websites

Listservs and newsletters

Curriculum Specialist

Librarian or media specialist

Other teachers

Exploring on your own


Preference for finding and learning about resources – look at who and what did not make the list!

Administrators

Students

District Technology Staff

TV / Radio Ads



Recommendations to encourage classroom usage:

“Inside and outside” recommendations




“Inside” recommendations:

• Increase access to school technology• Increase time to learn about and use resources• Require as part of school projects – science fairs• Funding for teachers to purchase supplies and resources




“Outside” recommendations:

• Increase awareness – advertising, listservs• Push only selected resources – targeted approach• Bundle with textbooks and other resources• Identify key people as advocates - librarians


Project TestDrive Key Findings

Strategy: Outreach and Awareness Building

Strategy: Developing the Value Proposition


Developing the Value Proposition

Resource characteristics

Effectiveness for classroom use

Professional impact of using the resources

What do you like most/least about resources?

What should be improved?



How would you characterize the resource?

Top responses:




Top responses:

Age appropriate – 70%

Enhances curriculum – 68%

Easy to use – 63%

Relevant and useful – 61%

Classroom ready / supports curriculum – 58%

Easy to integrate into curriculum – 57%

Accurate / teacher friendly – 54%




Other responses:

Student friendly – 52%

Visually appealing – 49%

Credibility – 48%

Interactive – 45%

Clear instructions – 45%

Supports multiple learning styles – 31%




Key: Very Effective Effective Not Effective

Effectiveness of the resource in the classroom

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Student engagement

Stimulate imagination

Address learning styles

Understand standards

Higher order thinking

Knowledge application

Class participation

Challenging

Independent work


Value statements about NSDL resources:

Appropriate for classroom use 88%

Content is credible 87%

Enhances current curriculum 87%

Alignment with state standards 80%

Increased student engagement 78%




Appropriate for classroom use 88%

Content is credible 87%

Enhances current curriculum 87%

Alignment with state standards 80%

Increased student engagement 78%

I would use the resource again 81%

I would recommend the resource to others 79%



Student Views


Student Views: Benefits of using resource activities

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Use of content in job

Explore own ideas

Interaction with classmates

Liked solving problems

Increased understanding

Liked using tech

Interest in learning

Liked activities


Student Views


Often + Always

Subject is more interesting 58%

Enjoyed class participation 57%

Greater understanding of content 56%

Learned more 52%

Remember more about content 49%

More interested in subject 48%



Student Views


Often + Always

I would recommend resource to a friend 52%

I would like to use the resource again 59%

I would like to use NSDL again 60%




Professional impact of using resources

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Learned new assessment strategies

Enhanced interactions with students

More comfortable integratingtechnology

More comfortable with subject

Learned new engagement strategies

Would incorporate more resources


What did you like most about the resource?



What did you like most about the resource?

Site dependent but overall comments:

Interactivity – use of animations/engaging graphics

Easy to understand and use – teacher friendly

Students could direct their own learning



What did you like least about the resource?

Site dependent but one general overall comment:

Depth of site content – either too much or too little



Recommendations for improving the resources

Site dependent but overall comments:

Better grade level alignment with age appropriate

activities and content

More animations/visualizations

More content OR less content


Project TestDrive Next Steps

Further analysis of the data findings

Such as: • by contributor by resource• by contributor by grade level standard• changes in student views after increased usage• effectiveness by resource, by contributor• classroom utilization by resource• selection pathways with more exposure


Project TestDrive Next Steps

Final report – to be published in January 2009

Marketing and outreach recommendations

Rubrics for resource evaluations

Additional data findings

Also available: Resource specific data findings for the pathways and contributors


Want more information?

Speak Up teacher data on digital resources

• what characteristics are most important to you when choosing online resources?

• how have you used online resources in the past 12 months?

• what factors influence your inclusion of 21st century tools in your science classroom?


More Speak Up? www.tomorrow.org

Webinars – new series

Podcasts

Speak Up Blog

Facebook

Sign up for news alerts

Customized reports and consulting services

Conference presentations/workshops

Speak Up 2008


http://www.tomorrow.org/

More Speak Up findings?

Visit www.tomorrow.org

Student, Teacher, Parent & Administrator Data Findings

Reports such as:

Learning in the 21st Century: A National Report of Online Learning(Oct 2007, Updated Jun 2008)

Inspiring the Next Generation of InnovatorsStudents, Teachers and Parents Speak Up about Science Education

(June 2008)


http://www.tomorrow.org/

More Speak Up?

Upcoming Presentations and Events:

Innovative Learning Conference 2008 October 14-16, 2008San JosePresentation: Speak Up data on mobile devices

NSBA T+L 2008October 28-30, 2008SeattlePresentation: Administrator data from Speak Up Release of new report: “New Visionary Administrator”


Surveys for K-12 students, teachers, parents and administratorsSurvey for parents in English and SpanishNo fee or charge to participate

100% online – each survey only takes 20 minutes100% confidential; password protected

Questions regarding:teaching and learning with technology, 21st century skills, professional development, science instruction, STEM careers, emerging technologies and online learning

New question themesBroadband access/issues – home and at schoolDigital contentMedia and information literacy

Surveys open from Oct 20 thru Dec 19Schools/districts get data back in FebruaryNational data findings released in Washington DC in spring 2009

NSDL Annual Meeting 2008

Speak Up 2008

Thanks! If you have any questions, please contact:

Julie [email protected]

949-609-4660 x15

Laurie [email protected]

949-609-4660 x17


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Project TestDrive: Students and Teachers “Speak Up” about NSDL NSDL Annual Meeting 2008 Washington DC October 1, 2008 Julie Evans and Laurie Smith Project