Toward a Learning Technologies Knowledge Network Roy Pea (SRI International) Center for Innovative Learning Technologies (CILT)

C L I T In Memorial... Jan Hawkins, Chair of CILT’s Advisory Board

C L I T Overview Putting to work our collective intelligence about learning technologies R&D Our approach: “Uniting people, technology, and powerful ideas for learning” Processes of knowledge networking What we are learning Thanks for support of CILT to the National Science Foundation under the Knowledge and Distributed Intelligence Program

C L I T The Need Revolutionary potentials of Learning Technologies (LT) but... Two decades of strong academic R&D on learning technologies --> little influence on industry developments or school practices Uncoordinated critical mass of LT researchers with “pockets” of different strengths Educators using LT have insights from craft experience but difficult to share SUM: little cumulativity, fragmented results, weak coupling of research and practice in a time of new complexities and rapid change of technologies

C L I T Center for Innovative Learning Technologies A distributed center for tackling these problems in new ways Start-up funding from National Science Foundation ($ years) Open structure for harvesting knowledge and leveraging efforts of diverse LT R&D efforts Working on “theme teams” of high-priority Weaving the web—Creating “virtual critical mass” for a distributed learning organization about improving learning technologies

C L I T CILT Leadership Council Roy Pea (SRI), Marcia Linn (UC Berkeley), John Bransford (Vanderbilt), Barbara Means (SRI), Bob Tinker (Concord Consortium) Concord Consortium

C L I T Mission To serve as a national resource for stimulating research on innovative, technology-enabled solutions to critical problems in K-14 learning in science, mathematics, engineering and technology.

C L I T The I4C of CILT Innovate –in the technologies we adapt or invent –in the pedagogies we develop –in the ways in which we work together within and across sectors, including academic research, industry and educational practice Incubate –new research partnerships that display fertile promise by seed funding –new interdisciplinary research professionals in learning technologies Investigate –the processes and outcomes of using innovative learning technologies in a testbed of educational settings; and –design models for establishing effective interactive learning environments Integrate –compelling but isolated technologies and pedagogies into comprehensive standard-setting solutions –design principles and knowledge building practices from diverse communities about how to make learning technologies effective: researchers, practitioners, industry producers Communicate –cutting edge ideas by inviting collaboration to build a vibrant, sustainable community of learning

C L I T Overview of CILT Organization The CILT community is a multidisciplinary collective of innovators joining forces to advance the science and practice of learning technologies A core team of senior researchers from four diverse institutions Four "theme teams" that focus the efforts of the broad CILT community in areas of high promise Industry and school alliance programs to broaden impact of research on schools and other learning settings Concord Consortium

C L I T CILT Themes Four cross-institutional theme teams: Visualization and Modeling, Ubiquitous Computing, Community Tools, and Assessments for Learning Each team is led by 2-3 senior researchers and... –hosts and supports a post-doctoral scholar –works with a broader network of participants who collaborate through workshops and projects to set agendas and advance new research CILT theme team leaders... –provide guidance and critical review for the team’s work –facilitate collaboration among members of the broad theme team community –provide seed funding to initiate new partnerships

C L I T CILT’s First Year 1998: 1000 invitees to our 4 workshops, 300 persons came from 150 organizations and presented 200 projects 5-minute “fire-hose format” to acquaint people (Have learned what? Need what?); demos; posters Participants collectively set priorities for new partnership projects, and begin team formation, project definition and roles CILT later “seed funds” promising partnership pilot projects (20 so far) CILT projects may lead to new grants from NSF or other agencies, and/or be co-funded by industry, or re-direct ongoing grants

C L I T CILT Synergy Projects Collaborative efforts intended to provide a model for sustained cross-institutional work Synergy projects build on creative work by individual groups to create robust examples of innovation that work in varied school settings Example: Collaborative “pocket inquiry” –Using hand-held computers –For collecting and visualizing water quality data by several middle schools –With embedded assessment activities and teacher support materials

C L I T Visualization and Modeling Leaders –Marcia Linn, Andrea diSessa (UC Berkeley) –Nancy Songer (University of Michigan) –Postdoc: Eric Baumgartner Aim to support the design and use of innovative visualization and modeling tools in K-14 education Seek understanding of the learning value of these different representational forms Wish to refine innovative instructional frameworks that help shape the context of tool use for learning

C L I T Ubiquitous Computing Leaders –Bob Tinker (Concord Consortium) –Robert Brodersen (U. California, Berkeley, EECS) –Postdoc: Sherry Hsi Aim to stimulate collaborative research and development on engineering, learning, curriculum and educational issues for new configurations of small, portable computers, networking, and wireless connectivity

C L I T Community Tools Leaders: –Jeremy Roschelle and Roy Pea (SRI) –Postdoc: Jim Gray Address tools and processes, both technical and social, that can support the networked collaboration of teachers, students, and other educational stakeholders –Collaborative cognitive technologies –Knowledge networking tools and activities –Scaffolding frameworks that guide student thinking and learning activities

C L I T Assessments for Learning Leaders: –John Bransford (Vanderbilt University) –Barbara Means (SRI International) –Postdoc: Sean Brophy Focus on classroom assessment in the service of improving instruction Goal to explore synergies between new theories of learning and new assessment approaches made possible by technology

C L I T Examples of Seed projects Virtual Reality Solar System Visualizing the Amazonian Rain Forest Elementary school computer modeling of growth and change State of the art on technology and assessment (NEA co-funded monograph) Assessment in the context of scientific inquiry Technology and assessment in bio-medical & mechanical engineering Using Haptics to Learn Mathematics and Science

C L I T Examples of seed projects Datagotchi Deep Dive: Envisioning a Future Product Line of Low Cost Devices Dynamic Graphs and Motion using Palm-sized Computers “Knowledge Mining” on technology and education reform Consortium for Net-Based Teacher Professional Development Requirements of a Common Framework for K-12 Collaborative Learning Community Tools Bootstrapping a LT knowledge network Interoperable Components for Shared Active Representations

C L I T Concord Consortium Sonar Ranger

C L I T

C L I T

C L I T Later…digging in the dirt with Imagiworks Palm probeware

C L I T Seeding the Knowledge Network Bootstrapping a web-accessible system for simple sharing of resources about the field –People –Papers –Pedagogy –Projects –Personals Challenges of “work practice change” toward community-oriented knowledge sharing –Make it simple: Integration with workflow –Goal: A self-maintaining repository with good ROI for time spent contributing

C L I T CILT Industry Alliance Program CILT is working with industry leaders to shape a vision of improving learning with technologies, and to provide a window for them into the broad learning technologies community Senior partners: Intel; Sun and IBM (final details) Collaborate in design and development of prototypes using industry tools and talent Contribute to technology transfer for CILT prototypes Enable schools to participate more fully in innovative research (infrastructure, teacher support) Amplify influence of CILT work—broad-scale dissemination and marketing help Help academic community better understand industry needs for collaborative research

C L I T Come Join Us at CILT99: cilt.org April 29-May 2nd in San Jose

C L I T

C L I T

C L I T We seek multiple types of innovation Fusion of technological opportunity, developments in the sciences of learning Creativity from community-based synergies Refinement of LT projects by “critical friends”

C L I T Criteria for CILT projects Idea potential Leverage funding Interdisciplinary collaboration and multiple institutions Rapid delivery—developing concepts, toolkits, environments others can use in under a year Prospects for successful integration into or impact on K-14 curricula Plan for testing, assessment

C L I T

C L I T CILT Knowledge Mining Eliciting information quickly from a pool of experts over the net and creating a concise summary for commentary and re-distribution Many incentives for participating Summarization is still hard but easier than working alone

C L I T SimCalc MathCars in your palm