1. Advanced Learning Technologies: Opportunities and Challenges
Dragana Brzakovic
National Science Foundation
Office of the Director/Office of Integrative Activities
OIA URL:

2. The Big Picture Good news-opportunities Not so good news—challenge
Education, innovation and technology are high priorities for current administration
Not so good news—challenge
Budgetary issues

3. Technology in Education Broad Understanding
Computers/wired classroom
Distance education
Virtual schools
Collaboration over network
BENEFITS: access, flexibility, personalized education, lifelong education
CHALLENGE: requires rethinking education

4. Change does not come easy
‘’Students today depend to paper too much. They don’t know how to write on a slate without getting chalk dust all over themselves. They can’t clean a slate properly. What will they do when they run out of paper?’’ Principal’s publication, 1815.
‘’Ballpoint pen will be the ruin of education in our country. Students use these devices and then throw them away. The American values of thrift and frugality are being discarded. Businesses and banks will never allow such expensive luxuries.’’ Federal Teachers, 1950.

5. Technology in US Education: Current State
Good News
Access to the internet in US schools in nearly universal
Most of the states have implemented standards for students’ understanding of computer technology and teacher’s use of technology of instruction
An increasing number of students have access to distance education opportunities
Challenge
Research on whether technology improves students achievement shows mixed results

6. Administration View Use Technology to Drive Innovation
``The Federal Government should create a mission-driven, advanced research projects agency for education (ARPA-ED) housed either in the Department of Education, in the National Science Foundation, or as a joint entity…... ARPA-ED should propel and support (i) the development of innovative technologies and technology platforms for learning, teaching, and assessment across all subjects and ages, and ... ‘’
The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in report: PREPARE AND INSPIRE: K-12 EDUCATION IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM) FOR AMERICA’S FUTURE—Sept. 2010 `

7. Primary Funding Sources for Education Innovation in the Federal Government
Department of Education
National Science Foundation

8. Department of Education
Created in current form in 1979
Establishes policy and administers and coordinates most federal assistance to education
Annual Budget: $60-70B

9. Department of Education: Examples of Programs Relevant to Technology
Enhancing Education Through Technology—technology infrastructure, training, curricula development, development of instructional methods; budget $100M
Ready to Teach –development and distribution of video educational material, online professional development for teachers; budget $10.7M

10. National Science Foundation
Created in 1950
Original Goal: To promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity an welfare; to secure the national defense
Annual Budget: about $7B

11. Origins of NSF
“The Government should accept new responsibilities for promoting the flow of scientific knowledge and the development of scientific talent in our youth.”
Science, The Endless Frontier, 1945
1947: Congress Approves, Truman Vetoes
1950: Compromise Bill Approved & Signed by Truman

12. NSF Act of 1950 To promote the progress of science…”
NSB (24) and 1 Director, appointed by the President
Encourage & develop a national policy for the promotion of basic research and education in the math, physical, medical, biological, engineering and other sciences
Initiate & support basic scientific research in the sciences
Evaluate the science research programs undertaken by agencies of the Federal government
Provide information for S&E policy formation

13. National Science Board
NSF Organizational Chart
Office of Cyberinfrastructure
Office of Equal Employment
Opportunity Programs
National Science Board
(NSB)
Director
Deputy Director
Office of the General Counsel
Office of Integrative Activities
Office of International
Science & Engineering
Office of the
Inspector General
(OIG)
Office of Legislative &
Public Affairs
Office of Polar Programs
Biological
Sciences
(BIO)
Computer &
Information
Science &
Engineering
(CISE)
Engineering
(ENG)
Geosciences
(GEO)
Mathematical
& Physical
Sciences
(MPS)
Social,
Behavioral
& Economic
Sciences
(SBE)
Education
& Human
Resources
(EHR)
Budget, Finance
& Award
Management
(BFA)
Information
& Resource
Management
(IRM)

14. From NSF Strategic Plan Innovation for Society Performance Strategic Goal includes: Support the Development of Innovative Learning Systems.
``Innovative learning systems can bring authentic scientific data immediately to learners, which enable learners to experience science through modeling, simulation, sensor networks, digital telescopes and remote instruments. Technology has the potential to transform science learning as effectively as it has transformed science itself. Learning can occur anytime, anywhere, and for anyone.’’
Near Term Actions:
Expand initiatives across NSF to develop research-based innovative learning systems
Promote partnerships among computer scientists, other STEM disciplinary scientists, learning scientists, and education practitioners to catalyze new technologies for learning

15. Relevant Directorates/Offices to Advanced Learning Technologies
Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE)
Office of Cyber Infrastructure (OCI)
Directorate for Education and Human Resource (EHR)
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE)
Cross-cutting programs

16. Foundations of NSF Approach

17. NSF Homepage

18. Funding of Learning Technologies at NSF
Infrastructure grants
Human Resource Development
Research grants for developing new technologies

19. Examples: Support for Infrastructure
OCI-Cyberinfrastructure resources, tools ad services
Major Research Instrumentation-development proposals

20. Examples: Support for Human Resource Development
Advanced Technological Education (ATE)—workforce Development
Integrative Technology Experiences for students and Teachers (ITEST) — new models of classroom, research to understand STEM development, scale-up projects
Teacher Learning for Future (TLF) – new program under development
Computing Education for the 21st Century (CE-21)-computer science education

21. Examples: Support for Research
EHR-Transforming STEM Learning (TSL)—Study efficacy of existing types of education, develop new STEM learning environments
EHR-Discovery Research K-12 (DRK-12) –development of materials that use advanced technologies
CISE—Human Centered Computing (HCC) programs
CISE-Robust Intelligence program (RI)- investigation of roles of robotics in promoting learning
Center programs

22. Cyberlearning: Transforming Education
New program, cross-directorate (CISE, OCI, EHR, SBE)
Goal: integrate advances in technology with advances in what is known about how people learn
Project characteristics: interdisciplinary, with the research team including members with the full range of expertise needed for success. grounded in existing learning and education research; seek to answer questions about learning with technology; measure learning gains, take into account appropriate elements of the learning ecology in designing its innovation, evaluating its innovation, and answering research questions and use appropriate methodologies to evaluate innovations and measure learning gains.

23. Cyberlearning: Transforming Education (cont.)
Three level of awards:
Exploration Projects, duration 1-3 years, up to $550k
Design and Implementation Projects, duration 1-5 years, up to $1,350k
Integration and Deployment Projects, duration up to 5 years, up to $2,500k

24. Science of Learning Centers
Goal: to advance the frontiers of all the sciences of learning through integrated research; to connect the research to specific scientific, technological, educational, and workforce challenges; to enable research communities to capitalize on new opportunities and discoveries; and to respond to new challenges.

25. Science and Technology Centers (STC): Integrative Partnerships Program
STC features
supports innovative, potentially transformative, complex research and education projects that require large-scale, long-term awards;
supports the NSF vision of advancing discovery, innovation and education beyond the frontiers of current knowledge, and empowering future generations in science and engineering;
foster excellence in education by integrating education and research, and by creating bonds between learning and inquiry so that discovery and creativity fully support the learning process.

26. STC: Center for Biophotonics
Microlens technology
Unstained blood smear
Smartphone Microscopy
Microlens technology
20x microscope
Crystals – polarized light
Taste buds
Plant stems
Daphnia eggs

27. Smartphone Spectroscopy
Unstained blood smear

28. Science and Technology Center Example
UCLA’s Center for Embedded Networked Sensing (CENS) is a major research enterprise focused on developing wireless sensing systems and applying this revolutionary technology to critical scientific and societal pursuits.
Recent Focus: participatory sensing for health and education

29. CENS Success Stories
Personal Environmental Reporthttp://
Project MOBILIZE: Mobilizing for Innovative Computer Science Teaching and Learning is a targeted National Science Foundation Math Science Partnership funded for

30. Project MOBILIZE