85-436 Scientific Research in Education
9 units, Carnegie Mellon University
The most influential piece of education legislation passed in recent years is the No Child Left Behind Act NCLB Most of the public discussion of NCLB has to do with the implications for the way that children are tested and the way that states, schools, and teachers are rewarded. However, this course will focus on what is a more farreaching, feature of NCLB its repeated call for scientifically based education research. NCLB provides an unprecedented opportunity for basic research in the learning sciences to contribute to educational practice. That is the topic of this seminar. Questions we will address 1. What does scientifically based education research mean Does it mean the sort of CMUish studies that cognitive and developmental psychologists do when they are interested in how students think about math or science or reading Does it mean massive national randomized field trials on the effect of class size or teacher training or one curriculum versus another Can it include nonexperimental, qualitative, case studies and field demonstrations Must it include new technologies that go beyond traditional teacherstudent interactions 2. What constitutes a treatment or an independent variable lesson content, instructional method, teacher qualifications, student attributes, educational philosophy approach 3. What is the appropriate grain size of the measurements and analyses individual students, classrooms, teachers, schools, school districts, states, nations 4. How can research in cognitive science contribute to improving the science of education 5. Can we point to examples that warrant the label of scientifically based education research, and can such research inform policy and practice in ways that have substantial impactThe course will include readings, discussions, invited expert speakers, and student research projects aimed at an important question about education.
Prerequisites: (85-423 or 85-211) and (85-320 or 85-340 or 85-310)
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