The Learning Design Group invites educators to participate with us in our curriculum development and research. Our development process relies on the help of teachers locally, nationally, and internationally to test our materials in their science classrooms. As a participant in one of our research and development projects, you might be asked to teach a field test version of our curriculum in your classroom, administer an assessment to your students, or allow researchers to interview your students about curriculum materials.

2019-2020 Participation Opportunities: Middle School Research Trials

Diagnosing the Argumentation Levels of Groups (DiALog): A Digital Formative Assessment Tool to Support Oral Argumentation

We are currently seeking middle school science teachers currently using Amplify Science curriculum to help with a science education research trial from the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley. This project is funded by the National Science Foundation and led by Dr. Eric Greenwald, Director of Assessment and Analytics for the Learning Design Group at the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California Berkeley and is in collaboration with Arizona State University. We are testing a formative assessment tool for oral classroom argumentation in a randomized controlled research trial. The goal of the trial is to assess the efficacy of the tool when used in conjunction with an NGSS-aligned curriculum.

What does research trial participation entail?

Once enrolled in the study, participating teachers will be randomly assigned to either a control or experimental group. All teachers will be asked to:

  • Teach two Amplify Science units between August 2019 and January 2020
  • Distribute parent information letters regarding the study
  • Complete online surveys throughout the trial

If selected for the experimental group, teachers will be required to complete the additional following trial tasks by January 2020:

  • Use the DiALoG tool a minimum of three times in each science unit
  • Use the provided responsive mini-lessons [RMLs] a minimum of two times throughout the research trial
  • Maintain and complete a reflection log with each use of the DiALoG tool and RMLs
  • Support instructional time necessary to implement curriculum in classrooms.


    • Teachers who complete all of the requirements for the study will receive honoraria.

Interested?

Click Here to Submit our Eligibility Survey

Contact the Research Trial Coordinator:

To learn more, please contact Lizzy Vlasses at ldgstudies@berkeley.edu.

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Coding Science Internships: Authentic Learning Experiences to Support Students' Science and Programming Practices and Broaden Participation in Computer Science

We are seeking middle school science teachers to help with a science curriculum research study. This project is funded by the National Science Foundation and led by Dr. Eric Greenwald, Director of Assessment and Analytics for the Learning Design Group at the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California Berkeley.

The purpose of this research study is to study the efficacy of computer science learning experiences, in the form of simulated internships, for middle school science classrooms. The simulated internships have been piloted and revised over the past two years of the project. For each simulated internship, students learn basic programming skills and apply science content knowledge to solve real-world problems. he simulated internship are designed to be embedded in core science curricula in order to support students’ facility with computer programming and computational thinking as it relates to science, with the ultimate goal of broadening participation in computer science academic and related career pathways. An additional purpose is to identify needs and develop resources that support teachers’ professional learning around computer science instruction.

Research trial teachers will be provided all necessary materials and access to digital resources, an orientation to the lesson sequence and support materials, and be asked to complete the following:

  • Teach 10-12 lessons, less than an hour each in duration over a 2-4 week period, according to classroom teacher schedule.
  • Distribute and collect student assent and parent permission forms.
  • Administer student surveys and assessments prior to and immediately after instruction.
  • Provide de-identified student work samples
  • Complete online feedback teacher surveys and 1-2 phone interviews

    • Teachers who complete all of the requirements for the study will receive honoraria.

Interested?
Contact the Research Trial Coordinator:

To learn more, please contact Lizzy Vlasses at ldgstudies@berkeley.edu.