Research+Practice Collaboratory Launches New Website
Description
The R + P Collaboratory is an NSF-funded project formed to address the challenging gap between research and practice in STEM education, across both formal and informal settings. Led by researchers from the Exploratorium, Education Development Center Inc., University of Colorado, TERC, Inverness Research, and University of Washington, we are experimenting with novel arrangements that better connect research and practice as well as build new relationships between researchers and practitioners. We focus our work on five critical issues related to STEM improvement:
- Engagement of students in STEM practices
- Understanding of learning across settings
- Integration of interactive technologies
- Integration of formative assessment
- Utilization of implementation research
How are we engaging with STEM researchers and practitioners?
- We are supporting researchers and practitioners to create new forms of research and design partnerships through webinars, conference workshops, and providing resources for conducting local partnerships.
- We are designing and testing research practice partnerships in STEM improvement efforts where we hope to create new insights and resources for the field. These insights are integrated into workshops and tools created by our partners.
- We are creating new tools for both researchers and practitioners. Examples of new tools include two page research briefs and practice briefs that are intended to assist busy professionals engaged with implementation of STEM Practices, consider how to better support learning across settings, integrate interactive technologies, etc.
