Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs

Rockman has responded to many clients’ needs to understand the value of instructional materials or programs, on topics ranging from math to art, to evolution, or writing. Many of the projects have used media and/or technology to disseminate materials to learners in school and out.

21st Century Biology The 21st Century Biology project provided long-term teacher professional development. Three cohorts of 24 teachers participated in: (1) a 2-week intensive Summer Institute that updated their content knowledge for topics covered by the five Utah Core Curriculum Standards, offered opportunities to interact with University scientists, provided experiences in inquiry-based learning, highlighted topics relevant to students’ lives, modeled culturally-sensitive instruction, incorporated appropriate use of technology, engaged them in learning curriculum design models and developing model lessons, and facilitated formation of professional learning groups; and (2) follow-up workshops to continue the work begun during the Summer Institute. more» Client: University of Utah: Genetics Science Learning Center (GSLC) Funding Agency: Utah State Office of Education Topic: Assessment, Instructional Materials/Programs, Professional Development

Advanced Digital Pathways Program BAVC’s Advanced Digital Pathways (ADP) program supports low-income and disadvantaged urban youth from the San Francisco Bay Area, while simultaneously addressing the need to diversify the IT workforce. REA is evaluating the impact of the ADP program on students’ technology interest, career aspirations, digital arts proficiency, and job skills. The evaluation also considers the community established to support these endeavors. more» Client: Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF): Elementary, Secondary, & Informal Education (ESIE) Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Technology and Education

America's Instructional Television Online/Educators Tools Online Opening Links to Standards (AITOL/E-TOOLS) Project The America's Instructional Television Online/Educators Tools Online Opening Links to Standards (AITOL/E-TOOLS) Project, funded by CPB's Future Fund, was a partnership between WSIU at Southern Illinois University and Kansas City Public Television (KCPT) that explored a new model for delivering educational services and programming to schools. more» Client: WSIU Public Broadcasting, Kansas City Public Television (KCPT) Funding Agency: Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Web Sites, Technology and Education, School Services

Animation Program The goal of the ACME Network’s ACME Animation program is to create a permanent continuum for skill development, school achievement, and career success in art and animation for diverse and economically disadvantaged youth and young adults. REA served as the evaluator this program. more» Client: The ACME Network Funding Agency: The ACME Network Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Informal Learning, Web Sites, Distance Learning

Bill Nye the Science Guy Bill Nye the Science Guy is a high energy, inquiry-based educational television program presenting science content directed at fourth grade students. This nationally syndicated series is funded by NSF and Disney. more» Client: KCTS, Seattle Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF) Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Informal Learning, TV/Radio

BioInvestigators: Phase 1 Rockman et al evaluated the prototype of Red Hill Studios' "BioInvestigators" - an educational program designed to teach high school students about bioinformatics, an area of research that combines biology and computers. more» Client: Red Hill Studios Funding Agency: National Institute of Health Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Technology and Education

BioInvestigators: Phase II The goal of BioInvestigators was to develop, evaluate, and disseminate a CD-ROM/online bioinformatics primer that teaches high school biology students about the emerging field of bioinformatics through a series of real world case studies/mysteries that involve biological information. Each case challenged students to collect information, run sample tests on virtual equipment, compare their data with information on widely-used databases, and logically determine the solution to the case study. more» Client: Red Hill Studios Funding Agency: National Institute of Health Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Technology and Education

Buddy2 STAR Writers and STAR Universal Writers Buddy2 STAR Writers and STAR Universal Writers is research and development initiative designed to improve writing and writing instruction in grades three through eight. The project supports participating schools with school and home technology, professional development in writing for teachers, onsite facilitators, and tracking systems that allow teachers and students to follow writing progress. more» Client: The Corporation for Educational Technology (CET) Funding Agency: The Corporation for Educational Technology (CET) Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Technology and Education

Carleton College: On the Cutting Edge On the Cutting Edge is a comprehensive, discipline-wide professional development program for current and future geoscience faculty. It is attempting to engage, through participation in face-to-face or online Cutting Edge workshop experiences, a significant percent of the total number of US geoscience faculty to achieve a widespread and sustainable impact. The current project aims to expand the segment of the geoscience faculty population who have had a first workshop experience, and to provide geoscience faculty with advanced opportunities for learning that also encourage repeated participation in Cutting Edge activities, enabling ongoing learning, and resulting in increased changes in teaching practice among participants. more» Client: Carleton College Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF): Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Web Sites, Professional Development, Informational Media

Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration: Vistas Project REA completed a two-year study of the Lake Coastal Waters Project, a partnership with schools in the Lake Coastal Waters of northern Indiana funded by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Science classes in five schools participated in a community-centered science inquiry, exploring environmental issues on the northern edge of Lake Michigan. Students investigated specific problems, and, based on their research, offered viable solutions to enhance the ecology of the lake coastal area. more» Client: Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) Funding Agency: Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) Topic: Assessment, Instructional Materials/Programs, Community Outreach, Technology and Education, Distance Learning

Coral Reef Classroom Kit Evaluation The California Academy of Sciences has developed various science kits for use in grade K-12 classrooms. Rockman et al conducted a summative evaluation of the California Academy Sciences' Coral Reef Kit. Each classroom kit is a portable container filled with materials for classroom science activities. The aim of the Coral Reef Classroom Kit evaluation was to gather information on teachers’ access to and use of the kits, and on any short-term impacts of kit implementation on student interest and learning. more» Client: California Academy of Sciences Funding Agency: California Academy of Sciences Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Museum

Early Intervention Online Usability Testing Rockman et al conducted a usability test of one of the Early Intervention Online Courses, IFSP (Individualized Family Service Plan) in order to determine how potential students would navigate through and understand the courseware. Rockman designed a usability protocol based on the think-aloud procedure, in which participants are asked to think or talk out-loud as they are working through a series of tasks. more» Client: Praxis, Inc. Funding Agency: National Institutes for Health (NIH): Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs

EARTH-The Operator's Manual (E-TOM) Evaluation Funded by NSF, Earth – The Operators’ Manual (ETOM) is a users’ guide to the present and future energy resources of our planet, providing “users” with the information, attitudes and tools to make wiser choices about powering homes, schools, businesses and communities. ETOM uses a hybrid model of science communication including video + in-person presentations + Web 2.0 social networking. more» Client: Passport to Knowledge Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF): Informal Science Education Program (ISE) Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, TV/Radio, Web Sites, Technology and Education

Evaluation of the Youth Radio Science and Technology Program Youth Radio's (YR) mission is "to promote young people's intellectual, creative and professional growth through training and access to media and to produce the highest quality original media for local and national outlets." Their NSF-funded Science and Technology Program (STP) consists of developing a Digital Technology Institute and YR Science Desk as new components of the existing YR organization. more» Client: Youth Radio Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF): Informal Science Education (ISE) Program Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Informal Learning, TV/Radio, Technology and Education

Focus Group Study for Edutopia REA conducted a series of focus groups for the George Lucas Education Foundation (GLEF) to support and extend the work associated with its Mott Foundation grant that produced the New Day for Learning report. more» Client: George Lucas Education Foundation (GLEF) Funding Agency: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Web Sites, Technology and Education, Informational Media

Hands-on Craft Projects in Schools During the fall of 2001, the Hobby Industry Association (HIA) contracted Rockman et al to study the impact of hands-on projects as an instructional method within the core curriculum. Additionally, they wished to determine ways this teaching technique links to state and national education standards. more» Client: Hobby Industry Association (now the Craft & Hobby Association) Funding Agency: Hobby Industry Association Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs

Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Adventures REA served as the evaluator of educational outreach activities for a new six-part KQED series called Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Adventure. In the program, Jean-Michel Cousteau and his diving teams explore an array of natural phenomena, investigate little known territories and ecosystems hundreds of feet beneath the ocean's surface, and come face to face with the friendly and ferocious inhabitants of the deep. more» Client: KQED Public Television Funding Agency: The Dow Chemical Company. Additional Major Support from: the William K. Bowes Jr. Foundation, Ann Bowers and The Robert Noyce Trust, the William and Gretchen Kimball Fund, the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Informal Learning, TV/Radio, Professional Development, Community Outreach, Technology and Education, Informational Media

Learning Without Borders The Learning Without Borders (LWB) program was implemented in three schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD). All fourth-grade classrooms in these schools received the LWB arts curriculum and served as the treatment group. . more» Client: East Bay Center for Performing Arts (EBCPA) Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education Topic: School Reform, Instructional Materials/Programs, Informal Learning

Learning Without Borders: Professional Development for Arts Educators The East Bay Center for the Performing Arts (EBCPA) provides professional development to teachers and classroom visits by artists to schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD). Teachers learn how to engage students in multicultural music and dance, theater, and media arts activities that link to California academic standards and the District’s Open Court language arts curriculum. more» Client: East Bay Center for the Performing Arts (EBCPA) Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education (ED): Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Professional Development

Music Instinct The Music Instinct, produced by WNET in New York, is a public television program that explores the connection between music and science. more» Client: WNET Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Informational Media

MY HERO Project The MY HERO Global Exchange program, funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, facilitated digital arts storytelling and video production workshops in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Jordan, and Senegal, in conjunction with screenings from the U.S. Express anthology of art videos. more» Client: MY HERO Funding Agency: U.S. Department of State: Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Web Sites, Community Outreach, Informational Media

National History Day Program Study In 2009, the National History Day (NHD) organization contracted with Rockman et al to conduct a study of the NHD program, which attracts more than half a million students annually. more» Client: National History Day Funding Agency: National History Day Topic: School Reform, Instructional Materials/Programs, Museum

Pacific Film Archive: CineFile The Pacific Film Archive (PFA) received an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant to create an online film resource to increase K-20 classroom access to their archives. REA is evaluating the PFA's efforts to collect data from audiences and make design choices based on these data. more» Client: Pacific Film Archive Funding Agency: Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Museum, Web Sites, Community Outreach, Technology and Education

Parkinson's Disease/Wii - Games to Improve Gait and Balance REA conducted a usability study of a Wii-based video game designed to improve gait and balance in patients with Parkinson's Disease. Red Hill Studios, developers of the game's hardware and software elements, in collaboration with researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) received funding from the National Institute of Health's (NIH) Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) program to conduct a Phase 1 feasibility study. more» Client: Red Hill Studios Funding Agency: National Institute of Health (NIH) Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Technology and Education

Pathways to Technology The Pathways to Technology project is a multimedia outreach effort created to raise awareness of the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technology Education (ATE) programs, currently operating at community colleges around the country. Developed by the WGBH Educational Foundation in Boston, the Pathways to Technology project showcases ATE programs to prospective students and the people who influence them via engaging multimedia resources. more» Client: WGBH Educational Foundation Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF): Informal Science Education (ISE) Program Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, TV/Radio, Community Outreach, Informational Media

Poetry Out Loud Evaluation (Year 1) The Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest, sponsored by the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, was launched nationwide in 2006 after a pilot in Chicago and Washington, DC. more» Client: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Funding Agency: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Poetry Foundation Topic: Assessment, Instructional Materials/Programs

Poetry Out Loud Evaluation (Year 2) The Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest, piloted in 2005 by the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, and launched nationwide in 2006, is an effort to revitalize the teaching of poetry in American classrooms by encouraging students to learn poems by heart and take part in recitation contests. High school students learn and recite poems in their classrooms, then compete in school, state, and national contests. more» Client: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Funding Agency: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Poetry Foundation Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs

Powers of Minus Ten (POMT) Green-Eye Visualization’s (GEV) NSF SBIR Phase I research project, Powers of Minus Ten (POMT), involved the design, production, and preliminary evaluation of 3D educational software of the same name. more» Client: Green-Eye Visualization Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF): Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Technology and Education, Informational Media

Preschool Media Pilot (Ready to Learn) KQED, the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) media organization serving northern California, was one of five national entities piloting “Raising Readers,” an online course on language and literacy for pre-school educators and caregivers. The six-week course is part of the TeacherLine professional development series designed by PBS and is sponsored by Ready to Learn, a federal initiative. The course was piloted with groups of early childhood educators and caregivers by five PBS stations in Fall 2007. more» Client: KQED Funding Agency: Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, TV/Radio, Web Sites

Research and Evaluation Services REA provides research and evaluation services to Education Station, a private educational service provider, these services include the development of research validation documents for its programs, establishing the reliability and validity of its assessment instrument, quasi-experimental research studies of its services, and customer satisfaction surveys. more» Client: Education Station Funding Agency: Education Station Topic: School Reform, Assessment, Instructional Materials/Programs, School Services

Science of Drugs Red Hill Studios created, "Mystery Messengers: The Brain and the Science of Drugs," a CD-ROM/Online hybrid program to teach middle-school students about the brain and the effects of drugs on the brain. Rockman et al conducted the formative (usability) study as well as the summative (impact) study of the CD-ROM. more» Client: Red Hill Studios Funding Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Technology and Education

Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase 1: Feasibility of Genetics Interactive Curriuclum Modules for High School Students The overall aim for this Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) project is to develop and evaluate a 3D interactive project called the “Virtual Exploration of the Science of Genetics”. ArchieMD’s goal is to develop a product that will use 3D interactive visualizations, simulations, and virtual experiments to teach genetics to college-bound high school students. more» Client: ArchieMD Funding Agency: National Institute of Health (NIH) Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Technology and Education

Star Schools This was a three-year study of the impact of the online, supplementary education services (SES) provided by Educate Online, Inc. (EO). The study was conducted by Rockman et al (REA) and funded by the Star Schools Program of the U.S. Department of Education. more» Client: Catapult/Educate, Inc. Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education (ED): Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Technology and Education, Distance Learning

Students as Agents of Change Rockman et al served as external evaluator for the Students as Agents of Change Challenge Grant program implemented in Gary, Indiana. Graduating fifth-grade students attended summer technology camps with teachers from local middle schools. Campers then became technology helpers when they entered middle school and worked collaboratively with their teachers and fellow students to create presentations for elementary school students that showcased work created through the use of technology. more» Client: School Corporation, City of Gary, IN Funding Agency: U.S. Government: Technology Innovation Challenge Grant Program Topic: School Reform, Tech Reform, Instructional Materials/Programs, Professional Development

Teacher Arts Institute In 2005, the National Endowment of the Arts awarded a dual contract to the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Western States Arts Federation to fund 12 week-long Arts Institutes for Teachers held in June - August 2005 in New England and western states. The study awarded to Rockman et al focused on an evaluation of the Institutes and the implementation of curriculum units developed as part of the Institutes. more» Client: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Funding Agency: NEA Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Professional Development

Turnkey Solution/Phase 9 The West Virginia Turnkey Solution/Phase 9 Project, funded by a U.S. Department of Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grant, provided technology training to K-12 teachers and supported the development of interdisciplinary, standards- and Web-based lessons. Rockman et al conducted the summative evaluation of Phase 9, looking at the impact of the training on: classroom practice, leadership development among teachers, school culture, and student achievement. more» Client: West Virginia Department of Education Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education: Technology Innovation Challenge Grant Topic: Tech Reform, Instructional Materials/Programs, Professional Development

Understanding Science Rockman et al is studying the impact of a three-year project designed to improve the science achievement of middle school students, especially English learners and students with poor literacy skills, by building the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of their teachers. more» Client: WestEd Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF) Topic: Assessment, Instructional Materials/Programs, Professional Development

University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP): Exploring Evolution/Evolution All Around Us (EE/EAAU) Rockman et al conducted a thorough, multi-component evaluation of University of California Museum of Paleontology's (UCMP) Understanding Evolution Web site. The site provides an online resource for teachers to use in teaching evolution. The site also provides classroom resources: a conceptual framework, a suite of evaluated lessons appropriate for different grade spans, and teaching strategies to avoid or overcome roadblocks to teaching evolution. more» Client: University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) Funding Agency: National Science Foundation and Howard Hughes Medical Foundation Topic: Assessment, Instructional Materials/Programs, Museum, Web Sites, Technology and Education

Virtual Congress Rockman et al is playing a supportive role in the preliminary design and development of The Virtual Congress (working title), as part of a grant to the Center on Congress at Indiana University from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and its American History and Civics Initiative. The Virtual Congress is an innovative online learning environment that aims to give students an insider's view of representative democracy and help them understand their role as citizens. more» Client: Information in Place Funding Agency: Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Technology and Education

YouthLink YouthLink is a program that employs young people to use digital media arts to realize their creative voices, explore career options, and contribute to their communities. Students take basic and advanced video or digital arts production classes that culminate in the creation of a portfolio of work. In the summer, students work as interns at local technology and nonprofit organizations. more» Client: Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF): Information Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Web Sites, Community Outreach, Technology and Education