News from WCER
Examining Past NSF Grants: A Step Toward More STEM Graduates
April 2, 2014
Each year, the National Science Foundation (NSF) spends tens of millions of dollars pursuing one of its highest priorities: increasing the number of students entering and completing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Thinking Like an Engineer
April 1, 2014
Well-designed video games can help students prepare for their careers.
Customized Information for School Improvement
March 24, 2014
CALL is an online survey system that assesses leadership in both elementary and secondary schools.
Measurement for Fair Comparisons Across Districts
March 17, 2014
Value-added measures provide a way to measure the contributions that districts, schools, classrooms, and teachers make to gains in student achievement.
Working to Turn Around Schools in Philadelphia
March 4, 2014
The Families and Schools Together (FAST) project designs and distributes research-validated programs to help connect parents to their children’s schools, with the goal of strengthening families and improving outcomes for students.
Puntambekar Brings International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning to UW
March 4, 2014
This week marks a significant milestone for Sadhana Puntambekar. Amazon.com will begin selling a two-volume account of the proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Computer-Support Collaborative Learning (CSCL),
Learning in the Making: Leveraging Technologies for Impact
February 24, 2014
Informal learning environments across the U.S., sometimes called “Makerspaces,” are community centers that offer tools and resources empowering people to design and prototype their inventions.
Self-Affirmation Exercises Reduce Gap
February 17, 2014
Self-affirmation writing exercises have been shown to improve achievement of students who are identified as belonging to racial/ethnic groups that may be subject to stereotype threat.
Learning Physics with Hypertext and Design Challenges
February 11, 2014
CoMPASS science materials for middle schools enable students to understand relationships between concepts and principles including work, energy, force, acceleration, and mechanical advantage.
Visiting Scholar Brayboy Calls for Renewed Focus on American Indian Education in WCER
February 6, 2014
Students should be evaluated not just on their test scores or grade-point averages, but also on their capacity to craft a more democratic society, according to Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy.
School Context Shapes Peer Ethnic Discrimination
February 3, 2014
As with other forms of bullying, students who are verbally or physically harassed because of their membership in an ethnic group suffer declines in their psychological, social, and academic health.
Self-affirmation writing as strategy for reducing achievement gaps
January 28, 2014
Students’ grade point average, motivation, academic engagement, and achievement goals appear to decline during middle school.
New CIRTL Network Commons to Promote Teaching and Learning
January 23, 2014
New funding from the Sloan Foundation will help the 22 universities of the CIRTL Network to train 7000 and graduate 2200 future STEM faculty each year.
Finding the Fabulous Teachers
December 30, 2013
For Dave Heistad, evaluating teacher performance is an important way to recognize what he calls the “fabulous teachers.”
Crafting Better Explanations in Science Classes
December 30, 2013
Scientific explanations offer insights into how and why things work.
