SEERNet

?? New publication alert from Ben Motz of @Terracotta_ed! "Concentration toward the mode: Estimating changes in the shape of a distribution of student data" now out in the Journal of School Psychology! Traditional statistical methods often fall short in educational research, especially when data is negatively skewed or bounded by performance ceilings. In these cases, comparing group means might miss crucial differences—particularly among students with room for improvement. This new study proposes an alternative: using Bayesian methods to examine how closely data are concentrated toward the mode rather than focusing solely on group averages. This approach offers a more nuanced understanding of group differences, especially in educational settings. Check out how this method revealed insights that conventional tests missed, highlighting its potential for school psychology and beyond. #EdResearch #BayesianStatistics #DataAnalysis #Education #LearningSciencesResearch https://bit.ly/47UCs7f

?? Exciting news from OpenStax Kinetic! ?? OpenStax Kinetic, a digital learning platform that is part of the SEERNet hub, is introducing digital badges to recognize and celebrate student dedication and achievements! These badges provide learners with tangible proof of their skills, from technical competencies to soft skills like collaboration and creativity. In today’s competitive job market, digital badges offer a versatile way to showcase accomplishments to employers and educational institutions. Check out their #BadgeUp campaign, which encourages learners to dive deeper into their educational journey and unlock new opportunities for growth. #EdTech #DigitalBadges #LifelongLearning #StudentSuccess

?New on the SEERNet blog! ? E-TRIALS has introduced a feature within ASSISTments that allows researchers to explore different feedback strategies for common mistakes in math homework. This new tool provides a straightforward way to conduct A/B tests and investigate how various feedback methods impact student learning. By leveraging data from the "Common Wrong Answers Feedback" feature, researchers can study the effects of personalized feedback on math performance. This development offers valuable insights for those working in math education, learning science, and educational technology. Researchers are encouraged to use this tool to enhance understanding of effective feedback in educational settings. #EdTech #Research #MathEducation #DataDriven #PersonalizedLearning Check out the comments for the link!

SEERNet congratulates Li Cheng (formerly of ASSISTments) for joining the University of North Texas as a new Assistant Professor in Learning Technologies this Fall! Congrats, Li! ??

REPOST from The Concord Consortium: Submit your proposal now for the inaugural Data Science Education K-12: Research to Practice Conference! Proposals are due August 1. This year’s conference theme is Addressing the Human Dimensions of Data. Stories told with data are neither neutral nor objective. Therefore, data science education should not merely be about numbers and algorithms, but should also be grounded in a humanistic stance towards data, addressing social engagement, responsibility, and the power data science education can have to support students. This conference promises to be a dynamic atmosphere for educators, researchers, curriculum and/or tool developers, school leaders, and policymakers to exchange ideas and co-create the future of data literacy and data science education for K-12 learners. Let’s co-create a more rigorous, relevant, and joyful learning experience with data for ALL students. Propose your ideas now! https://bit.ly/3WhqaAr

? Unlocking Math Performance Insights with Educational Data Mining! ? Congrats are in order for SEERNet researcher Avery Closser and her co-authors! Their new publication, "Exploring The Impact of Symbol Spacing and Problem Sequencing on Arithmetic Performance: An Educational Data Mining Approach" is out now in the Journal of Educational Data Mining. Their research reveals how visual features and problem order impact student math performance. Key findings include faster problem-solving when higher-order operators are on the left side and varied response times based on problem sequence. These results highlight the importance of considering problem order and diverse analysis methods in online math experiments. The study has implications for researchers using log data from online settings to improve educational outcomes. https://bit.ly/462jTNI #EdResearch #MathEducation #EdTech #LearningScience #EducationalDataMining

?? Looking for new opportunities this summer? Check out these IES funding programs! ?? 1. From Seedlings to Scale: Nurture your innovative ideas into impactful solutions. 2. Research Networks on Critical Education Problems: Collaborate to tackle high-priority education issues. 3. Education Research Grants: Explore 11 dynamic topics ranging from STEM to Early Learning. Don't miss out on these chances to contribute to the future of education research! https://bit.ly/3VLic2e #EdResearch #FundingOpportunities #InnovationInEducation

?? Exciting Updates for IES-Funded Researchers! IES is advancing its commitment to open science with new policies and guidance to enhance accessibility and transparency of federally-funded research. Here's what's changing: ?? Zero-Day Public Access: All publications from IES-funded work will be available on ERIC immediately upon publication. ?? Immediate Data Sharing: Data must be shared at publication time or within 5 years if unpublished. ?? Enhanced Data Management Plans: Shift from DMPs to DSMPs, with a focus on routine data sharing and appropriate data repositories. ?? Persistent Identifiers: Unique PIDs required for key personnel, publications, awards, and data sets to improve discoverability and linkage. These steps are crucial for increasing equity and access to research, benefiting researchers, educators, policymakers, and the general public. IES will provide guidance and support throughout this transition. Learn more and get ready to embrace the future of open science here: https://bit.ly/3Xi1ZUJ #OpenScience #EdResearch #IES #ResearchTransparency #DataSharing #PublicAccess

DEADLINE APPROACHING! ?? Are you headed to EDM 2024 in Atlanta? Consider submitting to the workshop on Causal Inference in Educational Data Mining (EDM) research! Join SEERNet members Neil Heffernan and Avery Closser as they explore the critical role of causality in enhancing student learning through intelligent tutoring systems, educational games, MOOCs, and more. In today's digital learning landscape, understanding causality goes beyond predicting learner behaviors to unraveling the underlying factors impacting educational outcomes. The workshop aims to stimulate discussion and share insights on examining causality within EDM contexts and leveraging EDM to support causal inference methodologies. ?? Call for Papers/Presentations: To participate, please submit on topics including A/B testing, Bayesian networks, analyzing data from randomized experiments, multi-armed bandits, causal mechanism analysis, and more. Whether you're presenting completed work or exploring open problems in the field, you are invited to contribute to the conversation! - Submission Deadline: June 10, 2024 [Link: https://bit.ly/3WfbSC2]

?? Exciting News from SEERNet! ?? We are thrilled to announce the addition of Cristina Zepeda and Kelley Durkin to our esteemed research community! Cristina and Kelley are leading a groundbreaking project focused on enhancing mathematics learning through metacognitive supports in MATHia, in collaboration with Carnegie Learning. Their research aims to empower middle school students to regulate their learning and experience math in a more engaging and effective way. With a strong foundation in cognitive science and a commitment to educational equity, Cristina and Kelley are poised to make significant strides in understanding how students learn best and how to support their success in mathematics. Join us in welcoming Cristina and Kelley to the SEERNet community, and stay tuned for updates on their innovative research journey! #SEERNet #MathEducation #EdResearch [https://lnkd.in/eepw3YDm]