Engaging and Motivating Students in Learning

This report by The Education Trust examined two powerful levers for engaging learners — choice and relevancy — and explored how educators can use these levers to increase student motivation and engagement. The study explains how educators can bring choice and relevancy into their daily assignments. The authors explain how choice can and should be provided in terms of content, product, and process.

The study found that teachers bring relevancy to assignments when they:

·       Teach rigorous content using themes across disciplines, cultures, and generations; consider essential questions; and explore universal understandings

·       Use real-world materials and events to explore salient topics

·       Connect with the values, interests, and goals of their students

Dabrowski, J., & Marshall, T. R. (2018). Motivation and engagement in student assignments. Washington, D.C.: The Education Trust. https://edtrust.org/resource/motivation-and-engagement-in-student-assignments/

Testing Results

This report provides an update on analyses performed to investigate the comparison in student achievement on Smarter Balanced summative tests from 2016 (spring, 2016) to 2017 (spring, 2017). This comparison raised questions among educators about the validity of the 2017 test scores and the possibility that there might have been technical errors associated with changes in the item pool and other components of the administration. Subsequently, Smarter Balanced worked with its Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to identify analyses that could be performed to address educator’s questions and related technical issues.

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (2018). Answers to questions about smarter balanced 2017 test results March 27, 2018. Santa Clara, CA: Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. http://portal.smarterbalanced.org/library/en/answers-to-questions-about-2017-test-results.pdf

Field of STEM – Areas of Need

This survey sought to address the growing needs of STEM administrators and educators across the country. An essential resource for companies and organizations developing products and services for the STEM market, the report offers detailed information defined by educators as areas of potential growth.

Key findings include:

-       More than 700 ideas suggested by STEM leaders and teachers for technology-based products educators would like to see developed for STEM education.

-       Information on the adoption of tablet devices currently and in the near future, and perspectives on tablet devices for STEM education.

-       Details on the implementation of the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) model, currently and in the near future to help companies understand whether BYOD is an area of critical growth.

-       Information on the non-profits judged by STEM educators to have the most valuable services, thus helping businesses use their time and money wisely

Elliot, K., & Bialo, E. (2012). 2012 national survey on STEM education’ identifies growth areas of STEM market. New York, NY: Interactive Educational Systems Design

http://www.iesdinc.com/Resources/Release_STEM_2012_final.pdf