SEERNet is a network of platform developers, researchers, and education stakeholders working together to create and expand the capacity of digital learning platforms (DLPs) to enable equity-focused and rigorous education research. SEERNet is funded by the Institute of Education Science, with a deliberate intention to fund both DLPs and researchers, as well as a growing network connecting DLPs, researchers, and practitioners. It is called “SEERNet” in reference to IES’s SEER principles, a set of aspirations for educational research.
The five SEERNet digital learning platforms (DLPs) present unique opportunities for researchers by offering tools, processes, and infrastructure to make research more efficient, scalable, and relevant. However, conducting research within a DLP may require a shift in a researcher’s orientation or mindset in how they think about potential research questions, study samples, available data, and planning study logistics. We encourage researchers to think flexibly about how they might adapt their ideas to the specific learning platform and consider iterating toward a more comprehensive understanding of their hypotheses. We illustrate some of the potential mindset shifts and offer key considerations at stages of the research process.
One of SEERNet’s aims is to enable alignment of research on digital learning platforms to practitioner needs. Office Hours: A Conversational Series was SEERNet’s first initiative to convene practitioners and researchers in identifying problems of practice relevant to digital learning platforms (DLPs) and co-designing research questions. Participants discussed their experiences, goals, challenges, and vision related to DLP use. The conversations were synthesized and feedback from the participants led to refined research questions. In addition, we asked the participants to reflect on the value of the Office Hours process.
The Data Science Corps program seeks to engage data science students in real-world data science implementation projects. This engagement will help bridge the data-to-knowledge gap in organizations and communities at all levels, including local, state, and national, and will empower better use of data for more effective decision making. Data Science Corps participants will be able to sharpen their skills in data science by working on real-world projects focused on specific community needs, including rural communities, urban communities, academia, industry, or government.
The March 2024 School Pulse Panel (SPP) U.S. Outlying Area data release provides information on student and staff mental health, students with traumatic brain injuries, and the upcoming hiring cycle,…
The February 2024 School Pulse Panel (SPP) U.S. Outlying Area data release provides information on parent and administrator concerns, social and emotional skills programs, and perceptions about state assessments during…
The March 2024 School Pulse Panel (SPP) release provides information on staff and student mental health and well-being, public schools’ handling of students who have sustained concussions or other traumatic…
This project is supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305N210034 to Digital Promise. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.