Category: Evaluation and Research

The majority of Rockman’s work falls within this category. We conduct studies that evaluate the quality of services or products, giving clients information they can use to improve those services or products or report the outcomes of an intervention to funders. Our goal is always to help our clients answer important questions. Sometimes that is accomplished through straightforward evaluation using qualitative and quantitative strategies, and sometimes it calls for experimental or quasi-experimental studies.

21st Century Biology Rockman et al is evaluating the GSLC's teacher professional development program. REA will measure changes in teachers' pedagogical content knowledge, inquiry practices, and communication with other teachers. REA will also use interviews and surveys to document teachers' reactions to the workshops and the barriers and supports for implementing inquiry-based instruction. more» Client: University of Utah: Genetics Science Learning Center (GSLC) Funding Agency: Utah State Office of Education Topic: Assessment, Instructional Materials/Programs, Professional Development

A Computer for Every Teacher A Computer for Every Teacher was a project of the Indiana Department of Education to provide each teacher and administrator in four schools with a computer and printer for their personal, professional use. more» Client: Indiana Department of Education Funding Agency: Topic: School Reform, Tech Reform, Professional Development, Technology and Education

Advanced Digital Pathways ITEST 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 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 AITOL/E-TOOLS, funded by CPB, was a partnership between WSIU at Southern Illinois University and Kansas City Public Television (KCPT) that explored, during a pilot year, how public television stations could improve services to schools by aligning programming with standards and making it available in a digital format. 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

Anytime Anywhere Learning A three-year effort (1996-1999), funded by Microsoft and Toshiba, to study the introduction of ubiquitous laptop computing to U.S. public and independent schools. These definitional studies included typologies of implementation strategies… more» Client: Microsoft Corporation, Toshiba America Funding Agency: Microsoft Corporation, Toshiba America Topic: School Reform, Learning with Laptops

Behavioral Interventions in Autism (BIA) The University of Massachusetts (UMass) developed a series of four Web-based courses (BIA: Behavioral Intervention in Autism) to train people to work with children with autism. more» Client: University of Massachusetts (UMass) Medical School Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education: Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) Topic: Professional Development, 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... 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. more» Client: Red Hill Studios Funding Agency: National Institute of Health Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Technology and Education

BioInvestigators: Phase 2 The goal of BioInvestigators is to develop, evaluate, and disseminate a CD-ROM/online bioinformatics primer that will teach high school biology students about the emerging field of bioinformatics through a series of real world case studies/mysteries that involve biological information. Rockman et al will conduct the formative and summative evaluations of the program. The formative evaluation will involve comparing the knowledge gain of students interacting with BioInvestigators in an online implementation versus those who receive the program with an in-person facilitator. The summative evaluation will be a randomized controlled study comparing BioInvestigators with a comparable bioinformatics curriculum and a control sample of students who do not receive any supplementary bioinformatics instruction. more» Client: Red Hill Studios Funding Agency: National Institute of Health Topic: Instructional Materials/Programs, Technology and Education