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Kristen Davidson

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July 20, 2017

Next round of online course on using research to inform decisions starts February 5th

What?

Finding and using research evidence to inform decisions and policies and practice can be a difficult task.

Using Research to Inform Decisions is an online course offered by NCRPP that will give you the tools to find and evaluate pertinent research, with a constant eye toward how such research can be used to inform various school- and district-level decisions. The workshop provides an overview of how practitioners use research and offers several simple tools to help you find the study you need. You will also learn strategies and structures that help foster an environment where research truly informs decision-making.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

Explore the nature of research use and current national patterns in research use
Learn how to find relevant research and read it accurately
Evaluate research design, and be able to judge the credibility of the research
Implement strategies for increasing the use of evidence within your own educational setting

What the program includes:

Video lectures with:
- - Heather Hill, Jerome T. Murphy Professor in Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education
  - Bill Penuel, Professor of Educational Psychology and Learning Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder
  - Derek Briggs, Professor of Research and Evaluation Methodology at the University of Colorado Boulder
  - Cynthia Coburn, Professor at the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University
  - Caitlin Farrell, Director of the National Center for Research in Policy and Practice
Readings of various research articles and white papers
Facilitated online discussions
Exploration exercises
Job-embedded practice where you will apply the concepts and techniques learned

When?

After a successful round of this workshop in August 2017, this two-week online workshop will be offered again from February 5th to February 18th. The online instruction, discussions, and job-embedded practice should take five to seven hours over the duration of the program. Participants who complete all individual assessments and contribute to group discussions will receive a certificate indicating completion of five clock hours of instruction.