Curriculum & Instruction

Evaluation of Project COMPASS

This is an evaluation of the impact of Project COMPASS, which seeks to improve students’ outcomes in online courses. Funded by a First in the World grant, the project integrates technology-based (High Tech) strategies with increased efforts to reach out to students (High Touch strategies). The evaluation uses an experimental design in which students are randomly assigned to treatment or control sections.

Client: Wake Technical Community College
Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education
Topics: community college, online learning, technology, experimental design, program evaluation
Contact: Julie Edmunds or Beth Thrift

Crystal Island: Developing Science Problem-Solving Skills and Engagement Through Intelligent Game-Based Learning Environments

The objective of this project was to design, build, and empirically evaluate an intelligent game-based learning environment for fifth grade science education. To promote effective science learning, the project created intelligent game-based learning environment technologies that leveraged the rich interactive 3D game environments provided by commercial game engines and the artificial intelligence capabilities of intelligent tutoring systems. The project investigated the impact of intelligent game-based learning environments on problem solving, engagement, and STEM learning.

Client: NC State University (William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation)
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Topics: student engagement, STEM, science, problem Solving, game-based learning

Evaluation of Horry County Historical Inquiry Project

This is a mixed method evaluation of Horry County’s Historical Inquiry Project, a project funded by the Teaching American History program. Using survey data, content knowledge assessments, and student achievement data, the evaluation looked at the impact of the project on teachers’ content knowledge and historical thinking skills, as well as on student outcomes.

Client: Horry County Schools
Funding Agency: US Department of Education
Topics: professional development, student achievement; teacher content knowledge

Educators’ Perceptions of the First Year of Read to Achieve: A Statewide Formative Evaluation for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (2013-2014)

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction contracted with SERVE Center to collect data during spring 2014 regarding the statewide implementation of Read to Achieve (RtA). SERVE collected data intended to reflect the experiences and perceptions of educators with RtA and included: online surveys, interviews in six districts, and focus groups held in all eight regions of the state. Each of the three data collection approaches focused on five affected role types: 1) district superintendents, 2) district elementary supervisors or others who were the Read to Achieve contact/leader for the district, 3) elementary principals, 4) 3rd grade teachers, and 5) K-2 teachers.

Client: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Funding Agency: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Topics: reading, literacy
Contact: Wendy McColskey