• The Science Learning Activation Lab
• Schoolyard Scientists/East Bay Academy for Young Scientists
• Reflecting on Practice™ (RoP)
• Positioning Youth for Success in Science: Studying the Malleability and Impact of Computational Thinking for Science
• Working Towards Equitable Organizations in Environmental Education
• FIRST
• BEETLES

Our researchers are highly skilled at presenting findings and insights before diverse audiences. At the Research Group, we tailor our research dissemination efforts to suit each project’s type and needs. We choose from a variety of dissemination options, including: reports (formal research reports, web-based reports, legislative reports, and the like); publications (peer-reviewed journals, educator venues, and others); research and policy briefs; and presentations to various stakeholders. We often present to project participants, leaders and developers, organizational boards, and policy-making bodies. We also present at national, state, and regional conferences such as those of the American Educational Research Association, the American Evaluation Association, the Association of Science-Technology Centers, the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, the National Science Teachers Association, and the Visitor Studies Association.

Our evaluation services include the following methods and products:

• Logic Models—Articulating the underlying program theory, whether it be for action or for change, by visually representing the inherent linkages of program inputs, outputs, and outcomes in the short, medium, or long term.
• Empirical Study Design—Utilizing multiple research methods, modes, and theories to illuminate and assess the nuanced effects and meaning of a program. Depending on the study scope, our proposed designs (which may include mixed-method, quasi-experimental, or case study formats) employ one or more of the following data collection methods:
  • Interview
  • Observation
  • Survey
  • Document analysis
• Panel Review—Leveraging the knowledge and expertise of internal as well as external stakeholders to verify and inform program trajectory and to validate evaluation findings at strategic points during a program evaluation.
• Technical Reports and Briefs—Attending to the needs of the program, the sponsor, and the stakeholders, we produce a variety of report types that ultimately promote the effective use of evaluation findings. Reporting styles include full technical reports, briefing memoranda, visual software presentations, research literature reviews, and policy briefs, among others.

We provide a range of assessment services for various projects and organizations. Our assessment work is multifaceted and specifically designed for the learning setting in which Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics (STEM) education takes place. Our services may include any or all of the following:

• Designing assessment systems and support materials
• Scoring a system design with exemplar identification
• Developing items and scaling them
• Scanning/scoring fixed-choice responses
• Scoring constructed responses
• Gathering and evaluating validity evidence (testing construct validity)
• Performing data analysis and supplying suitable psychometrics
• Reporting out