An Internet-based Solution for Assessment-Guided Learning
Learning Conductor
Learning Conductor: Mathematics is a suite of Internet-based technologies designed by the Workshop to foster assessment-guided learning in mathematics. The system can be used by schools or individual classroom teachers. It can also be used by students on their own, or with assistance from family members or tutors.
Affordable assessments for learning. Through its unique cloning technology, Learning Conductor can generate approximately one hundred standards-aligned exercises from a single source item. This capability means that the number of combinations or “streams” of exercises students can receive is virtually unlimited. The same cloning technology also enables Learning Conductor to provide immediate feedback for every exercise in the form of a detailed “worked-example” solution, a format proven effective for novice and proficient learners alike.
In addition, Learning Conductor’s cloning technology generates geometrically accurate graphic representations for every exercise and / or solution that requires them, as research has repeatedly shown such representations to increase students’ mathematical understanding. These cloning and graphics technologies are the key to making Learning Conductor an affordable solution for both schools and individual families. By automatically generating high-quality assessment items with accurate illustrations, the system keeps our per-item development cost low.
Along with its virtually unlimited streams of representation-rich exercise / solution pairs, Learning Conductor offers real-time progress reports, accessible over the Internet to teachers, parents, and students.
Flexibility for teachers and students. The Learning Conductor School Edition enables teachers to integrate assessment-guided learning into their existing instructional practices. The program gives teachers maximum flexibility and control by providing detailed, real-time progress reports, along with the power to customize streams of exercise / solution couplets for individual students based on those reports. Learning Conductor is designed to complement teachers’ own classroom strategies, rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all “solution” to diverse student requirements. The Individual Edition enables students to use Learning Conductor on their own, or with the assistance of a tutor. Using the same real-time reports, students can generate unlimited streams of couplets to pinpoint and address the areas where they most need help.
Learning Conductor’s flexibility is also designed to account for students’ “learning progressions.” Recent evidence has suggested that most students do not learn mathematics in a neat, linear, and hierarchical manner. At different times, a typical student’s learning trajectory can show periods of stalled development, apparent reverse development, and sudden insightful and rapid development. Learning Conductor’s core technologies can enable schools, districts, teachers, parents, and students themselves to better understand and address learning progressions.
Location-independent learning and teaching. Because Learning Conductor is an online system, all exercises, worked examples, and progress reports can be accessed from any computer connected to the Internet. Thus, students can experience the educational benefits of Learning Conductor regardless of their physical location. The Workshop is also currently developing open-source communications tools for Learning Conductor, which will enable classroom teachers, as well as heads of after-school, summer-school, and other educational programs, to coordinate their respective strategies for using Learning Conductor with their students. These tools will also facilitate more effective communications between students, teachers, and parents.
Building on CAHSEE
The Workshop has already developed streams of exercise / solution pairs, or “couplets,” from the publicly released body of items for the California High School Exit Exam in mathematics (CAHSEE). We have begun with this exam for two reasons. First, it is California’s most high-stakes exam: students who are otherwise qualified to graduate from high school cannot do so without passing CAHSEE. Second, because CAHSEE covers the mathematics curriculum for grades six through eight, developing couplets related to CAHSEE makes Learning Conductor useful for students from middle school through the senior year of high school.
With our partner schools, we are beginning the process of evaluating and improving Learning Conductor’s effects on the proficiency of middle and high school students, particularly those preparing to take CAHSEE. We are confident the use of Learning Conductor will lead to improvements, both in the classroom and on CAHSEE, for students in these schools.
In addition, Learning Conductor now includes couplets based on items for the STAR exam.
As we continue to enhance Learning Conductor’s capabilities, we will be adding new bodies of source items that will make the system useful for schools, students, and families across the country. For the first body of additional source items, we propose to use the exemplary assessment items developed in conjunction with the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics. We also expect to draw upon publicly released assessment items corresponding to the 4th, 8th, and 12th grade mathematics exams administered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), as well as from several other state and national sources. Mathematics teachers from partner schools, who will be invited to participate as teacher-instructional designers, will provide crucial advice on source items, and may also create items themselves.
Seeking partners in assessment-guided learning. The Workshop, in partnership with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, is currently seeking additional partners to field test, evaluate, and enhance the capabilities of Learning Conductor. For the purposes of this research, we are making a Limited Edition of Learning Conductor available for districts, schools, classrooms, and other educational settings free of charge.
The Workshop is confident that the schools and districts who partner with us will see measurable educational benefits, including:
- Increased collaboration among teachers regarding students’ progress, the curriculum, and strategies for implementing assessment-guided learning via Learning Conductor in the classroom
- Increased use of Learning Conductor by students beyond the physical boundaries of the classroom, leading to students’ devoting more time and attention to their mathematics studies
- Attitudinal improvements in these students, including increased confidence and ability to take charge of their own development as mathematics learners
- Improvements in the mathematical proficiency levels of the students supported by Conductor, including improvements in their classroom performance, as well as increased scores on end-of-year standardized exams in mathematics
We are particularly interested in evaluating and improving Learning Conductor’s effects on student confidence, which we believe is critical for attaining proficiency.
We are also seeking funding partners to help support this research.
If you are interested in joining us to advance mathematics education, please contact:
Bernard Gifford |
More detailed information on Learning Conductor’s capabilities is available here.