The Edtech industry may be crowded, but there’s only one Gizmos using educational research to transform and impact student engagement directly! Our library offers over 550 virtual labs and simulations for nearly any math or science topic, covering elementary to high school levels, including Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Gizmos STEM Cases put students in the role of STEM professionals tasked with solving real-world problems.
How do we design products that deliver results? “Creating fun and engaging educational technology that improves learning for students requires us to take research seriously. It starts with gathering insights to tailor products to best serve the diverse needs of students, educators, and administrators,” said ExploreLearning Senior Researcher Megan Conrad, Ph.D. “Research needs to be embedded into the design process, from relying on the most recent evidence from empirical work on learning and pedagogy to early beta testing with real students and teachers. Next, high-quality efficacy work in collaboration with third-party organizations should be designed to verify that the tools and methodologies are effective in achieving educational goals. Finally, ongoing research allows us to iterate and improve on these products over time.”
Because evidence and results are critical, we’ve made it easy to explore all of the Gizmos research with our new resource center.
The proven impact of Gizmos on student achievement in math and science
Gizmos adapt to a variety of pedagogical approaches and classroom needs, supporting teachers with a wide range of learning goals and real-world applications. A recent correlational (ESSA Tier 3) study compared school-level data on the frequency and quality of Gizmos usage with performance on a standards-based state assessment for 8th-grade school students in a large urban district with high levels of ethnic and socioeconomic status (SES) diversity. Our findings give administrators and teachers more confidence that Gizmos can be a valuable tool for providing all students with relevant experiences and practice needed to succeed in skills-based, NGSS-aligned science assessments.
Dr. Conrad said, “Research is how we create products that are uniquely adapted to today’s classroom context, cost-effective, and maximally effective at improving learning for all students.”
We also bring teachers into the process through Collab Crew, a partnership with educators for authentic product feedback about technology in the classroom and teaching strategies that improve student learning and engagement. “By collecting feedback from our users, we can identify areas for improvement and make sure our products meet the evolving needs of the educational community,” said Dr. Conrad.
There’s so much more to discover. Are you ready to dive into the Gizmos research?