Technology

EDC HHD Asia was selected by Hewlett Packard as a Center of Excellence in Asia Pacific for Micro-Enterprise Development Programs in April 2008. As a Center of Excellence, EDC will be managing and supporting 58 Microenterprise Development Centers (MEDCs) in countries such as China, India, New Zealand, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam, amongst many others. EDC will manage the Web portal posting information on new developments in regional economies, providing access to training curriculum and forums for MEDCs to share their best practices to support the growth of Micro Enterprises.

EDC is conducting a two-year pilot study to address critical methodological challenges inherent in doing longitudinal research linking informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) experiences and school achievement: first, addressing selection bias through careful selection of a comparison group that is comparable to the intervention group, and second, developing a qualitative design that both complements and extends the quantitative data collected.

Eyes on Bullying is a national, multimedia bullying prevention program designed to provide parents and caregivers with user-friendly and effective ways to learn the essential principles of bullying prevention. The multimedia program, initially developed for IBM employees, includes a 42-page Toolkit with key information, resources, and six skill-building activities for caregivers and parents to use with children.

This project is developing an online course for K-8 mathematics instructional coaches in rural areas and small schools who do not have access to regular district-wide professional development. The course builds participants’ coaching skills through the use of classroom artifacts—including student work, videotapes, and transcripts drawn from the classroom. Additionally, the project exams how online learning and instructional coaching change teachers’ instructional practices and increase student achievement.

TEACH-VIP is a comprehensive violence and injury prevention and control curriculum, developed by the World Health Organization and a global network of experts, covering a wide range of topics, designed to be delivered as face-to-face training. To make this curriculum more widely available, EDC created an instructional design approach for conversion of the face-to-face exercises and materials into an electronic, self-paced format with interactive lessons for the World Wide Web and CD-ROM.

CSE is developing activity materials for informal science educators who work with middle school youth in extended investigations of living phenomena. This three-year project involves both the development of activities and controlled applied research, studying the role of different modes of visual representations, as well as the impact of the units themselves on the preparation for future learning and attitudes of participating youth. CSE is collaborating on this project with PERG, Boston Nature Center, and University of New Hampshire 4-H.

Using a Literacy 360 approach that acknowledges that children’s literacy is strengthened when they are surrounded by an abundance of opportunities to practice and reinforce specific skills, the Ready to Learn initiative is producing and distributing educational video programming and curricula for children ages 2–8, their parents and educators.