Megan Silander leads studies that generate new insights into effective pre-K–12 education policies and programs. Her current research focuses on media, technology, and learning. In one strand of her research, she is focusing on identifying strategies to help under-resourced families use media and technology to support their children’s learning and development. In a second strand, she is examining effective ways to incorporate digital tools, such as games and educational software, into classroom instruction to improve student learning.
Silander brings experience with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research; descriptive, experimental, and quasi-experimental methods; and use of large-scale administrative and telemetry data. She has co-led National Science Foundation-funded initiatives, and conducts research on Ready To Learn, a U.S. Department of Education-supported initiative that examines how media can foster family engagement in learning and improve the school readiness of low-income preschool children.
Silander holds a BA in Linguistics from Pomona College, an EdM in International Education Policy from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a PhD in Education Policy from Columbia University.