[neact] On behalf of Indiana University: Chemistry Learning Tool Opportunity (CALM)

From: Stephen Stepenuck <sstepenuck@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "neact@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <neact@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:28:14 -0400
Dear Chemistry Teacher,
I would like to bring to your attention an opportunity to participate in a
research study that is examining the effectiveness of a learning tool that
was developed in 1996 by the Department of Chemistry at Indiana University,
Bloomington. Since 2002, CALM (Computer Assisted Learning Method) has
reached over 54 High Schools across the state of Indiana. In this time, more
than 82 teachers, and well over 1000 students annually, have used this
system free of charge. Teachers who have incorporated CALM in their
classroom are extremely supportive of it. Primarily, this has been in the
form of an online homework system that allows the assessment and tracking of
student performance. CALM also represents an important starting point for
collaboratively engaging high school science teachers and university faculty
in improving the quality of science education across the nation.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Education funded a study to examine the
effectiveness of CALM in promoting student chemistry achievement. The study,
funded by the Institute for Education Sciences, is an opportunity for us to
extend CALM¹s reach to many more teachers and students than was previously
possible.
Our goal with CALM is to impact the level of high school science education
across the nation, using a tool and an approach that have been proven to
work. We provide teachers with a web-based homework tool that requires
students to focus on and develop their problem solving skills through
dynamically randomized content. In addition, CALM is a collaborative tool
that creates a network linking high school teachers both with each other and
with university faculty, along with resources in higher education. It is
through this network (the CALM Community) that the dissemination of high
quality, standards-based/aligned material is possible.

Participation in the Study
We are seeking high school introductory chemistry teachers who have not
previously implemented CALM in their classrooms to participate in this
study. The study itself is an experimental design, where half of the
teachers who volunteer to participate in a given year will be assigned to
implement the online CALM tool in their Introductory Chemistry classrooms.
We are asking that teachers use CALM and/or the CALM chemistry problems as a
primary source of homework or applied practice for students, assigning
students at least 10 questions from the CALM database per week. We are
asking teachers to commit to participation for one term of Introductory
Chemistry. We will be recruiting three cohorts of teachers?one during Year
1, Year 2, and Year 3 (the current year). Control group teachers will be
invited to use the online CALM tool in their classrooms after their year of
participation in the study.
The criteria for all teachers being selected to participate in the study
include the following:
? May not have previously used CALM in your own classroom nor other teachers
at your school;
? Plan to teach at least one Introductory Chemistry course during the
2011-2012 school year;
? Commit to administering a standardized high school chemistry exam
(provided by research team) at the end of the introductory chemistry class
targeted for the study; and
? Provide letter of support from your building administrator and gain
permission from appropriate district and/or school supervisors to
participate in the study.
Additional research activities for those who are selected to implement the
online CALM tool (treatment group) include:
? Attend a two-day workshop on CALM at Indiana University during June or
July of the first year selected; and
? Allow researchers to observe chemistry instruction, participate in on-site
interviews, and have students participate in focus groups about the use of
CALM (if selected).

Teachers will receive a stipend of $150.00 for the year they participate in
the study. In addition, a travel stipend, which covers transportation, food,
and lodging, will be provided for each teacher to attend the CALM training
workshop in the summer prior to implementing CALM in the classroom.

For more information about CALM, you can find us online at:
http://calm.indiana.edu. If you are interested in participating in this
research study and implementing CALM in your classroom or have further
questions, please contact us at: calmceep@xxxxxxxxxxxx

Thank you for your interest in and willingness to participate in this
important study.

Sincerely,
Suzanne Branon
Suzanne Branon
Graduate Research Assistant
Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Indiana University 1900 East
Tenth Street Bloomington, Indiana 47406-7512
812-855-7308
sbranon@xxxxxxxxxxx
calmceep@xxxxxxxxxxx http://ceep.indiana.edu/
IRB APPROVED
MAR 27 2009
[neact] On behalf of Indiana University: Chemistry Learning Tool Opportunity (CALM)

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