SRI’s STEM&CS Team is housed within the Education Division’s Center for the Future of Education and Technology (CFET). The team leverages their multidisciplinary expertise to critically examine and inform the development of comprehensive STEM and CS programs and systems across the education landscape. This collaborative effort brings together diverse insights to ensure a well-rounded perspective on pedagogy, technology use, performance metrics, assessment strategies, equity considerations, and alignment with educational standards and frameworks in STEM and CS.
The STEM&CS team engages in research that includes:
- Topics that are domain-specific (e.g., math, science, engineering, computer science) and topics at the intersection of domains (e.g., STEM+Computing)
- Digital learning crossovers with STEM and CS topics (e.g., computational modeling and simulations for science learning, game-based learning, programming for mathematics learning, e-textbooks, machine learning for automated assessment of collaboration)
- Broadening participation in STEM and CS for women and girls, underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, students with disabilities, and multilingual learners
The STEM&CS team conducts research in a range of settings, including:
- Elementary and postsecondary education
- Formal and informal learning environments
- Workforce upskilling and reskilling settings
Below, we describe some key elements characterizing the STEM&CS team’s project portfolio. Visit Services to see a detailed list of services offered by the STEM&CS team.
Pedagogy stands as a cornerstone in shaping effective STEM&CS education. The STEM&CS team embraces innovative teaching methods that foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and experiences that require cognitive and physical interactions with phenomena. This includes promoting inquiry-based learning, project-based activities, and real-world applications, creating an engaging and dynamic learning environment that prepares students for the challenges of the future. Technology use is integral to this vision, encompassing not only the integration of cutting-edge tools but also the promotion of digital and AI literacy, equity and access, and responsible technology use among teachers and students. By incorporating emerging technologies into curriculum and assessment design, educators can provide students with the skills necessary to thrive in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
Performance assessments are a crucial element in evaluating the effectiveness of STEM&CS education initiatives. The STEM&CS team prioritizes the development of evidence-based, comprehensive, equitable, and fair assessments that capture not only content knowledge but also skills and practices such as problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity. We leverage principled assessment design methods such as evidence-centered design and collect data from multiple sources to establish evidence of validity for designed assessments.
Evaluation studies in education are critical methodologies for determining the effectiveness, outcomes, and overall impact of educational programs, interventions, or policies. The STEM&CS team engages in projects that address fundamental questions about the success of and areas for improvement in educational initiatives. Our evaluation research delves into the implementation process, examining how well a program is executed, and our impact studies focus on measuring the effects of the program.