Inventing

Inventing rigorous multidisciplinary methods to conduct inquiry and research

Educational and social problems are sufficiently complex and intractable such that researchers who draw on theories and methods from only one discipline cannot solve these problems. Researchers will be needed who draw on theories and research methods from multiple disciplines including psychology, sociology, economics, anthropology and political science. In addition, educational research to date has been notoriously weak and has not met the highest standards of inquiry and scientific practice. Research in education needs to become more rigorous in theory and method as well as more consciously self-critical. Rigorous new research methods need to be invented by bringing together leaders in developing these methods from education, economics, sociology, statistics and psychology. In addition, a new generation of researchers needs to be trained in these rigorous multidisciplinary methods. Our School proposes to work across departments and schools to meet these challenges.

Examples

	Professor Uri Wilensky published a new version of his innovative NetLogo software for agent-based computer modeling, which is designed to improve understanding of complex phenomena. He also co-authored a much-anticipated introductory textbook, An Introduction to Agent-Based Modeling, and will teach his modeling methods to all undergraduates in McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.
	The Multidisciplinary Program in Education Sciences (MPES) program received a $4 million renewal grant from the Institute of Education Sciences to continue training doctoral students in rigorous methods for education research. The 29 MPES students have amassed accomplishments such as Aaron Sojourner’s award from the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management and Vivian Wong’s Capitol Hill policy briefing with professor Thomas Cook on preK programs.
	Professor Larry Hedges conducted an Institute of Education Sciences workshop to train 30 education researchers from across the nation in research methods that meet the highest standards. In summer 2008 the first of three institutes focused on cluster randomized experiments.