Dr. Barbara Means

1. Dr. Barbara Means By Priscilla McCastle

2. Education • Ph.D., Educational Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, 1977 • A.B., Psychology, with Distinction, Stanford University, 1971

3. Professional Experience • Co-Director of Center for Technology in Learning, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (1999-present) • Vice President, Policy Division, SRI International (1994-1999) • Member, Board on Testing and Assessment (BOTA) of the National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences (1998-2001) • Member, Committee on Developments in the Science of Learning (chaired by Ann L. Brown and John D. Branford) of the Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education of the National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences (1995-1997) • Manager, Applied Cognitive Research Program, Human Resources Research Organization, Alexandria, VA (1985-1988)

4. Publications • Means, B. (in press). Prospects for transforming schools with technology-supported assessment. To appear in R. K. Sawyer (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. • Means, B. (in press). Technology’s role in curriculum. To appear in F. M. Connelly, M. F. He, & J. Phillion (Eds.), Sage handbook of curriculum and instruction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. • Means, B. (2005). Evaluating the impact of implementing student information and instructional management systems. Background paper commissioned by the Policy and Program Studies Service, U.S. Department of Education. • Means, B., & Penuel, W. R. (2005). Scaling up technology-based educational innovations. In C. Dede, J. P. Honan, & L. C. Peters (Eds.), Scaling up success: Lessons from technology-based educational improvement. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Rhodes, D., Smerdon, B., Burt, W., Evan, A., Martinez, B., & Means, B. (2005, July). Getting to results: Student outcomes in new and redesigned high schools. Washington, DC: American Institutes for Research and SRI International. • Means, B., & Haertel, G. D. (Eds.) (2004). Using technology evaluation to enhance student learning. New York: Teachers College Press. • Means, B., Roschelle, R., Penuel, W., Sabelli, N., & Haertel, G. (2004). Technology’s contribution to teaching and policy: Efficiency, standardization, or transformation? In R. E. Floden (Ed.), Review of Research in Education (Vol. 27). Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association. • Penuel, W. R., & Means, B. (2004). Implementation variation and fidelity in an inquiry science program: An analysis of GLOBE data reporting patterns. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 41(3), 294-315. • Cook, T., Means, B., Haertel, G., & Michalchik, V. (2003). The case for using randomized experiments in research on newer educational technologies: A critique of the objections raised and alternatives. In G. Haertel and B. Means (eds.) Evaluating Educational Technology: Effective research designs for improving learning. New York: Teachers College Press. • Haertel, G. D., & Means, B. (2003). Evaluating educational technology: Effective research designs for improving learning. New York: Teachers College Press. • Means, B., & Penuel, W. (2003). Research to Support Scaling-Up Technology-Biased Educational Interventions. Paper commissioned for the Scaling Up Success Conference, Harvard Graduate School of Education, March 20-31, 2003. • Smerdon, B., Garet, M., O'Day, J., Miller, L., Means, B., & Mitchell, K. (2003, April). Charting a course: Evaluation design of the National School District and Network Grants Program. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago. • Yarnall, L., Penuel, W. R., Ravitz, J., Murray, G., Means, B., & Broom, M. (2003). Portable assessment authoring: Using handheld technology to assess collaborative inquiry. Education, Communication, Information, 3(1), 7-55. • Penuel, W.R., Kim, D., Michalchik, V., Lewis, S., Means, B., Murphy, R., Korbak, C., Whaley, A., & Allen, J.E. (2002). Using technology to enhance connections between home and school: A research synthesis. Prepared for the Planning and Evaluation Services, U.S. Department of Education. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International. • Means, B., & Haertel, G. (2001). Technology supports for assessing science inquiry. Paper commissioned by the National Academies, Board on Testing and Assessment. To appear in Proceedings of the Workshop on Technology and Assessment.

5. Current CTL Projects • Evaluation of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's National High School Program (Leader) • Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Educational Technology Interventions (EETI) (Leader) • National Educational Technology Trends Study (NETTS) (Supervisor) • Social Capital for Technology Integration

6. My Choice & Her Vision “My vision for educational technology use is at least as dependent on improvements in teacher preparation and professional development around pedagogy, content, and assessment practices as it is on technological advances.”

7. Tomorrow’s Classroom • Move away from strong reliance on general-purpose computing devices toward lower-cost, portable, hand-held devices, often connected through global networks and tailored for specific applications. • Technology is used is conducive to meaningful learning: real-world contexts for learning; connections to outside experts; visualization and analysis tools; scaffolds for problem solving; and opportunities for feedback, reflection, and revision.

8. Bibliography • Noll, James Wm., 2005. Taking Sides Clashing Views on Controversial Educational Issues, Thirteenth Edition. Iowa: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin • http://ctl.sri.com/projects/displayProject.jsp?Nick=socialcap • http://ctl.sri.com/projects/displayProject.jsp?Nick=nettshttp://ctl.sri.com/projects/researchAreas • http://ctl.sri.com/projects/displayProject.jsp?Nick=gates • www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/atrisk/at400.htm