Plan for Classroom Testing and Validating Materials

A three-phase classroom-testing procedure will optimize the quality of the materials. Draft materials will be 1) microtested with small groups so the designers will understand how students and teachers interpret the materials, 2) pilot tested with master teachers and revised, and 3) field tested by 12 teachers new to the Project, and again revised. All resources, models, and technologies will be reviewed and validated by advisory board disciplinary and pedagogical experts. Developers will conduct the microtest with a few students to ascertain how clearly course components are understood, how well skills are acquired, and if key ideas are grasped. Master teachers on the team will pilot test materials with their classes. After revisions are made, all materials will be field tested in 12 classes with diverse student populations (including children with disabilities) in rural, remote, suburban, and urban areas in nine states across the country. Different environmental scenarios will be tried to test the efficacy of the instructor design interface.