Education Week

What makes one intervention work in a school when another seemingly similar one falls flat? Increasingly detailed computer models of student behavior and learning may help researchers avoid such setbacks by better pinpointing interventions before taking them to schools. "In education research, I get a great idea, apply for funding, … then I spend a few months in schools taking time from students and teachers, and often find out it doesn't work," said Richard L. Lamb, an assistant professor of science education and educational measurement at Washington State University in Pullman. "That's great that we have that data," he said, "but it's not the most efficient way to do [research and development]." Instead, Mr. Lamb and colleagues are working to pair education technology and neuroscience to mimic how students learn in a classroom and provide an additional means of testing and honing interventions.