Demystifying Edtech Research With Dr. Molly Zielezinski

In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.

In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Dr. Molly B. Zielezinski to the show for a discussion on demystifying edtech research. Molly is the founder and CEO of MBZ Labs, where she and her team work to bridge the gaps between edtech, academia, and educational practice. Molly was the co-author of the excellent thought leadership piece “Debunking the Gold Standard Myths in Edtech Efficacy,” and MBZ Labs just published a great resource with NewSchools Venture Fund, “Optimizing Edtech for an Expanded Definition for Student Success.”

Molly shares her origin story, and provides insights into the process of making research more usable for both edtech companies, as well as educators and administrators.

Topics Covered in the Podcast:

0:45 Intro
3:00 Molly’s Teaching and learning journey
6:00 The disconnect between research and practitioners
7:00 Moving beyond the classroom and founding MBZ Labs
11:00 MBZ Labs mission to get better tools in the hands of students
13:00 Efficacy portfolios
16:00 Use of technology by underserved students
21:00 Translating research content for different audiences
25:00 Building a solid research foundation
27:30 Edtech and the Expanded Definition of Student Success (EDSS)
30:00 The process of translating and demystifying research

Links:
https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-05-21-debunking-the-gold-standard-myths-in-edtech-efficacy
https://mbzlabs.com/optimizing-edtech-for-student-success_mbzlabs2020/
https://edpolicy.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/publications/scope-report-promising-practices-v1.pdf

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