Overview
WestEd applies cutting-edge research about how children and adults learn to our work to support educators and improve educational outcomes for all students.
Using an integrated approach to Learning & Technology, we offer research, development, evaluation, and school/district services that deliver well-informed, well-studied products, recommendations, and action plans.
As technology continues to be an essential part of education, our staff works to create a research base to guide effective and equitable teaching and learning. Our team can support you by studying, vetting, and developing educational innovations across content domains, including digital-era disciplines like computer science, computational thinking, and data science.
Elevating learners from all social, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds
Throughout our work, we honor each learner’s prior knowledge and expertise, understanding the learning contexts in which they participate, and addressing systemic barriers to teaching and learning.
Subscribe to the E-Bulletin for regular updates on research, free resources, services, and job postings from WestEd.
Connect with us on social media, where we share valuable information every day to help you tackle real-world challenges.
Featured Expert
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Yvonne Kao is the Director of WestEd’s Learning and Technology content area. She is an applied educational researcher specializing in assessment development and quantitative methods to evaluate programs for PreK–16 math and computer science education. Kao has evaluated both traditional education interventions and technology-based interventions. She works with programs at all stages, providing formative feedback on prototype products as well as leading nationwide randomized controlled trials of fully developed interventions.
WestEd Bulletin
Stay up to date with the latest WestEd news, events, research, and leading voices to support your commitment to improving learning, healthy development, and equity in schools and communities.
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WestEd at the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness 2024 Conference, September 19-21
Events / September 18, 2024
WestEd research experts will be presenting on a range of salient topics at the 2024 Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) conference, held on September 18–21, 2024, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel in Baltimore, Maryland.
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Why Schools and Districts Should Consider True Cost—Not Just Price—When Shopping for EdTech
Insights & Impact / August 5, 2024
Cost-effectiveness means more than just how much districts pay for a service. To determine whether an edtech purchase is right for a school, educators and school finance officials should also consider what’s needed to implement it—aspects like teacher training, ongoing support, and reliable technology and internet access. -
Providing Legal Expertise and Supports to Advance Integrated Data Systems
Insights & Impact / April 30, 2024
In the fourth blog in this series about the Data Integration Support Center (DISC) at WestEd, experts discuss how lawyers and other legal professionals play a pivotal role in the success of integrated data systems.
Our Work in Action
Using Visualizations to Improve K-12 Student Learning
Our research team explored the most effective way maximize STEM learning through strategic display of images within text. Our findings indicate that images best support learners when they are arranged in ways that promote useful comparisons.
Our team will continue to test the effects of visual comparison in STEM domains, the results of which will have broad implications for design, instruction, and theories of human cognition and learning.
