From Effect to Effectiveness: The Missing Research Questions

For many researchers and developers in information and communication technology in education (ICTE), the transfer of knowledge from research into educational practice is slow and limited. For most researchers concerned with changing practice, the failure to make a significant impact is attributed to those who practice in education, whilst those in practice see technical research as irrelevant to education. This paper argues that a comparison between research in healthcare and research in education, at one stage disparaged, is informative. Research in healthcare is expected to pass through a number of distinct stages, from small-scale, laboratorycontrolled experiments to large-scale trials. Research cannot be integrated within healthcare delivery until these stages are complete. This paper uses this model to argue that intermediate stages between research in ICTE and changes in educational practice are currently omitted or ignored. A ‘road-map’ is provided to characterize the distinct research questions that should be expected at each stage. Without completion of all of these stages, those in educational practice might argue, justifiably, that there is no warrant to change how education is delivered.