GenYES - Research and Evaluation

GenYES is one of most researched educational technology programs in the United States. Since the start of the Technology Innovation Challenge Grant (TICG) in 1996, an annual, independent external evaluation was completed by the Northwest Regional Education Laboratory (NWREL).

Downloads

  • Current GenYES Research Summary (PDF) - includes student achievement data, impact on teacher attitudes towards technology, Texas STAR and TEKS impact, and summaries of NWREL and US DOE Expert panel analysis
  • 2006 GenYES impact on student technology literacy (PDF). Although GenYES is not specifically a student technology literacy intervention, the results of a standardized technology literacy test taken by GenYES vs. non-GenYES students shows significant positive impact in this small study.

Did You Know?

The name of the model has changed over time.

Originally, it was known as Generation WHY, then as Generation www.Y, then as Generation Y or Gen Y . It is now known as GenYES.

Links down this page

GenYES Receives U.S. D.O.E. Exemplary Award

GenYES received one of only two "Exemplary" awards for educational technology programs . The following links provide additional information about the Expert Panel, its review procedures and criteria, and the awards issued.

The Expert Panel on Educational Technology was established by the U.S. Department of Education "to oversee a valid and viable process for identifying and designating promising and exemplary educational programs so that practitioners can make better-informed decisions in their ongoing efforts to improve the quality of student learning." Over a 2 year period, the 18-member panel reviewed 134 educational technology programs based on following criteria:

  1. Quality of Program
  2. Educational Significance
  3. Evidence of Effectiveness
  4. Usefulness to Others

Full Report (HTML) (PDF version)

Generation Y Evaluation (HTML) (PDF version)

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NWREL Evaluation Reports

The following links provide information about GenYES which has been gathered by the Assessment and Evaluation Program of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL). NWREL has been conducting an annual independent external evaluation of the GenYES project since 1996.

Quotes from Report about GenYES

"...substantial learning gains on the part of participating students."

"The format provides a model of project-based, authentic, student-centered, multidisciplinary teaching and learning enhanced by technology."

"... the course is supported with an array of resources (some online) for coordinating teachers that can be adapted for different school settings serving all populations using virtually any hardware/software infrastructure."

Each evaluation report is available in PDF format. [NOTE: PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader.]

Overview of GenYES

GenYES 2006-2007 National and Regional Survey Data (Latest report)

GenYES 2005-2006 National and Regional Survey Data

GenYES 2004-2005 National and Regional Survey Data

GenYES 2003-2004 National and Regional Survey Data

GenYES 2002-2003 National and Regional Survey Data

GenYES 2001-2002 National and Regional Survey Data

Generation Y 1998-2000 Survey Data

Federal 1996-2001 TICG GenYES Project Evaluation (PDF)

From the evaluation reports...

  • 93% of GenYES partner-teachers consider the projects to be of high quality
  • 92 percent reported using the projects in their regular classes and planning to update or extend the projects in future class activities
  • 90 percent of the teachers reported that as a result of the GenYES, they learned about technology and their students learned about technology and a content discipline.
  • 95 percent consider GenYES a good method for providing support and assistance to teachers as they integrate technology into their classes, reported a desire to continue participating in the program, and said they would continue to rebuild lesson plans to benefit from using educational technology.
  • 82% of the teachers reported that the experience would change the way that they teach in the future.
  • When asked their opinion about using technology in education after participating in GenYES, virtually everyone (98 percent) said they felt technology facilitates positive changes in classroom teaching and learning practices.

Maryland Generation Y Statewide Partnership

Dr. Stan Bennett of the University of Maryland completed an evaluation of the three-year Maryland Generation Y Partnership, reporting "very positive" results all around. You can read the results in PDF format.

A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF SELECTED MARYLAND GENERATION Y PROGRAMS (PDF)

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Annual Reports on GenYES

In addition to NWREL program evaluation information, you may want to view Annual Reports prepared by the Olympia School District each year for the U.S. Department of Education. These reports contain summaries of the GenYES model, program development and the evaluation data.

The most comprehensive evaluation report covers the entire five year TICG project (1996-2001) , and is available in PDF format. [NOTE: PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader.]

1st Annual Performance Report, May 1997

2nd Annual Performance Report May, 1998

3rd Annual Performance Report, May 1999 [PDF]

4th Annual Performance Report May, 2000 [PDF]

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The GenYES Higher Education Model

The GenYES Higher Education Model emphasizes a community of learners that includes ALL members of the community, even the 92% of the education community that are usually forgotten -- the students.

Late in 1999, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) awarded a $2.1 million, three-year Catalyst grant (one of only 35) to The Evergreen State College to implement the Student Teacher Technology Education Partnership (ST2EP) project. ST2EP is housed at the Evergreen Center for Educational Improvement, a K-12 public service center of the college.

The project, part of the DOE's Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology (PT3) grant program, is designed to help teacher education students learn how to use technology to engage students in learning. Nine colleges of teacher education and 16 K-12 schools from five different states are participating.

As part of this project, GenYES student graduates in grades 4-12 work with colleges of education to provide their faculty and pre service teachers training on how to infuse technology into the curriculum.

step

ST2EP web site

Collaborating Across Boundaries: Innovative Technology-Enhanced Models of Teacher Education - Program Details

The colleges of teacher education are implementing the model in various ways:

  • Pre service teachers join the collaboration team with K-12 Gen Y students as they help their teachers infuse technology into the curriculum,
  • Required pre service educational technology courses are held in K-12 schools and taught by GenYES graduates.
  • GenYES students work with college of education faculty to help them model the use of technology to improve learning in their courses.
  • Pre-service teachers work with GenYES students to produce web pages on a variety of academic topics.

The key questions that are asked in this research is what will happen if more teachers feel free to cross boundaries of curriculum structures, roles, and distance? And how will teachers and their students use technology to assist those processes?

Ongoing research and improvement is basic to the mission of Generation YES as we continue to explore and improve our models. We actively search out new opportunities to participate in research in collaborative learning communities and student empowerment.

If you are interested in updates on the progress of this ongoing research, please contact us for further information.

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