Foundations of Educational Research
True or False: Most published research studies are false.
True! J. Ionnidis found this to be true in his seminal 2005 study "Why Most Published Research Findings are False."
More recent studies (Nature Human Behavior, 2017) on this uphold his claims.
True or False: Learning follows an exponential curve.
Learning follows a sigmoid, or "S" curve, as opposed the the exponential, or "J" curve.
Students progress at different rates and benefit from customized supports to reach mastery. Early learning may seem slow as foundational skills are built, but with targeted interventions, flexible pacing, and personalized scaffolding, students can accelerate their learning once they gain confidence and key competencies. Instead of forcing all learners to move at the same pace, PCBL allows for varied trajectories, ensuring that every student has the necessary support to achieve deep understanding and growth over time.
See Wikipedia "learning curve" for to learn about the sigmoid curve.
Current best-selling fiction series in the world.
One Piece by Eichira Oda. With 523 million copies sold world-wide and a growing readership, it is set to surpass Harry Potter in total volumes sold within the year.
“One Piece Set to Overtake Harry Potter as the Best-Selling Fiction Series of All Time.” Geeks, vocal.media/geeks/one-piece-set-to-overtake-harry-potter-as-the-best-selling-fiction-series-of-all-time. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
True or False: 10 percent of education studies have been attempts at replication original studies.
False. Less than one percent. Plucker and Makel put this at .13 %.
Building on this work, Perry, Morris and Lea (2022) study they found that of 226,044 educational studies done between 2010 and 2020, 587 were replicated.
True or False: Summative test scores are forced along a pre-determined curve created by psychometricians and can can be deflated if too many students do well.
True. This is from an understanding of how standardized testing works and confirmed in an interview with state source.
Notably, in a PCBL system, assessment is centered on mastery rather than norm-referenced comparisons. Customized supports ensure that all students have the opportunity to reach proficiency, and their success is not limited by statistical models like forced grading curves. Instead of adjusting scores to fit a predetermined distribution, PCBL emphasizes providing individualized interventions, flexible pacing, and targeted supports.
Country with the most World Cup wins.
Brazil - they have 5 wins since the World Cup started.
True or False: Of the educational studies that have attempted to replicate major studies, only 67.4 percent were able to be replicated.
True and False.
Makel and Plucker (2014) put it at this rate.
Gordon et al. puts the rate at 42%, tied for the lowest.
Interestingly, studies that were replicated by the original authors replicated at an 88% rate; while studies replicated by new researchers replicated at a 54% rate.
True or False: 4 types of differentiation are Content, Process, Product, and Learning Environment.
True! You can provide customized support for any of the four of these domains.
In 2023, Australian scientists grew a tiny version of what common food in a lab using real animal cells?
A meatball! (Specifically, a woolly mammoth meatball!)
Chun, Alex. This Massive Meatball Was Made With Woolly Mammoth DNA. 30 Mar. 2023, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-massive-meatball-was-made-with-woolly-mammoth-dna-180981908/.
True or False: Metanalyses are more accurate than individual studies because in the process they exclude the bias and mute the statistical power of the original study.
False.
The Data Colada (n.d.) website explains that meta-analyses can be invalid and misleading when they combine studies of varying quality and incomparable results without rigorous evaluation, leading to meaningless averages that fail to accurately represent the research question.
True or False: Technology can help create personalized learning.
True!
Which country has the largest high-speed rail network?
China possesses the world's largest high-speed rail network, extending approximately 25,166 miles, connecting major cities with trains operating at speeds up to 217 mph.
See Wikipedia for high-speed rail!