ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the corruption of a research design. It explains why and how a computer-based curriculum innovation project was transformed from a quasi-experimental design to a comparative case study. The project, the Systems Thinking and Curriculum Innovation Network (STACIN), is a multiyear curriculum development, implementation, and research effort conducted by the authors, who are research staff members at Educational Testing Service (ETS). The project examines the impact of technology on teaching and learning activities (Mandinach & Cline, 1994a). More specifically, the STACIN Project implements systems thinking and systems modeling in precollege curricula and examines their impact on:
Student learning processes and outcomes.
Classroom dynamics and teachers’ behavior.
The organizational structure and functioning of schools.
