The Terracotta Research Network, a brand new initiative to scale up in-classroom education research, is a testbed of instructors across institutions who conduct education research in the classroom. Presently, the Terracotta Research Network is gathering innovative instructors to take part in our Spring 2027 pilot study, which will explore multimedia and AI-assisted learning (more details here). Future efforts will include studies created by teachers and researchers who are Terracotta Research Fellows.​

In Terracotta, teachers can change many aspects of their assignments and teaching materials, allowing for great flexibility in what they can manipulate between experimental conditions. For instance, in a multimedia study, teachers can add images and videos to their learning materials in the multimedia condition, and they can remove those images and videos in the control condition. Then, teachers can see whether students performed better or worse on future assessments as an outcome of their condition.​

We will be running studies across institutions that will work to improve learning and increase educational impact. Being part of this research gives you the opportunity to claim some ownership of this research, whether it be through co-authorship or presentations. As a Terracotta Research Fellow, you will be part of a cohort of teachers and researchers working to build evidence of educational impact on a large scale.

The primary cost of using Terracotta is the additional effort required to learn the interface and create assignments within it, which will also involve corresponding with the research team. This team is ready and equipped to assist teachers throughout the process of setting up Terracotta experiments and assignments.​

Typically, teachers use 2-4 assignments with experimental manipulation. This is generally a low dosage of assignments relative to the course. Additionally, it is often not required to change assignment content when adding the experimental manipulation. Some modifications, such as adding/removing media, may be required to fit the nature of the study conditions.​

Study conditions will involve only teaching styles or methods that are pedagogically sound, mitigating risk for students. In other words, each condition is designed to support effective learning and provide students with a meaningful educational experience. This way, students receive quality educational material regardless of their study condition. ​All studies will adhere to an IRB protocol, ensuring risk minimization and fairness in all aspects of the study.​ If your class participates, students will be presented with a consent form, making them aware of any potential risks to participating.​

This network is a brand new initiative, so for the time being, we will be limiting entry to  Indiana University, Arizona State University, and Bellevue University. ​Your course should have an online assignment component​ or some learning activities that can be integrated into an online assignment​. In the future, the Terracotta Research Network will expand to include more institutions, targeting those that utilize Canvas and already have active Terracotta integrations.