Silicon Valley Challenge 2000: Year 5 Multimedia Project Report

Introduction

The Challenge 2000 Multimedia Project (MMP) aims to infuse the classrooms of Silicon Valley with an exemplary model of project-based learning supported by multimedia (PBL+MM). It is intended to be a core strategy of Challenge 2000 school teams to meet the challenging goal of “sparking a renaissance” in education in Silicon Valley, by transforming teacher and student roles. Through completing extended student projects that culminate in the development of multimedia presentations, the MMP hopes to enable students to acquire the skills needed for the high-tech workplace—not just technology skills, but also content knowledge, problem-solving acumen, communication skills, and the ability to work in collaborative teams and to assess their own work.

SRI International’s evaluation report for Year 5, the 1999-2000 school year, traces the ongoing progress of the MMP in meeting its goals and highlights the role of particular components of the MMP in supporting changes in teaching and improvements in student learning. Researchers and policy-makers need to know more about successful examples of technology integration, especially what makes them successful. The chapters in this report each highlight a different lens through which one might view the MMP, its implementation, and its success.