“A substantial disconnect remains between the existing evidence base in education and the needs of education decision makers.”

—Fiona Hollands, Founder & Managing Director

Fiona Hollands, Ph.D.
Founder & Managing Director

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Fiona has been conducting quantitative and qualitative research and evaluation in education for over 25 years. She collaborates with other researchers and with education agencies on grant-funded research, R&D, and technical assistance projects that aim to improve the use of various types of evidence by education decision-makers including school and district leaders. She applies methods such as cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-utility analysis, and program value-added analysis to educational programs and practices with the aim of helping policymakers and education decision-makers optimize the use of resources in education. She also conducts interviews to understand decision-making processes in education and how they can be best informed and improved. Current foci include evaluating AI literacy initiatives and AI-driven tools to enhance classroom instruction.

While Fiona has a particular interest in the use of technology in education, she has studied a wide variety of educational topics including high school completion, early literacy, elementary school reading, online/digital learning, social-emotional learning, out-of-school instruction, gifted & talented identification, automated detection of learner affect and engagement, alternative credentials, MOOCs, student information systems, school nursing, and professional development for educators. Fiona has also led the development of multiple tools and resources to support others in the application of economic evaluation methods and systematic decision-making frameworks in education. These include E$timator, CAPCAT, and DecisionMaker®.

  • October 2022 - Founder and Managing Director, EdResearcher LLC.

    Apr 2012 - Senior Researcher, Department of Education Policy & Social Analysis, Teachers College, Columbia University.

    Apr 2012- Dec 2019 Associate Director, Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education, Teachers College, Columbia University.

    Oct 2010 - Apr 2012 Research Associate, Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education, Teachers College, Columbia University.

    2009 - 2012 Adjunct Associate Professor, Teachers College, Columbia University.

    Courses taught:

    Human Development Department: Sociology Program, Policy Seminar II, Sociological Research Methods – Program Evaluation (2009 and 2010).

    Education Policy and Social Analysis Department: Leadership, Policy and Politics Program, Master’s Degree Capstone Seminar (2011 and 2012).

    2003 - 2022 Independent education researcher, evaluator and consultant, including to Center for Technology and School Change, Teachers College, Columbia University.

    1996 - 1997 Mathematics teacher at Rice High School, Manhattan, NY.

    1988 - 1995 J.P. Morgan, London, Paris, New York. Last position: Vice President, J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Emerging Markets Syndicate Desk, New York.

  • 1997 - 2003
    Ph.D. Politics and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University.
    Dissertation: The impact of computer use on the individualization of students’ learning experiences in public middle school science classrooms.

    1995 - 1996
    M.A. Sociology & Education, Teachers College, Columbia University.
    Major graduate papers: School Design Project; Evaluating Educational Software.
    Curriculum Design: Life Outside School (ERIC document ED 385 370).

    1985 - 1988
    B.A. Honours, Pure & Applied Biology, Christ Church, Oxford University.
    Undergraduate Projects: Evolution and distribution of herbicide resistance in Poa annua; Oxbridge Careers - a survey investigating undergraduate career selection and guidance.

    Continuing Education

    2016
    Summer Research Training Institute on Cluster Randomized Trials, Northwestern University. Funded by Institute for Education Sciences (IES), U.S. Department of Education.

  • 2024-2028: Career Development in Chicago Public Schools: Advancing Equity in Opportunities and Outcomes; Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice: Career and Technical Education Network Research Teams. Led by University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. Funded by IES.

     2024-2026: Effects of CIRCLES on the Provision of Transition Services and Resulting Transition Outcomes for Students with Disabilities. Led by Oregon Research Institute. Funded by IES.

     2024-2025: Methodological advisor to Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for R&D Agenda to Transform Secondary Learning.

    2022-2025: Advisor to Mitigating the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic through Curriculum-Based Approaches to Learning Acceleration in Grades K-2 in Chicago. Led by University of Chicago. Funded by IES.

    2021-2026: Advisor to SEER Research Network for Digital Learning Platforms (SEERNet). Led by Digital Promise. Funded by IES.

    2021-2024: Advisor to Revisions to the ASSISTments Digital Learning Platform to Expand Its Support for Rigorous Education Research. Led by Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Funded by IES.

    2018-2021: Advisor to The Efficacy of ‘From Here to There’: A Dynamic Technology for Improving Algebraic Understanding. Led by Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Funded by IES.

    2017-2021: Technical Working Group: Regional Educational Laboratory, Northeast and Islands. Led by EDC. Funded by IES.

    2016-2018: Technical Working Group: Impact Evaluation of Parent Messaging Strategies on Student Attendance. Led by AIR. Funded by IES.

    2014-2018: Advisor to Science Fairs under the ‘Scope research study on costs and benefits of school science fairs. Led by EDC. Funded by National Science Foundation.

  • Program Committee ACM Virtual Global Computing Education Conference (SIGCSE Virtual) 2024.

    Co-lead of Cost Analysis Standards Project (CASP) 2021: Expert panel to set standards for the field on cost, cost-effectiveness, and cost-benefit analysis in education.

    Learning with MOOCs 2018, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia/Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain, Program Committee.

    Working Group Leader for Academic Symposium on Education Technology Efficacy, 2017, Washington, DC.

    Learning with MOOCs Workshop 2017, University of Texas, Austin, Program Committee.

    Learning with MOOCs Workshop 2016, University of Pennsylvania, Program Committee.

    Learning with MOOCs Workshop 2015, Teachers College, Columbia University, Program Committee.

  • ACM Virtual Global Computing Education Conference

    AERA

    AERA Open

    Canadian Journal of Higher Education

    Cost analysis guidance documents: IRC, USAID

    Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis

    Educational Researcher

    Educational Technology Research & Development

    Evidence & Policy

    Higher Education Quarterly

    IES Research Grant Applications (2018-19)

    International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning

    Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis

    Journal for Research on Educational Effectiveness

    Mathematica Measurement & Evaluation Tools

    Middle Grades Review

    National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

    National Science Foundation

    Online Learning

    Review of Educational Research

    Science

    Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness

    Springer Books

    The Internet and Higher Education

    William T. Grant Foundation Major Grants Program

  • Campaign for Educational Equity Taskforce, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2010

    Christ Church, Oxford University, Board of Benefactors 2009-

    Collegiate School Science Advisory Board 2012-2017

    Macaulay Honors College (CUNY) Advisory Council 2012-2015

    New York City iZone Research Advisory Council 2012-13

    New York City Outward Bound Schools Board of Directors, 2008-2012: Executive Committee, Chair of Comprehensive Services Committee

    President, i2Learning Foundation, 2017-2018

    Teachers College School Partnerships Committee, 2013-2021

    Technology Policy and Practices Council, University of the State of New York, 2010-2022

  • U.S., U.K., Brazil

  • Inside Higher Ed (October, 9, 2023). Few campus IT leaders see AI as a top priority.

    Chronicle of Higher Education (February, 8, 2023). The Edge: A reality check in a new study of alternative-credential programs.

    Inside Higher Ed (February, 7, 2023). Online Classes Surge at Virginia Tech. But What About Outcomes?

    Higher Ed Dive (November, 5, 2021). 3 takeaways from Udemy's initial public offering.

    Chronicle of Higher Education (February, 24, 2021). The Edge: Where Ed Tech's $2-Billion Year Leaves Colleges.

    Dallas Morning News (January 28, 2021). Few dyslexic students benefiting from an online tool that’s costing Texas millions.

    BBC Worklife (November, 30, 2020). Will online degrees become more ‘legitimate’?

    Inside Higher Ed (November 20, 2019). Who's Completing Microcredentials?

    Inside Higher Ed (November 13, 2019). Digital Learning in 'Inside Higher Ed' This Week

    Inside Higher Ed (November 8, 2019). The Landscape for Master's-Level Education

    Inside Higher Ed (August 21, 2019). The Limited Role of Evidence in Ed-Tech Decisions

    Inside Higher Ed (January 16, 2019). Takedown of Online Education

    Inside Higher Ed (November 14, 2018). Who's Taking Nondegree Courses -- and Why?

    The Chronicle of Higher Education (July 21, 2016). Which Ed-Tech Tools Truly Work? New Project Aims to Tell Why No One Seems Eager to Find Out.

    The Chronicle of Higher Education (March 9, 2015). Teaching Revival: Fresh attention to the classroom may actually stick this time.

    The Economist (October 6, 2014). MOOCs: Know your enemy.

    The New York Times: Economic Scene (June 17, 2014). A Smart Way to Skip College in Pursuit of a Job.

    US News: Higher Education (June 6, 2014). Experts debate the impact of MOOCs on education.