The Discovery Center has over 15 years of experience providing evaluation, research, and professional learning services and support. We are dedicated to communicating what we've learned through experience, and to sharing useful methods and tools to assist others in completing their own work.

Systematic Thinking for Your Work

From our work with various local, state, and national education clients, partners, and stakeholders, Discovery Center staff members have learned a great deal about the significance of systematic thinking, and its importance as a success component for mathematics and science education reform.

Systematic thinking in planning, implementing, and evaluating a research study, project, or program, implies “… a thoughtful process of asking critical questions [a.k.a, "inquiry"], collecting appropriate information, and then analyzing and interpreting the information for a specific use and purpose." (Univ. of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension, 2008).

There are 5 key phases of systematic thinking. While each phase is unique and important, all must be integrated within a system or cycle, driven by a common purpose or goal for your work.