Comparative and International Education Research Made Easy Using Free Online Data Platforms and Tools

There are several data platforms and tools that are free and publicly available online for conducting comparative and international education research. However, many people are either not aware of these or are not sure which to use to answer specific research questions. These online data platforms and tools vary considerably in content, functionality, data visualization capabilities, and data availability. The primary objective of this workshop is to teach participants how to use these effectively. The workshop will focus on (the ILSA Gateway and the International Data Explorer), which have been developed with funding from the International Activities Branch at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education.

Throughout the workshop, the presenter will provide hands-on examples of how research questions in comparative and international education can be addressed using the various online data platforms and tools. It is recommended that participants bring their laptops to follow along with the hands-on demonstrations and explore their own research questions. Some knowledge about quantitative research methods is helpful but not necessary.