Digital Media’s Support of Early Science Learning: Three Research Perspectives on a Popular Kids Program

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Young children spend a substantial amount of time using media, such as videos, apps and digital games, every day (Rideout, 2017). Many of the apps, digital games and videos that target children claim to be educational; however, the quality of this content varies considerably (Guernsey & Levine, 2015; Hirsh-Pasek et al., 2015). A growing body of research points to the value of developmentally appropriate digital games and apps in engaging children and their families in learning literacy and mathematics-related skills and knowledge. Digital media also has the potential to support children’s science and engineering learning (Mares & Pan, 2013; Schroeder & Kirkorian, 2016). This symposium brings together three research studies that examine the promise of a set of widely used, freely available science-focused public media resources on children’s understanding of science from three different perspectives. The first paper describes a large random control trial (RCT) that examines the overall impact of a set of science-focused videos and games on children’s science learning. The second paper explores the relationship between particular gameplay behaviors and video usage with children’s outcomes by combining information from the experimental study described in paper #1 with detailed game and video usage data. The third paper describes a separate study and dataset that explores how young children and their teachers and families experience these media resources across home and school contexts. Together, the results from these studies document and expand our understanding of whether and how science media can improve young children’s science engagement and learning.

Sub Unit

• Technology, Media & Child Development

Chair

• Shelley Pasnik, Education Development Center - New York

Individual Presentations

• Learning Science and Engineering from Videos and Games: A Randomized Trial of PBS KIDS The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That - Presenting Author: Megan Silander, Education Development Center - New York; Non-Presenting Author: Todd Grindal, SRI International - Silicon Valley; Non-Presenting Author: Tiffany Maxon, EDC; Non-Presenting Author: Sarah Nixon Gerard, SRI International - District of Columbia

• Secondary Analysis of the Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That RCT Gameplay Data: Linking Gameplay Indicators and Outcome Measures - Presenting Author: Elizabeth Redman, University of California - Los Angeles; Non-Presenting Author: Gregory K.W.K. Chung, University of California - Los Angeles; Non-Presenting Author: Yon Soo Suh, CRESST/UCLA; Non-Presenting Author: Tianying Feng, CRESST/UCLA; Non-Presenting Author: Charles B. Parks, CRESST/UCLA; Non-Presenting Author: Kilchan Choi, CRESST/UCLA; Non-Presenting Author: Jeremy Roberts, Public Broadcasting Service; Non-Presenting Author: Naomi Hupert, Education Development Center

• Popular media as a conduit for fluidity of home and school learning for preschoolers: A phenomenological analysis of parents and teachers stories. - Presenting Author: Sara Sweetman, University of Rhode Island; Non-Presenting Author: Kelly J Houle, University of Rhode Island