Findings and Insights From Five Years of Research on UMIGO, a Transmedia Mathematics Product/Project

• In Event: Transforming Early Childhood Education With Transmedia: Findings From the Ready To Learn Initiative (2010–2015)

Abstract

Objectives:

To present an overview of findings and knowledge gained from five years of formative and summative research conducted on the UMIGO (yoU-Make-It-GO) educational transmedia property. UMIGO is designed to engender first- and second- grade children’s early mathematics learning via the optimal use of transmedia; comprised of online, narrative-driven adventures with interactive features (Appisodes) with accompanying digital games and music videos. Formative findings aided UMIGO’s development and two summative studies assessed educational effectiveness. Summative findings provide strong evidence that UMIGO is an effective unmediated educational intervention in formal and informal settings.

Theoretical Framework:

UMIGO Appisodes are comprised of a range of media forms, all combined within a cohesive narrative unit. UMIGO represents a new definition of transmedia, in which different media forms are not associated with separate technologies. The same material can be accessed on any device with an Internet browser, including computers, touchscreens, and smartphones. The UMIGO experience stays constant and allows for flexibility to move across devices.

The UMIGO experience provides for different types of learning through different media forms. Aligned with the same curricular concept, narrative videos provide instructional learning, interactive activities afford constructivist learning, leveled games offer performance feedback, and music videos deliver repetition through lyrics. Each media form builds upon the other to cumulate in greater overall learning and knowledge.

Methods:

UMIGO research and evaluation consisted of: 18 background studies including literature reviews and meta-analyses on topics related to media use in education and the existing landscape of math media products; 50 formative evaluations with 2,485 target-age children that assessed levels of appeal, comprehension, usability and indicators of educational effectiveness of UMIGO products during development; 1 formative study with 65 parents on iPad usability; 2 surveys with 327 educators on media use in libraries and mathematics concepts; and 2 summative randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed UMIGO’s educational effectiveness.

Data Sources:

Data sources include observation logs, transcripts of qualitative interviews, teacher and parent media use logs, surveys, and child pre- and post- assessments.

Results:

The results from formative studies, which varied across the stages of UMIGO’s development, provided iterative feedback to producers that informed the changes made to the UMIGO product. Results from the first RCT provided strong evidence that children who used UMIGO showed significant gains in their acquisition of the math concepts of capacity and inequality (p <.01), and results from the second RCT showed that children who used UMIGO had significant gains in the acquisition in the concept of two-dimensional shapes (p <.01).

Significance:

Formative and summative research were integral to the development and assessment of UMIGO. Findings from formative research highlight educational transmedia products’ viability in a competitive digital media market. Summative studies provide strong evidence that transmedia is an effective educational intervention. Transmedia, as defined and manifested in UMIGO, aligns with children’s current media usage patterns. Transmedia properties have great potential to positively impact children’s learning due to the ubiquity of digital accessibility.

Author

• Michael Cohen, Michael Cohen Group LLC