1. Educational Television for Children
Learning with Media:
Educational Television for Children

2. What is educational? Academic Skills Prosocial Skills
thinking skills like problem solving
academic content like vocabulary and math
Prosocial Skills
altruism, positive interaction, self control
Other Definitions
APPC Educational Strength

3. Assumptions… Content is critical… Children are active viewers…
TV as a medium is neither good nor bad – it depends on what kids watch.
Children are active viewers…
Children are cognitively active when watching TV.
The family is a socializing force…
The family is the core socializing force influencing children’s use of TV and what they learn from it.
(Huston & Wright, 1996)

4. The Active Child… TV is a one-way medium & learning is a
two-way process.
How can we create educational content to…
attract & maintain children’s attention?
actively engage children (participatory learning)?
facilitate the learning of desired concepts?

5. The Preschool Crowd…
Sesame Street
Blues Clues
Dora the Explorer

6. The Active Child… Piaget’s Cognitive Developmental Theory
Stages of Development
Sensorimotor Stage (infancy)
Preoperational Stage (2 – 5 yrs)
Concrete Operational Stage (5 – 11 yrs.)
Formal Operations (10 – 16? yrs.)
Example of Conservation Task:

7. The Active Child… Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development
Language Acquisition
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
Social & Cultural Contributions

8. The Role of Research… Formative Research: How can we make show better?
Pilot test new program segments
Measure attention, interest, production
Summative Research: What do children learn?
Evaluate effectiveness of programming
A&E Sesame Street Biography

9. Research Enhances Learning…
Sesame Street Goals
Communicate w/ low SES audience.
Target children under age 6.
Teach school readiness skills.
Use entertainment production techniques.

10. Summative Research Enhances Early Learning…
Evaluation: The Early Window Project
Research Question
Do Sesame Street and other educational programs get children ready for school?
Sample
200+ (2 – 5 years / 4 – 7 years)
Low to moderate income families

11. EWP Continued… Method Measures
3-year longitudinal study following 2 cohorts
Measures
Office Visits
Standardized Tests w/Children, Parent Interviews
Home Visits
Home Observational Measure of the Environment
Time-Use Diaries
Bi-Monthly Diaries Collected Via Telephone

12. EWP Results

13. Other Summative Research…
School House Rock
Reading Rainbow
Mister Roger’s Neighborhood
Fat Albert & the Cosby Kids
Barney & Friends

14. 0 – 6 Media Use Report… Your questions… How young is too young?
What are the most pressing concerns?

15. Infants & Toddlers…
Baby Einstein videos…

17. Media Policy: The 3-Hour Rule
Children’s TV Act of 1990
3 hours of educational TV per week
Broadcasters -The Jetsons educational?
Necessary to provide broadcasters w/ educational guidelines.

18. Media Policy: The 3-Hour Rule
Air between 7am and 10pm;
Education as a significant purpose;
Regularly scheduled & typical length;
Identified as educational on the air (E/I symbol) and in documents filed with the FCC and local stations.

20. The 3-Hour Rule: APPC Educational Strength
Lesson Clarity
Lesson Involvement
Lesson Integration
Lesson Applicability

21. The 3-Hour Rule…Results

22. The 3-Hour Rule…Results
Highest Rated Programs:
Bloopy’s Buddies (S)
Disney’s Doug (ABC & S)
Disney Presents Bill Nye and Science Guy (S)
Popular Mechanics for Kids (S)
Squigglevision (ABC)
Lowest Rated Programs:
Inquirer High School Sports Show (S)
More than a Game (S)
NBA Inside Stuff (NBC)
NFL Under the Helmet (FOX)
Pressure 1 (S)
Pressure 2 (S)
Sherlock Holmes in the 21st Century (FOX)