Research
The Impact of Public Television on Teaching & Learning
Use of Video by Teachers
2005 Video and Television Use & Trends Among K-12 Teachers: Final Report, 2005, prepared for PBS by Grunwald Associates. This study explores the methods, purpose, and frequency of use of video and television programming by K-12 teachers in classroom instruction and finds that this technology enables teachers to increase student motivation and respond to a variety of student learning styles.
Learning with Technology
Evidence that technology can, and does, support
learning, 2004, Cable in the Classroom Online. This study takes
a look at how video and other broadcast and online technologies
support learning in the schools. Findings show that the number
of hours youngsters spend online has doubled since 2000, about
40% of kids visit a website while watching TV, and most parents
want websites to help youngsters learn, help themselves learn, and help
youngsters be more creative. In addition, the research suggests that educational
technology results in learning.
www.ciconline.org/broadband/learningwithtechnology
Learning With Technology, 2002, James M. Marshall, Ph.D., San Diego State University, a white paper prepared for Cable in the Classroom. This paper draws conclusive evidence from a variety of research on the impact that educational technologies have on learning and finds that technology employed purposefully for defined outcomes supports and facilitates learning.
www.medialit.org/reading_room/article545.html
The Relations of Early Television Viewing to School Readiness and Vocabulary of Children from Low-Income Families
The Early Window Project, 2001, Child Development, September/October 2001, Volume 72, Number 5, pages 1347-1366. This study of television viewing among children from low to moderate-income families shows that viewing child-audience informative programs with quality content such as Sesame Street, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Reading Rainbow, Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Wizard’s Word, and 3-2-1 Contact between ages 2 and 3 predicted higher performance in reading, math, vocabulary, and school readiness.
Between the Lions
Project Overview and Research Findings, 2002, Early
Childhood Institute, Mississippi State University. Based on research
findings of a study conducted in two Mississippi communities, including
a Choctaw Indian reservation, this report found that Between the
Lions made significant differences in several key reading skills
of children at high risk of reading failure. This is one of a
very few studies focusing on literacy among economically disadvantaged rural
preschool children and examining literacy programs in child care settings.
http://www.pbs.org/readytolearn/research/
Summative Evaluation of Between the Lions, 2000, Deborah L. Linebarger, Ph.D,; Juniper Gardens Children’s Project; University of Kansas. This evaluation of the popular children’s PBS program focused on literacy concluded that Kindergarten children who watched Between the Lions outperformed their peers who did not watch the program by nearly 4 to 1 on measures of phonemic awareness, letter-sound correspondence, and concepts of print.
http://www.pbs.org/readytolearn/research/
Motion Media
A Report on the Impact of Motion Media on Adult and K-12 Learning, 2003, Rema Nilakanta, Iowa State University; Clifford J. Ehlinger, Grant Wood Area Education Agency; National Film Market, Inc. This report demonstrates the significant and positive impact of motion media - i.e. technology that deals with moving images and sounds – on education and learning. Available for purchase from the National Media Market, contact berryge@mchsi.com.
Super Why!
Two new studies on the highly rated, award-winning PBS KIDS series Super WHY! prove that children, especially those from low-income families, are learning core early literacy skills from the TV series and its educational support materials. The studies were funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) through a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Education’s Ready To Learn Grant. The first study conducted by the Annenberg School for Communication, at the University of Pennsylvania, assessed the TV series’ abilities to help boost preschoolers’ early literacy skills ranging from knowledge of the alphabet to letter sounds and reading comprehension. The second study evaluated how children learn from the series content via Super WHY! five day reading camps where children were invited to take a hands-on approach to applying the Super Readers reading lessons into their daily lives.
http://www.pbs.org/aboutpbs/news/20090506_pbskidsuperwhy.html
Television Goes to School
The Impact of Video on Student Learning in Formal Education , 2004; Center for Children and Technology, Education Development Center, Inc.
Created for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, this report focuses on key questions concerning the relationship of television to learning, and provides examples drawn from current television research to demonstrate television’s effect on student achievement. Findings show that video in the classroom reinforces classroom learning, enhances student comprehension and discussion, enables teachers to address a wider diversity of student learning styles, and increases student motivation and enthusiasm. The report also provides a set of practical recommendations so that broadcasters and educators can maximize the effectiveness of video in the classroom.
http://www.cpb.org/stations/reports/tvgoestoschool/
PBS Kids
2009: PBS KIDS has earned the distinction as the most educational media brand when compared with Leapfrog, Nick, Jr., Playhouse Disney, Noggin, Discovery Kids, National Geographic Kids, KOL (AOL for Kids), YahooKids and others, according to a new GfK Roper survey.
http://www.pbs.org/aboutpbs/news/20090624_pbskidsropersurvey.html
PBS
2009: PBS has been named #1 in public trust for the 6th consecutive year, according to a national Roper survey. A GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media poll shows Americans consider PBS the nation’s most trusted institution among nationally known organizations and the best choice in children’s programming for ages 2-8. The non-partisan, international research company released the comprehensive results from its national opinion survey, which was conducted to gauge the attitudes of Americans towards PBS and other major national institutions, including courts of law and commercial broadcast television networks.
http://www.pbs.org/aboutpbs/news/20090213_pbsropersurvey.html