The Brains On! exploratory research study was guided by three overarching research questions:
Who is the audience for Brains On! and what are their motivations for listening to children’s science podcasts?
How are Brains On! listeners using the podcast and engaging with its content?
What kinds of impacts does Brains On! have on its audiences?
These questions were answered through a three-phase mixed-methods research design. Each phase informed the next, providing additional insights into answering the research questions. Phase 1 was a review of a sample of secondary data in the
PEEP and the Big Wide World/El Mundo Divertido de PEEP is a bilingual, NSF- funded public media project that uses animation, live-action videos, games, mobile apps, hands-on science activities to motivate preschool-age children to investigate the world around them. Online, PEEP extends children’s science and math learning with a mobile-friendly website that offers games, videos, and hands-on activities, as well as a collection of 15 apps. PEEP is also reaching children in preschool classrooms and family/home childcare settings via the PEEP Science Curriculum, which provides resources for a
Frontier Scientists is comprised of a website and portfolio of videos created for distribution web-wide and through television broadcast. The goal of this program is to excite the general public about ongoing science in Alaska and the Arctic. This is the summary evaluation of a three-year National Science Foundation grant received by Frontier Scientists. Frontier Scientists contracted PEER Associates to conduct the evaluation. Over the course of the three years, the evaluation was focused on both formative (intended to inform and improve programming) and summative (what has the program
Funded by NSF, Earth: The Operators’ Manual (ETOM) is a users’ guide to the present and future energy resources of our planet, providing “users” with the information, attitudes and tools to make wiser choices about powering homes, schools, businesses and communities. ETOM uses a hybrid model of science communication including video + in-person presentations + Web 2.0 social networking. Rockman et al evaluated project impact, working from front-end to summative stages to understand the reactions of media, online and on-site audiences using both qualitative and quantitative measures to look at
FETCH, a children's television series produced by WGBH since 2005, is a competition-based game/reality show for 6-10 year-old children that includes both animation and live action footage. Goodman Research Group, Inc. (GRG), a research firm specializing in the evaluation of educational programs, materials, and services, served as the external evaluator for the FETCH series in Season Two. GRG's evaluation focused on the science and engineering challenges presented in the show, and assessed the influence of the series on children's understanding of science and engineering concepts and processes
Research Questions: (1) To what extent do children's and parent's interest in math and science increase as a result of exposure to one or more of the project's components? (2) To what extent do children and parents want to engage further with Mateo y Cientina after initial exposure to the cartoon through one or more of the project's components? (3) To what extent do parents and children think they've learned new concepts about math and science as a result of completing a Mateo y Cientina activity? (4) To what extent do parents and children gain confidence in their understanding of math and
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Sarah MushlinUniversity of CaliforniaColleen Kuusinen
Listeners to The Really Big Questions (TRBQ) were asked to complete an online survey about their thoughts and experience with the program. Those interviewed cited that they valued the depth and thoughtfulness of the TRBQ programs and said they would like to see more programming produced. When asked, listeners reported that they would be willing to access programming via the Internet if it were not available by radio broadcast. They also reported that while they would like to see new programming as frequently as every week, they felt that quality and depth were more important than the number of
ConCiencia News was the first Spanish-language news service in the United States focused exclusively on health, science and environmental news, providing free of cost news stories to a diverse array of Hispanic media including 100+ newspapers and magazines, top Hispanic web portals, and almost 150 Spanish-language radio stations. Each news story features original content developed by SRF journalists, and Hispanic researchers are often features to serve as role models for the public. The summative evaluation focused on two primary audiences for the Spanish-language stories: 1) the professional
As part of the Summative Evaluation of the DragonflyTV GPS: Going Places in Science series, between July 2005 and November 2006, RMC Research conducted a study of the collaboration between the DragonflyTV (DFTV) production staff and its science center and museum partners. Central to the innovative DFTV series, the collaboration involved museum professionals in the production process and presented science museums and centers as sites of learning and of fun on national television. It also offered professionals in the two industries a ground-breaking opportunity to learn about another format for
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Alice ApleyTwin Cities Public Television
In March 2007, RMC Research Corporation completed work on a study of children's responses to a selection of DragonflyTV (DFTV) video segments as one part of the Summative Evaluation of the DragonflyTV GPS: Going Places in Science TV series1. This report presents findings from the Children's Viewing Study, which includes two distinct goals. The first goal addresses the qualities and characteristics of science television which contribute to effective educational television experiences for children. This study offered the first in an iterative process aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Alice Apley, Ph.D.Wendy J. GrahamJenny ScalaTwin Cities Public Television
Starting in January 2006 ROCKMAN ET AL conducted a twelve-week study of the use of the PBS science series, DragonflyTV, in twenty middle grade science classrooms. DragonflyTV is a PBS science series that models science inquiry by presenting real children conducting inquiry investigations into their own science questions. The goal of the TV series is to illuminate the inquiry process and inspire viewers to conduct their own investigations. The participating teachers were provided with DVDs of 36 DragonflyTV programs, an index with the National Science Education Standards correlations, and
Planet Earth Television (PET) created Scientistic!, a television series that focuses on a young girl's scientific investigations of the world around her. The pilot episode, Sticks and Stones, explored bones and how they heal. A website and iPad app were also developed to supplement the program. REA evaluated the impact of the television program, website, and app on youth's knowledge about and interest in science and specific topics related to bone health and healing. REA recruited youth (grades 1-7) to participate either at home with their families or in a classroom with their teachers. REA