3. Sesame Street and Educational Television

Question 1

sesame street study question?

Answer 1

Are the benefits of Sesame Street seen across cultures, across socioeconomic diversity?

Question 2

what method did they use?

Answer 2

meta-analysis

Question 3

advantage of meta-analysis

Answer 3

examine previous studies, analyze for common patterns and overall finding

Question 4

what did they examine and analyze

Answer 4

• Cognitive outcomes
• Learning about the world
• Social reasoning and attitudes

Analyzed overall effect size (d) across studies → estimate of the magnitude of relationship

Question 5

findings?

Answer 5

• Positive effects!
  
  • Those who watched more Sesame Street performed better than those who watched less
• Seen cross variations in country income and sample SES!
  • Consistent effect!! On both academic and social outcomes

Question 6

where were these effects strongest?

Answer 6

3-5yr olds (similar to early childhood education interventions)

Question 7

LIMITATIONS and PROBLEMS

Answer 7

• Gathered all data sets on the possible effects of Sesame Street outside of the US (18 internal reports + 3 additional studies)
• Biased?
• cherry picked ?
• Is there pressure to find positive results for the ones who are providing the data?
• file drawer effect?

Question 8

what outcomes were effects organized into

Answer 8

1. Cognitive outcomes
   
   • Knowledge of letters, shapes, colours, relationships of size & distance
2. Learning about the world
   
   • Physical and social environment, health/hygiene, national/local cultures
3. Social reasoning and attitudes
   
   • Moral reasoning and attitudes towards out-groups

Question 9

what did ALÁDE & NATHANSON (2016) ask?

Answer 9

How do features of the viewer impact learning from educational TV?

Question 10

examined….?

Answer 10

• Prior knowledge: with program/characters, with educational content
• Interest: in program, in educational content
• Verbal ability
• Short-term memory

Question 11

tested on…?

Answer 11

3-6 year-olds
- First tested for viewer characteristics → verbal ability, working memory, interest, prior knowledge
- Watched TV episode
- Tested comprehension of both narrative and educational content

Question 12

FINDINGS

Answer 12

• Those with better verbal ability, short-term memory, and prior knowledge all related to better comprehension
• Interest not related
• Comprehension of narrative content mediated comprehension of educational content

Question 13

what can enhance comprehension of narrative

Answer 13

when ethnic and social class background matches characters and situations in program

Question 14

limitations

Answer 14

• not economically diverse
• measures specifically developed, validity and reliability is uncertain

Question 15

not an important predictor?

Answer 15

interest