This formative evaluation gathered feedback from a small sample of third graders in response to a paper design concept of an online, immersive financial literacy game for Cyberchase. The general goals for the research were to assess appeal and clarity of the game structure at an early on-paper stage. Additionally, a larger sample of third graders was surveyed about their money habits. Cyberchase is the Emmy Award-winning mathematics series and website on PBS KIDS GO! using broadcast, web, new media and educational outreach to impact millions nationwide. Designed for children ages 8 to 11 and
During two independent half-hour sessions, eight third graders from a Long Island elementary school were observed individually while playing a prototype of the Cyberchase immersive online game, The Quest. Cyberchase is the Emmy Award-winning mathematics series and website on PBS KIDS GO! using broadcast, web, new media and educational outreach to impact millions nationwide. Designed for children ages 8 to 11 and packed with mystery, humor, and action, Cyberchase's mission is to improve kids' problem-solving and math skills, and inspire them with confidence and enthusiasm toward math. The TV
Focus groups with parents of third and fourth graders were implemented to help support the revision and expansion of the current Cyberchase website for parents. This study focused on the following research questions: (1) How do parents understand their role in helping their children with learning in math? (a) Do parents see their role as motivational? (b) Do parents see their role as helping their child with math difficulties? (c) Do parents see their role as collaborating with their child in learning math? (2) What are parents' concerns or anxieties about their role in supporting math
The Salmon Camp Research Team (SCRT) project was created to address the under-representation of Native Americans in information technology (IT) and IT-intensive professions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) partnered with the Native American Youth and Family Association (NAYA) under renewed National Science Foundation funding to strengthen community involvement and work directly with students year round. The 2007-2008 evaluation of the project found evidence of effective implementation and data on important student
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Phyllis AultOregon Museum of Science and Industry
To gain insight into the Cyberchase audience, a Web survey was conducted with parents through the PBS Web site during June and July, 2005. Participants were 94 parents of children who were current or past users of at least one Cyberchase media component (e.g., TV, Web site, outreach materials, etc.). Roughly equal numbers of boys and girls were represented, and one-third of the children were identified as minorities. Parents were recruited through the Cyberchase Web site and online mailings, and were asked to complete the online survey. Rather than being representative of U.S. parents as a
To prepare for future summative research on the synergy among multiple educational media, the present pilot research explored real-life use of Cyberchase outreach materials. The present pilot study included: a Web survey of 48 outreach providers (representing over 3000 children in 19 states), follow-up phone interviews with 26 of these providers, and in-person observations at two outreach sites, one in New York and one in Massachusetts. With an eye toward future summative research, the resulting data yield conclusions and implications in two broadly defined areas: providers' use of Cyberchase
To help guide the development of Season 7 (Do The Math!), this formative evaluation gathered feedback from third graders in response to three different materials: (1) a web-based game concept; (2) a web-based storymaker concept; and (3) The Misadventures of Buzz & Delete short videos. Cyberchase is the Emmy Award-winning mathematics series and website on PBS KIDS GO! using broadcast, web, new media and educational outreach to impact millions nationwide. Designed for children ages 8 to 11 and packed with mystery, humor, and action, Cyberchase's mission is to improve kids' problem-solving and
As part of a National Science Foundation grant, Thirteen/WNET produced and posted online ten short-form motivational animated videos. To evaluate the impact of Cyberchase Do the Math videos, Multimedia Research implemented a pre-post same-sample evaluation with the following goals: (1) to determine the extent to which viewing ten short math videos online motivates further online and offline math-related activities; (2) to evaluate whether viewing ten videos changes interest and confidence in figuring out math-related problem activities; (3) to assess change in math knowledge related to viewing
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
The Peabody Museum of Natural History's program on Biodiversity and Vector-Borne Disease was successful in meeting all of its goals. The following is a summary of the program in terms of these goals. Goal 1: To build teacher capacity for bringing research in biodiversity and disease ecology to grades 5-11 in an engaging, inquiry-based style. A total of 64 teachers from Connecticut and 4 teacher-trainers from California, Texas, and Wisconsin participated in training institutes to learn about vector-borne diseases. All participating teachers successfully implemented most or all of the curriculum
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Minda BorunPeabody Museum of Natural History
The Listen exhibition at The Exploratorium, which opened in October 2006, deals with the production and physical characteristics of sound, the reception of sound in the ear and its perception in the brain, and the human capacity to interpret and act on the information transmitted by sounds. Summative evaluation of Listen consists of two parts: tracking and timing and exit interviews. Instruments for the studies were developed by Minda Borun. Data were collected by Exploratorium staff members Mary Kidwell, Emily Pinkowitz, Heather Posner, and Deborah Siegel, and were tabulated by Mary Kidwell
Visitors to the Museum of Life and Science (MLS) in Durham can now explore acres of new exhibition space, called BioQuest Woods. To get to BioQuest Woods, visitors walk outside and away from the Museum building a quarter of a mile, passing Loblolly Park, the Farmyard, the trail to the Butterfly House, and Grayson's Cafe. Upon approaching BioQuest Woods, they encounter a fork in the trail where they can choose to enter one of two exhibition areas: Catch the Wind or Explore the Wild. On the backside of either exhibition area, people can choose to take a full loop (which is a total of a half-mile