It is increasingly common for an educational media project to span several media platforms (e.g., TV, Web, hands-on materials), assuming that the benefits of learning from multiple media extend beyond those gained from one medium alone. Yet research typically has investigated learning from a single medium in isolation. This paper reviews several…

Many studies have shown that children of various ages learn from educational television, but the studies have not explained how children extract and comprehend educational content from these television programs. This paper proposes a model, the "capacity model," that focuses on children's allocation of working memory resources while…

Explores the potential of television to elicit active participation in mathematics by reviewing research concerning the "Square One TV" television series. Types of participation that have been observed among viewers are described, and characteristics of "Square One TV" formats that have been particularly successful in eliciting…

Demonstrates the role that formative research played in the development of one repeated format within "Square One TV," an educational television series about mathematics. Illustrates the value of the "CTW Model"--the collaborative production of educational programs by the Children's Television Workshop. (AEF)

This study compares two animated programs set in prehistoric times, "Cro" (an educational program about technology) and "The Flintstones" (a noneducational program). Results indicated that Cro's technology content was salient to children but children did not distinguish between the programs on the basis of their educational…

Although numerous research studies have shown that viewing educational television results in significant gains in preschool and school-age children's academic knowledge or skills, there is less consistent evidence regarding transfer of learning, the application of knowledge or skills learned in one context to a new problem or situation. This paper…

A summative evaluation of "Square One TV," an educational mathematics series produced by the Children's Television Workshop, shows that children who regularly viewed the program showed significant improvement in solving unfamiliar, complex mathematical problems, and viewers showed improvement in their mathematical problem-solving ability…

The current period in mathematics education can be characterized as one of reform. Many feel that children in the United States are not learning enough appropriate mathematics; these critics are concerned with the specific areas of problem solving and children's conceptions of the nature and uses of mathematics. A pretest/posttest experimental…

The current period in mathematics education can be characterized as one of reform. Among the goals of the proponents of the movement are that children learn to value mathematics, become confident in their ability, and become mathematical problem solvers. A pretest/posttest experimental design study examined the effects of SQUARE ONE TV, a…

Proponents of mathematics education reform have emphasized both cognitive and attitudinal goals, seeking improvement in children's problem-solving skills and in their attitudes toward mathematics. A pretest/posttest experimental design study examined the effects of SQUARE ONE TV, a television series about mathematics aimed at 8- to 12-year-old…