Television programming as explicit learning environments: Dynamic Balancing of Educational and Entertainment Content for Young Children

Henning Software Solutions is a software development production house that includes a team of technology analysts, business analysts, marketing specialists, and design artists. The objective of this project is to evaluate Kidobi, Henning Software Solutions’ latest development, as an educational content delivery system and learning tool for preschoolers, and to examine how this tool can support parents in selecting appropriate programming for their children. This research project will document the ease with which both parents and children engage with the player and its settings, and more importantly the relevant factors in determining the ideal playlist, including the order of presentation of content, the ideal number of concepts per playlist, and the ideal balance of educational and entertainment content. The study will provided qualitative data regarding how users engage with educational programming promoting literacy, math, and science skills in conjunction with those containing soft skills development such as social and personal skills as well as entertainment content. This is extremely important documentation for Henning Software Solutions, as they have not to date examined how programming should be sorted to maximize learning impact, or indeed whether there is a learning outcome after users watch a playlist on their player.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Jennifer Jenson

Student:

Alison Harvey

Partner:

Henning Software Solutions

Discipline:

Education

Sector:

Information and communications technologies

University:

York University