A curriculum supplement that integrates transmedia to promote early math learning: A randomized controlled trial of a PBS KIDS intervention. [PBS KIDS Transmedia Math Supplement vs. business as usual]
Rosenfeld, D., Dominguez, X., Llorente, C., Pasnik, S., Moorthy, S., Hupert, N., Gerard, S., & Vidiksis, R. (2019). Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 49, 241–253.
-
examining550Students, gradePK
Practice Guide
Review Details
Reviewed: April 2022
- Practice Guide (findings for PBS KIDS Transmedia Math)
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a cluster randomized controlled trial with low cluster-level attrition and individual-level non-response.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Supplement-Based Assessment |
PBS KIDS Transmedia Math vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
19.05 |
17.37 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Research Based Early Mathematics Assessment (REMA short form) |
PBS KIDS Transmedia Math vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
52.18 |
51.75 |
No |
-- |
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
-
Female: 47%
Male: 53% -
Urban
-
- B
- A
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- I
- H
- J
- K
- L
- P
- M
- N
- O
- Q
- R
- S
- V
- U
- T
- W
- X
- Z
- Y
- a
- h
- i
- b
- d
- e
- f
- c
- g
- j
- k
- l
- m
- n
- o
- p
- q
- r
- s
- t
- u
- v
- x
- w
- y
California, New York
-
Race Asian 19% Black 11% Other or unknown 65% White 2% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 45% Not Hispanic or Latino 55%
Study Details
Setting
The study was conducted in preschool classrooms in New York City and the San Francisco Bay area.
Study sample
The following information reflects demographic information included in the study, which does not reflect the comparison condition. For the Transmedia intervention group, the mean age of students was 4.55 years, with 50% female; the race/ethnicity demographics are 0% Native American, 23% Asian or Pacific Islander, 9% Black or African American, 44% Hispanic/Latino, 1% White, and 3% mixed race; 20% of students have missing information. For the comparison condition, the mean age of students is 4.56 years, with 46% female; the race/ethnicity demographics are 0.3% Native American, 16% Asian or Pacific Islander, 13% Black or African American, 48% Hispanic/Latino, 1% White, and 3% mixed race; 18% of students have missing information.
Intervention Group
The PBS KIDS Transmedia Math supplement was implemented for 10 weeks, for 2.5 hours per week. Activities were grouped into 4 central experiences: Video Co-viewing, Challenge Game Play, Math Circle Routine, and Guided Book Reading. Videos and digital games were drawn from four PBS KIDS programs: Sid the Science Kid, Curious George, The Cat inthe Hat Knows a Lot About That!, and Dinosaur Train.
Comparison Group
Comparison condition teachers continued to provide the same learning opportunities as they had before the study; teachers continued to use their existing curricula and learning materials.
Support for implementation
Intervention group teachers received interactive whiteboards and laptop computers built specifically for preschool use. The research team provided on-demand technical support. Teachers received professional develop and coaching to aid with the integration of technology and media into mathematics instruction. At the beginning of the study, intervention teachers participated in a 7-hour orientation (split over 2 days). Teachers also received ongoing coaching for PBS KIDS Transmedia Math supplement implementation.
An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
An outcome is the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are attained as a result of an activity. An outcome measures is an instrument, device, or method that provides data on the outcome.
A finding that is included in the effectiveness rating. Excluded findings may include subgroups and subscales.
The sample on which the analysis was conducted.
The group to which the intervention group is compared, which may include a different intervention, business as usual, or no services.
The timing of the post-intervention outcome measure.
The number of students included in the analysis.
The mean score of students in the intervention group.
The mean score of students in the comparison group.
The WWC considers a finding to be statistically significant if the likelihood that the finding is due to chance alone, rather than a real difference, is less than five percent.
The WWC reviews studies for WWC products, Department of Education grant competitions, and IES performance measures.
The name and version of the document used to guide the review of the study.
The version of the WWC design standards used to guide the review of the study.
The result of the WWC assessment of the study. The rating is based on the strength of evidence of the effectiveness of the intervention. Studies are given a rating of Meets WWC Design Standards without Reservations, Meets WWC Design Standards with Reservations, or >Does Not Meet WWC Design Standards.
A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
Based on the direction, magnitude, and statistical significance of the findings within a domain, the WWC characterizes the findings from a study as one of the following: statistically significant positive effects, substantively important positive effects, indeterminate effects, substantively important negative effects, and statistically significant negative effects. For more, please see the WWC Handbook.
The WWC may review studies for multiple purposes, including different reports and re-reviews using updated standards. Each WWC review of this study is listed in the dropdown. Details on any review may be accessed by making a selection from the drop down list.
Tier 1 Strong indicates strong evidence of effectiveness,
Tier 2 Moderate indicates moderate evidence of effectiveness, and
Tier 3 Promising indicates promising evidence of effectiveness,
as defined in the
non-regulatory guidance for ESSA
and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).