Learning at Home: Families' Educational Media Use at Home

1. Learning at Home: Families’ Educa6onal Media Use in America A Joan Ganz Cooney Center Forum January 24, 2014

2. Learning at Home: Families’ Educa6onal Media Use in America Michael H. Levine Execu<ve Director, Joan Ganz Cooney Center January 24, 2014

3. The Families and Media Project

4. The Families and Media Project The LIFE Center: Stevens & Penuel, 2010 Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America January 2014

5. Ecological Perspec<ve on Learning Attitudes & Ideologies Parents’ Work Local School System Mass Media Church, Library, After-school Spaces Cultural Values School, Teachers, Peers Home, Parents, Siblings Digital Media Market Digital Media Spaces The Neighborhood Government Agencies Dominant Beliefs National & State Policy Bronfenbrenner (1979); Takeuchi (2011) Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America January 2014 5

6. The Families and Media Project Project Priori<es: •  Research in real life seTngs •  Quan6ta6ve and qualita6ve methods •  Underserved popula6ons (especially Hispanic-‐La6no families) Research Partners: •  The Joan Ganz Cooney Center •  LIFE, AARP, Northwestern, Rutgers, Stanford, Arizona State, Sesame Workshop Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America January 2014

7. The Families and Media Project Why: Yield knowledge that will enable parents and educators to harness the poten6al that media—when used in though`ul combina6on with human resources—have for learning What: A series of studies on modern-‐day media use across diverse families with children ages 2-‐12 •  Na6onal survey •  Regional family ﬁeld studies •  Longitudinal outcomes study Outcomes: •  S6mulate na6onal ac6on •  Inform policy on digital equity, family engagement, and educa6on reform •  Inform design of media and media-‐based interven6ons and curricula •  Resources for parents and educators to increase the amount/quality of interac6ons around media Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America January 2014

8. Learning at Home: Families’ Educa6onal Media Use in America A Joan Ganz Cooney Center Forum January 24, 2014

9. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY n  Measure how much of children’s screen media use is educa6onal v By plaòrm and by age n  Explore which plaòrms parents think are effec6ve n  Discover which subjects parents think children are learning about through media n  Measure how much screen media use occurs with parents n  Document pagerns of reading and e-‐reading Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014)

10. METHODOLOGY n  Sample size: 1,577 n  Parents of children ages 2-‐10 years old n  Large oversamples of Black (290) and Hispanic/La6no parents (682) n  Online probability-‐based survey v Panel recruited through address-‐based sampling and RDD v Those without Internet connec6on are given one Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014)

11. METHODOLOGY n  Based on parents’ reports of: v  Which media are educa6onal, and v  How much their children have learned from it n  Deﬁni6on: Media that is “good for your child’s learning or growth, or that teaches some type of lesson, such as an academic or social skill.” Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014)

12. PARENTS' OPINIONS OF EDUCATIONAL MEDIA Among parents of 2-‐10 year-‐olds, percent who say each is "very" educa6onal: Sesame Street 58% 35% Dora the Explorer Mickey Mouse Clubhouse SpongeBob SquarePants 24% 2% Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014)

13. MANY CHILDREN ARE USING EDUCATIONAL MEDIA Among 2-‐10 year-‐olds, percent who use educa6onal media: Less than weekly/ not at all 20% Weekly 46% Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014) Daily 34% 80% Use at least weekly

14. PARENTS BELIEVE THEIR CHILDREN ARE LEARNING FROM EDUCATIONAL MEDIA SUBJECTS CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED "A LOT" ABOUT FROM EDUCATIONAL MEDIA Among 2-‐10 year-‐olds who are weekly users of educa6onal media, percent whose parents say they have learned "a lot" from any pla`orm about: Cognitive skills 37% Reading/vocabulary 37% 28% Math Social skills 25% 21% Health habits 19% Science Arts and culture One or more subject Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014) 15% 57%

17. MANY CHILDREN EXTEND LEARNING OFF SCREEN ACTIONS TAKEN DUE TO EDUCATIONAL MEDIA USE Among 2-‐10 year-‐olds who are weekly users of educa6onal media, percent who "olen": Talk about something they saw in educational media 38% 34% Engage in imaginative play based on educational media Ask questions about content in educational media Ask to do an activity inspired by educational meda Teach their parents something they didn't before Any of the above Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014) 26% 18% 17% 54%

18. MANY CHILDREN EXTEND LEARNING OFF SCREEN ACTIONS TAKEN DUE TO EDUCATIONAL MEDIA USE Among 2-‐10 year-‐olds who are weekly users of educa6onal media, percent who "olen": Talk about something they saw in educational media 38% 34% Engage in imaginative play based on educational media Ask questions about content in educational media Ask to do an activity inspired by educational meda Teach their parents something they didn't before Any of the above Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014) 26% 18% 17% 54%

19. THERE IS A LARGE DROP-‐OFF IN EDUCATIONAL MEDIA USE AFTER AGE 4 SCREEN MEDIA TIME GOES UP, BUT THE PROPORTION THAT IS EDUCATIONAL GOES DOWN Propor6on of daily screen 6me that is educa6onal, by age: (Hours:Minutes) 2:36 2:08 1:37 78% of screen time 2-‐4 year olds 1:16 39% of screen time 5-‐7 year olds Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014) 0:50 27% of screen time 8-‐10 year olds 0:42

20. TELEVISION LEADS MOBILE IN DELIVERING EDUCATIONAL CONTENT A SMALLER PROPORTION OF MOBILE THAN TV CONTENT USED BY CHILDREN IS EDUCATIONAL Among 2-‐10 year-‐olds, propor6on of total media use that is educa6onal, by pla`orm: TV 52% Mobile 36% Computers 36% Video games 18% Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014)

21. TELEVISION LEADS MOBILE IN DELIVERING EDUCATIONAL CONTENT CHILDREN USE MUCH LESS MOBILE EDUCATIONAL CONTENT THAN EDUCATIONAL TV Among 2-‐10 year-‐olds, average 6me spent per day with educa6onal content on: (Hours:Minutes) 0:42 0:05 TV 0:05 0:03 Mobile Computers Video games Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014)

22. CHILDREN LEARN LESS FROM MOBILE PLATFORMS CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED "A LOT" FROM Among 2-‐10 year-‐olds who are weekly users of educa6onal content on each pla`orm, percent whose parents say they have learned "a lot" about one or more subjects from: TV 52% 47% Computers Video games Mobile Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014) 41% 39%

24. HOW PARENTS FIND EDUCATIONAL MEDIA MOST PARENTS AREN'T ACTIVELY SEARCHING FOR EDUCATIONAL MEDIA Among parents of 2-‐10 year-‐olds, percent who say they ﬁnd educa6onal media for their children by: Coming across it while browsing 50% 40% Suggestions from teachers Suggestions from friends and family 35% Child comes across them while browsing 20% Child hears about from friends 20% Reviews or recommendations online or in press 20% Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014)

25. DIFFERENCES BY SOCIO-‐ECONOMIC STATUS LOWER INCOME CHILDREN LACK ACCESS TO SOME PLATFORMS Among 2-‐10 year-‐olds, percent with each item in the home: Parents' income > $100K Parents' income < $25K 99% 97% Broadcast TV 85% Cable TV 57% 98% Hi-‐speed internet 58% 84% Smartphone 57% 77% Tablet e-‐Reader 27% 45% 16% Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014)

26. DIFFERENCES BY SOCIO-‐ECONOMIC STATUS BUT LOWER INCOME CHILDREN USE EDUCATIONAL MEDIA MORE FREQUENTLY Among 2-‐10 year-‐olds, percent who use educa6onal media daily, by income: Parents' income > $100K Parents' income $50K-‐$99K Parents' income $25K-‐$49K Parents' income < $25K Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014) 25% 31% 41% 43%

27. DIFFERENCES BY SOCIO-‐ECONOMIC STATUS LOWER INCOME CHILDREN USE MORE SCREEN MEDIA Among 2-‐10 year-‐olds, average 6me spent with ANY screen media per day, by income: (Hours:Minutes) 2:33 2:21 1:57 Parents' income < $25K Parents' income $25K-‐$49K Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014) Parents' income $50K-‐$99K 1:49 Parents' income > $100K

28. DIFFERENCES BY RACE AND ETHNICITY FOR ALMOST EVERY SUBJECT AND PLATFORM, BLACK PARENTS ARE MORE LIKELY AND HISPANIC/ LATINO PARENTS ARE LESS LIKELY TO SAY THEIR CHILD HAS LEARNED FROM EDUCATIONAL MEDIA Example: Among parents of 2-‐10 year-‐old weekly users of educa6onal computer content, percent who say their child has learned "a lot/some" about math: 79% White 97% Black Hispanic/Latino Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014) 63%

29. DIFFERENCES BY RACE AND ETHNICITY HISPANIC/LATINO PARENTS ARE MOST LIKELY TO WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EDUCATIONAL MEDIA Among parents of 2-‐10 year-‐olds, percent who want more informa6on about the best educa6onal media for their children: White Black Hispanic/Latino Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014) 46% 57% 74%

30. JOINT MEDIA ENGAGEMENT MUCH OF CHILDREN'S SCREEN TIME IS SPENT WITH PARENT Among 2-‐10 year-‐olds who use each pla`orm, average percent of 6me parent is using with them: TV Mobile Video games Computer Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014) 55% 29% 26% 25%

31. ELECTRONIC AND PRINT READING TOTAL TIME SPENT READING Among 2-‐10 year-‐olds, average 6me spent reading per day: (Hours:Minutes) 0:29 0:05 Print Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014) E-‐readers

32. ELECTRONIC AND PRINT READING WHY SOME PARENTS DON'T LET THEIR CHILD USE E-‐BOOKS ACCESS TO E-‐READING PLATFORMS Among 2-‐10 year-‐olds, percent who have a tablet or e-‐reader at home: Don't have 38% Have and use 31% Among parents of 2-‐10 year-‐olds who have access to e-‐books but don't use them, percent who say the reason is because: Parent prefers experience of print books Have but don't use 32% Child is too young for e-‐ reader 30% Don't want child spending more time with screens 29% Print books are better for child's reading skills Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014) 45% 27%

33. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS n  Boost educa6onal media use among older children n  Reach low-‐income children most in need n  Create compelling mobile content n  Encourage high quality content n  Meet needs of diverse Hispanic community n  Reach more parents with informa6on Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America (2014)

34. Moving Forward: An Ac6on Agenda January 24, 2014

35. Forum Synthesis Ac<on Items (from report) •  Compare parents’ opinions to independent assessments of the educa6onal value of children’s media •  Get parents more informa6on about educa6onal media •  Meet the needs of older children •  Improve access and content for low-‐income youth •  Con6nue to develop beger mobile content Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America January 2014

36. Forum Synthesis Ac<on Items (from report) •  Explore the need for more science-‐oriented media, especially for girls •  Beger understand the needs of Hispanic-‐La6no families •  Con6nue to produce high quality children's books that appeal to both boys and girls, in print and electronic formats •  Encourage high quality joint media engagement Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America January 2014

37. Forum Synthesis Ac<on Items (from audience) •  Connect school and home •  More teacher PD, as parents olen go to teachers for advice •  Collabora6on opportuni6es •  Poten6al of transmedia to connect home, school, community •  Development technology challenges (cross-‐pla`orm) •  Include youth voice as part of process •  Focus on what content kids need most, i.e., career pathways Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America January 2014

38. Forum Synthesis Ac<on Items (from audience) •  Infrastructure for early learning •  Funding streams for quality content and delivery pla`orms •  Mo6va6ons parents have for mobile device use •  Triangula6on: examining media from diﬀerent perspec6ves •  Content monopoly: most of the content in the hands of a few •  Need for media literacy skills for children and families •  Bring low cost-‐devices into schools and informal seTngs Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America January 2014

39. Forum Synthesis Ini<a<ves in Progress •  Raising a Reader •  Campaign for Grade-‐level Reading •  Inﬁnite Fermata •  Mind in the Making •  BrainPOP Game Up •  American Graduate Day (PBS broadcast) •  Science Detec6ve Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America January 2014

40. Forum Synthesis Must-‐dos •  Focus on older kids: Why did we stop at 10? •  Summer school outreach opportunity •  Need to get more informa6on to parents about media op6ons (CSM, CTR): fund them and make parents more aware of their services (e.g., Graphite) •  Find out what kids feel is educa6onal and compare with what their parents think is going on •  What cons6tutes diversity? (e.g., developmental, regional, etc.) What are beneﬁts of media use? Develop measures to track these outcomes •  Engage preK-‐12 community in importance of online and oﬀ-‐line worlds •  Change parents’ aTtudes about the importance of educa6onal media (modern-‐day Re-‐contact Study) Learning at home: Families’ educa6onal media use in America January 2014

41. Download the report: joanganzcooneycenter.org/publica6on/learning-‐at-‐home/ twiger.com/cooneycenter facebook.com/cooneycenter January 24, 2014