Game Changer Investing in Digital Play to Advance

Game Changer: Investing in Digital Play to Advance Children’s Learning & Health Support for this event and publication was provided by a grant from

Game Changer: Investing in Digital Play to Advance Children’s Learning and Health June 23, 2009

Leveraging a Unique Legacy In her 1966 report to Carnegie Corporation, “The Potential Uses of Television in Preschool Education, ” Joan Ganz Cooney put forward what was, at the time, a revolutionary idea – that television could be used to help children prepare for school. 3

Sesame Street An Experiment that Worked + Unique Model The U. S. Department of Education Ford Foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York = Visionary Funders 4

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop Mission To foster innovation in children’s learning through digital media. Commitment to: • • . Championing children’s potential Research-based innovation Multidisciplinary collaboration Engaging the creative community 5

Our Ability to Compete in Peril America is Falling Behind as an Economic Leader in a Globalized Economy “ … there is a quiet crisis in the United States that we have to wake up to. The U. S. today is in a truly global environment, and our competitor countries are not only wide awake, they are running a marathon while we are running sprints. -Thomas L. Friedman ” The World Is Flat Sources: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), “Learning for Tomorrow’s World: First Results from PISA 2003, ” 2003. 6

Little Progress on Fundamental Education Problems A third of American 4 th Grade Children Cannot Read at Grade Level 100 Sources: Lee, J. , Grigg, W. , and Donhue, P. (2007) The Nation’s Report Card: Reading 2007 (NCES 2007 -496). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U. S. Department of Education, Washington, D. C. 7

Maintaining America’s Global Leadership Needed New Skills for the 21 st Century 8

American Children Face Increasing Health Risks at Earlier Ages Obesity • The percentage of overweight 6 -to-11 -year-olds in 2003– 2006 was more than four times higher than in 1971– 1974. • Obese children are at risk for being obese adults and related conditions. Diabetes • Children are increasingly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a disease usually diagnosed in overweight adults. • People with diabetes are at great risk of developing serious health complications as adults. Asthma • Asthma is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism. • Low-income populations, minorities, and children living in inner cities experience more emergency-room visits, hospitalizations, and deaths due to asthma than the general population. Sources: Environment and Human Health, Inc. , 2009; Healthy People 2010, 2009 9

Inextricable Ties Between Education and Health Poor Health is Linked to Poor Academic Achievement Standardized English Test Scores Overall Physical Fitness Score Adapted from California Department of Education. A study of the relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement in California using 2004 test results (2004) 10

Children’s Media Usage Games are the digital media of choice for kids • Games are the most popular digital activity for children 2 – 14, with 85% usage penetration among device users. • 97% of American teens play computer or video games. • The average child starts to play computer games at age 6, and cell phone games at age 10. • A nine-year-old spends ~ 55 minutes on a portable or video game console on a typical weekday, over double the amount of time spent by 6 -year-olds. Sources: NPD, 2007; Rainie, 2009; Sesame Workshop, 2009. 11

An Opportunity to Address Health and Educational Challenges How may innovation and engagement outside of school jumpstart children’s learning? Thousands of young people around the country and around the world waited for hours to buy the much anticipated Wii Fit (left) and Grand Theft Auto IV (right) in 2008. 12

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Report Making the Case for Games to Advance Children’s Learning and Health Based on interviews with 24 experts and a literature review of existing research. Analyzes the current state of games for children’s learning and health, including an inventory of more than 35 projects in the U. S. and beyond. Identifies knowledge gaps and challenges in the field of games for learning and health. Recommends action steps to launch a national R&D strategy to harness the potential of games to support children’s learning and health. 14

What We Have to Learn From Games Growing Evidence on the Benefits of Research-Based Game Play • Motivation to learn • Perception and coordination • Thinking and problem-solving • Knowledge • Skills and behaviors • Self-regulation and therapy • Self-concepts • Social relationships • Attitudes and values Sources: Lieberman, 2006. 15

Growing Knowledge Base Promising Games in the Learning & Health Space Dance Revolution A Mayo Clinic study found that children playing DDR expended significantly more energy than children watching TV and playing traditional video games. Re-Mission A randomized controlled study showed that playing Re-Mission improves treatment adherence and significantly increases cancer knowledge and self-efficacy in young cancer patients. Gamestar Mechanic Teaches players systems thinking through game design. Sources: Maloney, 2008; Schiesel, 2007; Kato, 2008; Tate, 2009; The Institute of Play. 16

Challenges to Games for Children’s Learning & Health Significant Hurdles Remain in the Development of Well-Designed Games Ø Current research efforts are fragmented and lacks shared priorities and practices. Ø Old models of R&D no longer apply to an evolving, multidisciplinary field. Ø Most current investments in educational technology are spent on hardware and software, rather than on training to effectively use technologies. Ø Educational digital media rarely bridges home and school. Ø The public dialogue about games is often focused on their negative effects, not their potential. 17

Investing in Digital Play to Advance Children’s Learning and Health Game Changer Recommendations Ø Expand R&D Initiatives at Federal and State Levels Ø Create Innovative Partnerships Ø Support Teaching and Health Delivery for a Digital Age Ø Modernize Public Media Ø Initiate a Public Dialogue about Digital Media and Games 18

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Screen Revolution 1969 2009 20

“Whole Child” Curriculum COGNITIVE LEARNING PHYSICAL WELL-BEING SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING (including Respect and Understanding) 21

Research – Broccoli vs. Chocolate Control 22% 78% Condition 1 50% Condition 2 11% 89% Percent of children choosing the food option as the one they would want to eat 22

Fostering Healthy Habits Sesame Street Presents: The Body Research Sesame Street focuses on Nutrition, Fitness and Hygiene Food Program to help start good eating habits early Outreach Program Public Service Announcements Sesame Street Live!: Super Grover Ready for Action Publishing & Video Happy Healthy Monsters 23

The First Lady Encourages Healthy Habits with Sesame Street First Lady Michelle Obama visited Sesame Street to tape a Public Service Announcement with Elmo as part of Sesame Workshop’s Healthy Habits For Life initiative. 24 © 2009 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved. Photo Credit: Richard Termine

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Healthy Habits Podcasts • 5 -minute segments to promote healthy habits • Featuring interviews with young children about various health topics as well as Sesame Street health segments • Over 20 topics with our fun, furry friends: • • • Healthy Meals Healthy Snacks Physical Activity Knowing Your Body Eat Your Colors! • • • Stretching Brushing Teeth People Who Help Us Stay Healthy Importance of Sleep Hygiene 26

Turning the web on its head Our revolutionary new website launched in August 2008 with over 400 games, 3000 video clips, and much, much more Innovative features include Play. Safe. TM, Sesame Play. Lists and child-friendly navigation Over 1. 1 million unique visitors (Jan. 2009) Over 75 million pages viewed (Jan. 2009) Usage of videos and games continue to trend up Consumers are engaged (for a loooong time!) The average time spent on our site person was 24 minutes ranking us in the top 5 of our competitive set Source: 1) Nielsen Online Net Views, January 2009, sesamestreet. org 2) Google Analytics, January 2009, sesamestreet. org 27

Health Playlists 28

Health Games Color Me Hungry Elmo’s Brushing Teeth 29

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The Strategy – Multi Platforms Reaching kids in their own environment Broadband Television Interactive games and tools to make your own raps, rhymes, comic strips, etc. Platforms for sharing. Facilitator Support 39 half-hour episodes, Interstitials and PSA’s MTV meets Schoolhouse Rock with “Learn to Rap shorts & sketch comedy Print Magazines, comics Outreach Portable Media & Console Games Interactive games and tools to make your own raps, rhymes, comic strips, etc. Platforms for sharing. Facilitator Support The-Circuit Tour Live community events Informal curricular structure for facilitators with accompanying activities for children 31

Broadband pbskidsgo. org/electriccompany 32

Electric Challenge Games Jack Bowser in Great Escapes 33

Electric Challenge Games Shock’s Beatbox 34

How do we maximize the potential of digital media? 35