A new report by Yeh Hsueh from the University of Memphis, and colleagues, provides positive reviews for ‘Big Bird Looks at the World ‘(BBLW), the Chinese co-production of Sesame Street.
According to Comminit, BBLW was launched in December 2010 and is a 52 episode, 11-minute television series that aims to use science as a vehicle to promote curiosity, observation, and hands-on investigation among Chinese children ages 3 to 7. It is centred on 3 themes: science and discovery, health and the human body, and nature and the environment. The report describes findings from an evaluation of the educational impact of BBLW on children’s science knowledge, as well as teachers’ perceptions of the series.
Findings on BBLW’s impact include strong educational impact. In all science areas, children who watched BBLW scored higher than those who did not watch. The authors found greater impact among rural children as they were especially likely to show gains in their knowledge of hygiene, health, and animals’ body coverings compared to urban children.
Teachers had favourable opinions of the show and reported that their students learned from the show (93%) and enjoyed it very much (75%). They largely felt that the series was educationally valuable, age-appropriate and that they would use it in the classroom as a teaching resource. Teachers expressed the wish for the show to be more interactive, to lead to more hands-on activities, and to be integrated into their curriculum.
The report highlights a great potential for the future series to play an important educational role in Chinese children’s lives. This campaign also has the potential to be expanded into a broader campaign for education participation and quality, targeting parents and their children.
