Odd Squad: Learning Math with PBS KIDS Transmedia Content at School and Home

Can school- and home-based use of transmedia materials improve students’ learning in mathematics?

In spring 2015, WestEd conducted a study for the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn initiative of a school- and home-based mathematics intervention based on resources in the PBS KIDS Odd Squad transmedia suite.

The intervention included a wide variety of Odd Squad transmedia assets, including episodes from the television series, educational online games, interstitials (i.e., short video clips), and hands-on activities. The intervention was used in the first-grade classroom and in participants’ homes.

The study explored the effectiveness of using Odd Squad resources to improve elementary-age students’ mathematics learning, specifically in the domains of algebraic thinking and numbers and operations.

This report presents the study’s methodology, implementation of the Odd Squad intervention, and findings, as well as advantages of using the Odd Squad transmedia resources in the classroom and home.

Key Findings

• Over the course of the Odd Squad intervention, students’ overall knowledge of mathematics in the domains of numbers and operations and algebraic thinking increased significantly
• In sub-categories of mathematical knowledge, students showed significant and positive pre- and post-changes on their knowledge of skip counting, pattern recognition, and simple addition and subtraction

Related research on this topic include:

• Learning Math with Curious George: PBS KIDS Transmedia and Digital Learning Games in the Preschool Classroom
• Learning with PBS KIDS: A Study of Family Engagement and Early Mathematics Achievement
• PBS KIDS Mathematics Transmedia Suites in Preschool Homes: A Report to the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn Initiative