3APPENDICES – TABLE OF CONTENTS

Appendix A: Creative Commons License Chart

Appendix B: Gaming Narrative Experiment Descriptions

Appendix C: Excerpts from the PBS KIDS Web Manual

Appendix D: Evaluation Activities Timeline

Appendix E: Advisor Bios

Appendix F: PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! Program Descriptions
∫APPENDIX A: Creative Commons License Chart

Open License		Deliverables
Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike cc by-nc-sa	This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms. Others can download and redistribute your work, but they can also translate, make remixes, and produce new stories based on your work. All new work based on yours will carry the same license, so any derivatives will also be non-commercial in nature.	· Math Framework · 3-D Collaborative Game Engine · Best Practices for Math Game Content · Parent and Teacher Resource Development · Outreach · Teacher Modding Game
Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives cc by-nc-nd	This license allows redistribution. It allows others to download your works and share them with others as long as they mention you and link back to you, but they can’t change them in any way or use them commercially.	· Videos

APPENDIX B: Gaming Narrative Experiment Descriptions

Below is an example of how he might interact with a Transmedia Gaming Narrative based on Curious George. (Note: this example is built using some existing Curious George assets. In the proposed work, PBS will assemble a production team of video producers, game developers, and mobile game experts to craft an original narrative and build all three components in unison.)

Curious George Multiplatform Narrative: Get Those Chickens!
Math Concepts: counting, comparing quantities, sorting

Transmedia Components: Video, Online, Mobile
Target Audience: 3-6 year olds

Video: While Mom is cooking dinner, Noah sits at the computer and watches a clip from the episode, “Old McGeorgie Had a Farm.” In the video, Curious George accidentally releases all the chicks from their pens and is using his counting skills to make sure he returns them all to their homes. Through engaging storytelling and a depiction of a real-life situation, Noah can independently learn the importance of counting skills and begin to apply this concept in his daily life.

Online Game: At the end of the clip, the Man in the Yellow Hat (Curious George’s owner), asks Noah if he would like to play a game. Noah clicks on the big game button and plays “Count Your Chickens” which is the same activity presented in the video clip. Like George, Noah can count groups of chicks and compare quantities. Noah’s mom is content to let Noah play on his own because the self-leveled structure of the game lets him play independently at his own pace and ability. Because she signed in to Noah’s account on pbskids.org, Noah’s mom also knows that his progress will be tracked in this game – she can follow up later to see what he learned, and find offline games and activities they can play together to reinforce this lesson.

Mobile Game: When Noah finishes the “Count Your Chickens” game online, the PBS KIDS site sends his mom a text message letting her know that there is a related Curious George game she and Noah can play on her Android-enabled mobile phone. She clicks on the link to download it, and on the bus home Noah and his mom play a sorting and counting game that allows both of them to interact with Curious George in a humorous and immediately engaging scenario. In the game, Noah must: (1) begin by sorting chicks by color (e.g. pink and yellow) (2) move a specified number of chicks to each pen, and (3) determine which grouping of chicks is the greatest in number.

In-classroom technologies: The PBS KIDS site also informs Noah’s mom that a version of this game can be played on a SMART table, so she recommends the game to Noah’s teacher. A few days later in preschool, Noah and his friends play a collaborative version of the game as part of math lesson on sorting.

Augmented Reality within Transmedia Gaming Narratives

Below is an example of a transmedia gaming narrative that incorporates an Augmented Reality component. The example uses existing assets from the series Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman. When actually building these gaming suites, all interactive content will be new and original:

FETCH: CSI Detective Games

MATH CONCEPTS: Measurement and patterns
TARGET AGE: 6-8

VIDEO: Episode 19: CSI Ruff
From her home computer, seven-year-old Carmenia watches the FETCHers solve the mystery of Ruff’s missing ‘Fetch Grand Prize,’ an episode depicting kids working with the Boston Police Department and forensics lab to solve a crime. She sees examples of how Science and Math are used to solve problems in real life, and watches kids assume the role of scientists. At the end of the video, she is presented with the opportunity to play games related to the episode, and proceeds to the Fetch website to do so.

ONLINE GAMES: Carmenia uses her PBS KIDS ID on the Fetch site to access her ‘G-TEAM’ account where she keeps a tally of her points and collects prizes. She plays the games CSI Hat Snatcher, CSI Tugboat Thug, and CSI Squeak Sneak, which call on her to collect forensic evidence (hair samples, lipstick marks, and handwriting samples) to solve a mystery. The games require logical thought, memory, hypothesis testing and keen attention to details. The levels increase in difficulty as the game evolves, but contextual help is available throughout the experience. The classroom resources tied to this game include marker printouts for teachers that allow them to guide their students in a CSI-themed activity using Augmented Reality.

AUGMENTED REALITY GAME: During the week, Carmenia is exposed to an AR-driven Fetch activity led by her teacher in the school’s computer lab. The lesson is based on the marker printouts featured online. Carmenia’s teacher uses the printable markers, designed like an architect’s blueprint, to map several different crime scenes in 3D. Carmenia is able to participate with her classmates in the re-enactment of their own investigation.

3D Collaborative Games

Below is an example of a 3D collaborative game prototype that could be developed with FETCH with Ruff Ruffman:

GAME TITLE: Ruff's Miniature Golf Tournament

GAME SKILLS: resizing things to an appropriate scale, exploring vocabulary of measurement (width, height, length etc.), spatial reasoning, logical reasoning

GAME CONCEPT: Ruff, PBS’ beloved canine show host, has limited vacation time this year, so, sadly, Ruff can’t visit every place on his bucket list. There’s just not enough time to get to the Statue of Liberty, the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids of Giza, Big Ben, Taj Mahal, or Chichen Itza. So in true Ruff form, he decides to build a miniature golf course and bring the world’s wonders to Studio G, the set where his show takes place. The goal of this activity is three-fold: (1) to introduce the concept of scale; (2) to compare 3D-rendered items in a shared context (e.g. The Empire State building is much taller than the Tower of Pisa.), leveraging the 3D modeling capabilities of a UNITY engine; and (3) to use information (e.g. the Empire State Building is the ninth tallest structure in the world) and logic to plan the placement of objects in a restricted area like a miniature golf course.. This game can be played collaboratively, but also incorporates an element of competition.

Collaborative Exercise & Extension Activity

Each player is given an online dossier file with some math facts on each monument (relative size to other monuments, etc) and, based on Ruff’s clues, the player must work with his/her team to determine which monument goes with which miniature golf hole depending on its size. The team must then resize and place each 3D monument on the green – the first to enter accurate results into the gaming engine will receive extra points.

The team that wins the challenge (based on point totals) could be awarded printable scale models of each monument that they can then print on tag board, cut out, construct, and lay out. Along with something zanier that fits the FETCH brand (e.g. a print and fold Chinese takeout container).

As an extension activity, the class could recreate a scaled mini-golf course in their schoolyard or individual dioramas.

Teachers will have a classroom activity guide to help set up the gaming experience, including tips on how to organize teams, an image gallery of scale models, related offline activities (e.g. creating dioramas) and links to official websites for each monument.

Outreach: Community Event

Through the Math Mentors program, 3D collaborative games can even be extended into a live, community-based activity. A major event will be piloted in partnership with a museum, a parks and recreation department, Teach for America, Math for America, Boys and Girls Clubs and/or other community organizations.  A game like Ruff’s Miniature Golf lends itself to becoming a local event showcasing and comparing community landmarks and monuments -- a real-life version of Ruff’s golf course.  Play is designed to enable users to do what Ruff couldn’t -- see the landmarks in person and compare them with the help of technology such as mobile phone cameras, text messages, and a new Augmented Reality app.   

Mentor pairs would be equipped with a mobile phone with a camera to gather clues and to capture measurements and facts. As with the online project, mentors would be given instructions on how to involve and task the younger mentees with age-appropriate tasks that still further the pair’s goal of finding the biggest and oldest landmarks.

APPENDIX C: Excepts from the PBS KIDS Web Manual

PBS KIDS Guide to Interactive Design for Kids

PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! sites are designed to be age-appropriate and kid-driven. According to surveys we've conducted with parents, they feel it's important for kids to gain confidence and independence with technology. We strive to create experiences kids feel comfortable navigating on their own in our safe, online environment.

Having launched in 1997, we accumulated quite a bit of knowledge from our own user testing and research, and what we've learned from others in the educational kids' media & technology space. Using this information, we've created our guide for interactive design for kids which is the basis of our design philosophy. Reviewing this guide, along with our design requirements, before embarking on designs for PBS KIDS will ensure a smooth design review process and a finished product that meets expectations.

Exploration

In our user-testing sessions, we've observed that young children are more open to exploring than older audiences. We strongly encourage you design your preschool sites as virtual environments, allowing kids to explore the worlds they see on air and initiate their own actions. This allows a great opportunity for you to extend your program's narrative, and maximizes your potential for child engagement.

Use Text Sparingly

Since preschoolers are not yet proficient readers, they are reliant on visual cues with audio support. Therefore, navigation and game instructions should not be text-based. Instead, use recognizable icons for navigation. The icons should recognizably represent the content area they link to. We prefer games to be designed in such a way that instructions are not necessary. If they are, characters should guide the experience.

This does not mean you should not use text at all. It can be used to support letter recognition and also for adult-oriented content, it should not be the predominant means of communication.

Characters

Your program characters are what drive kids to your site. Kids come to hang out with them in their world. On pbskids.org, characters guide kids safely through their explorations. They instruct via audio and support if kids make errors or if there is lack of action. They should do so without being aggressive or intrusive. In our user testing research, kids have not been hesitant to let us know when a character is speaking too much, as it begins to prohibit them from being able to play or enjoy the game.

Clickable Targets

Kids will click on any items that are visually familiar to them. Keep this compulsion in mind when creating your visual hierarchy. Place recognizable objects strategically in order to match users' expectations and to ensure they will click on what you want them to. Remember, the most familiar visual items of all are your characters.

Hot spots on PBS KIDS & PBS KIDS GO should primarily be either relevant to the learning of the interactive activity or used for navigation. Studies show (Labbo & Kuhn, 2000) that relevant hotspots can help with reading comprehension and story retelling, for instance, while frivolous hot spots can detract from the learning.

Young children are still developing fine motor skills, so using the computer mouse to click on objects can be challenging. To aid them, make sure your clickable "hot spots" are large and fixed (not in motion). You can further support young children by creating a larger cursor graphic, as demonstrated on Dragon Tales.

For more information on how young children perform with computer mice, see: "Differences in pointing task performance between preschool children and adults using mice" by the University of Maryland

Distracters

We want to do our best to support learning and kid-driven navigation, and minimize any distracters to this cause. For that reason, be extremely cautious about implementing distracting, flashy animations or sounds that do not serve a purpose.

Scrolling

Our user testing revealed that young children are not aware of the scroll bar, and even if they are, they have a hard time operating it. Therefore, place all primary content "above the fold" on PBS KIDS GO! sites and do not require scrolling of any kind on preschool sites.

PBS KIDS vs. PBS KIDS GO!

During user testing, we learned older kids will right off a site entirely if images associated with preschoolers are present. pbskidsgo.org is a zone free of "baby" images and content, with more text allowable than on pbskids.org.

Accessibility

It is important to us to be accessible to as wide of an audience as possible. All Flash or plug-in technology should have alternate HTML-only content for those who may not have the plug-in installed. See our technical "swf_object" documentation to learn how to implement this seamlessly.

To ensure compliance with screen readers for the vision impaired, make sure all graphics have alternate text.

Games Content & Build

Games are an important part of pbskids.org and are the main attraction on producers’ sites. The types of games on pbskids.org vary across a wide array of styles and designs and PBS encourages it's producers to explore new innovative ways to present children with fun, curriculum focused content. To aide the creative and editorial review process PBS has created some guidelines for building games for pbskids.org.

Introduction

The game build process contains five steps that are standard to the game industry, the Concept, the Design Document, an Alpha, a Beta, and finally the Release version. These steps are in place in order to allow the producers and editors time to: review mechanics and setting, test for technical and gameplay bugs, and review and modify in order to increase overall playability, tie-ins to educational goals, and fun.

The Game Concept

The Game Concept is a brief overview of what the game is, how it fits into the world and the curriculum of the show, and how it should play. The Game Concept is the first deliverable for a new game and is a good opportunity to open the discussion between producers, game designers and editors. Ideally a Game Concept should contain:

Introduction:  A short paragraph that explains what the game is about.

Description: A description of the game as if the readers were players.

Key Features: How the game is different from other games on the producers' site, other games on pbskids.org and why the game is unique to the game world.

Genre/Platform: What type of game is this? How will the game be implemented (What platform? What engine, if any?)

The Design Document

The Game Design Document should contain six components.

1. Game Mechanics

This part of the Design Document provides an explanation of game Mechanics and Gameplay. This should include the rule sets of the game as well as how the player will interact with the game world.

Gameplay

In a few paragraphs describe the essence of the game. This is similar to the description section in the game concept, except that it's non-narrative and usually expressed clearest in bullet points, though this could vary depending on the type of game. What you want to answer is "How will this game play?" and "What will it be like to play through it?"

Characters

These are the actors in the game controlled by the players or the AI (Artificial Intelligence), if any. This should include a brief description and any applicable statistics. Statistics should be on a rating scale i.e. A to Z or Low to High, so that it's clear where units stand in relation to each other in broad terms.

In the game Cyberolympics (http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/cyberolympics/) the Characters are given three stats related to their times in each of the events. This could be noted as:

Characters:

- Coach of Team Motherboard

The Player

Members of team Motherboard

Matt

Inez

Slider

Jackie

Fluff

Ziff

Creech

Shari

Spotter

Members of Team Hacker (Enemy Team):

Hacker

Crony 1

Crony 2

All members of both teams will have randomly varying stats from fast to slow for the three events, with the Team Hacker members' stats being in the mostly fast range.

Flow

This section of the Design Document traces the typical flow of game play with a detailed description of player activity, paying close attention to the progression of challenge, entertainment and the scaffolding of curriculum. Describe the action using game play terms such as "uncover", "collect", or "hug" rather than "click" or "drag". This keeps the description distinct from how the actual GUI will work, which is likely to change. Refer readers to the User Interface section when you first mention a GUI element such as a screen or window or command bar.

Game Physics

Break out how the physics of the game should function, i.e. movement, collision, etc., separating each into subsections. Not every game will have these specifications, but it is worth noting, especially if there are any exploratory or moveable objects in the game.

Avoid getting too technical. Don't use numbers or programming terms. Just describe what you want to accomplish. For example: "The ball should slow down when being pushed uphill and speed up when going downhill, unless an object such as a parachute or umbrella was attached to it.. How much it is affected should be a factor of the acceleration statistic as well as the angle of the incline."

Artificial Intelligence

Describe the desired behavior and accessibility of the AI in the game, if any. Your AI could be as simple as a random number generator to randomize card placement in Dash's Secret Treasure or as complicated as the movement of the Weebits in Weebit World This includes movement (path finding), reactions (how the AI elements react to player actions) and triggers (if a player reaches a specific goal or area). Describe the avenue through which the AI should be controlled by the level designers, i.e. using files of game stats, proprietary AI scripts, etc.

User Interface

This may change substantially between design and release of the game. This section should be used as a starting point for the interface.

Wireframes: A quick line drawing of the interface

GUI Objects: The GUI objects are primarily listed here for the programmers to know what pieces they'll need to code and have for putting together the screens. You should explain in detail how each is interacted with and how they behave. It may seem a bit obvious and not worth documenting, but it really helps when drafting together the technical spec and schedule to know exactly everything the game will need.

Assets

Art and Video: A definitive list of all Art and Video Assets the game will use.

Sound: A definitive list of what sound assets will be used. Remember sounds may be used in GUI elements, character voices, game play elements, environmental/ambient noise, and to signal motion.

Music: List any music required and where it will be used. Note of variants of a song (say the Television Opening theme) are used in the game. Remember there may be differing music for different levels, situations, shell screens (title, end of game), and for specific events (victory, failure, etc.)

Story

This is where the narrative of the game is explained. For example, in PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! games, this is both an explanation as to how the game fits the theme/storyline of the show as well as how the game will reinforce and teach the educational goals of the show. For Example the Story of Feed Gnocchi (http://pbskids.org/curiousgeorge/games/feed_gnocchi/feed_gnocchi.html) could be written as:

Feed Gnocchi stars Chef Pisghetti as he attempts to deliver meatballs to his cat Gnocchi's plate. He has to utilize several ramps in order to get the meatball to its goal and feed Gnocchi. This game reinforces Curious George's goals of encouraging exploration by simulating real world physics and repeated trial and error testing.

Producers are expected to provide game scripts to PBS KIDS editors as part of the Game Design Document review.

Level Diagram

Whether the game is a linear campaign or a branching mission tree this diagram should be the backbone upon which all the levels are built. The important thing is that it presents a road map for the level designers and for the readers. The Level Diagram can be either a flowchart, if the game has distinct levels, or an explanation on scalability, if the game is meant to be repeated, but with higher levels of difficulty.

Schedule of Production

This should be a chart that details the schedule of production from the Design Document onwards. This shouldn't be a complete, set in stone schedule, but it should give a general idea how much time there will be between the Document and the Alpha, the Alpha to Beta, and the Beta to the Release. Remember that PBS KIDS editorial staff will need at least 4 business days to review major deliverables such as design documents, alphas and betas.

Alpha

An alpha should have the main structure of the game set up with either all assets in place or with placeholder assets. It is important that the Alpha version has the basic interface structure as well as the gameplay and mechanics down. Assets such as art, music, etc. can be substituted until the beta. The Alpha's main goal is to give both you and the PBS KIDS editorial staff a chance to see the gameplay idea in action so that if major gameplay changes need to be made, they can be done without too much time spent on specific assets that may have to be significantly changed, or even scrapped.

The alpha should be tested for any changes needed in gameplay and major technical bugs. Technical bugs should be noted, but the focus on the Alpha is on the basic gameplay and how it may be refined/changed to increase the goals of the game.

Beta

The Beta is a completed and improved alpha, this time with complete assets in place (no placeholder assets) and should have gone through at least one round of play testing for gameplay. It is assumed that the game is bug-free and complete. While the PBS KIDS team reviews each game for bugs at this stage, it is important to remember that the game should be tested for bugs by the producer and fixed before it is reviewed by the PBS KIDS team.

Release

A game will be released after it has been tested and is bug free and has been approved by the PBS KIDS team.

Credits

Based on Tim Ryan's "The Anatomy of a Design Document"

http://www.gamasutra.com/features/19991019/ryan_01.htm --
Part 1

http://www.gamasutra.com/features/19991217/ryan_01.htm --
Part 2

APPENDIX D: Evaluation Activities Timeline .

Timeline of Evaluation Activities for PBS KIDS Transmedia Gaming Narratives
Date	Implementation and Formative Evaluation Activity	Summative Evaluation Activity
Year One
Fall & Winter 2011	· Review plan for creation of narrative game suites with partners · Recruit Title I preschool programs/families · Recruit afterschool programs/families with underserved students · Conduct several small studies and qualitative studies to help identify the effectiveness, and provide some formative feedback, of game narrative suites (both mobile and augmented reality-based) and 3D collaborative games. · Help with needs assessment to determine market needs and preferences for delivering/engaging kids in math content among parents and teachers of children ages 2-8.	· Obtain MOUs from preschools, schools and districts (RCT Study 1). · Obtain informed consent from study participants (RCT Study 1). · Obtain demographic and baseline student achievement data for student participants (RCT Study 1).
Spring 2012	· Continue to several small studies to help identify the effectiveness, and provide some formative feedback, of game narrative suites (both mobile and augmented reality-based) and 3D collaborative games. · Continue to help with needs assessment to determine market needs and preferences for delivering/engaging kids in math content among parents and teachers of children ages 2-8. · Plan for small studies of the 3D collaborative game. · Report writing.	· Conduct a three-month RCT study to help identify the effectiveness and provide some formative feedback of three game narrative suites (RCT Study 1, preschool only). · Analyze data and report (RCT Study 1).
Summer 2012	· Continue to plan for small studies of the 3D collaborative game. · Continue report writing.	· Continue to analyze data (RCT Study 1).. · Write summative report (RCT Study 1)..
Year Two
Fall 2012	· Help with needs assessment to determine market needs and preferences for delivering/engaging kids in math content among parents and teachers of children age 2-8. · Pilot progress tracker with parents and teachers. Provide iterative feedback.	· Obtain MOUs from preschools, schools and districts (Mixed Methods Study 1). · Obtain informed consent from study participants for Year 2 mixed methods studies (Mixed Methods Study 1). · Obtain demographic and baseline student achievement data for student participants (Mixed Methods Study 1).
Winter 2012	· Continue to help with needs assessment to determine market needs and preferences for delivering/engaging kids in math content among parents and teachers of children age 2-8. · Continue to pilot progress tracker with parents and teachers. Provide iterative feedback.	· Conduct mixed methods study of 3D games (Mixed Methods Study 1).
Spring 2013	· Continue to help with needs assessment to determine market needs and preferences for delivering/engaging kids in math content among parents and teachers of children age 2-8. · Continue to pilot progress tracker with parents and teachers. Provide iterative feedback. · Monitor progress of study.	· Perform data analysis on qualitative and quantitative data, mixed methods study of 3D games (Mixed Methods Study 1). · Data analysis (Mixed Methods Study 1).. · Summative report (Mixed Methods Study 1).
Summer 2013	· Summarize results of needs assessment and piloting of progress tracker if necessary.
Year Three
Fall 2013	· Pilot document describing best practices around developing parent and teacher math activities for children age 2-8 · Pilot mobile or augmented reality games in the narrative suites to determine which are most successful (in terms of student engagement, game completion, and student learning). Provide iterative feedback.
Winter 2013	· Pilot mobile or augmented reality games in the narrative suites to determine which are most successful (in terms of student engagement, game completion, and student learning). Provide iterative feedback. · Contribute to formative assessment of tools for teachers of children ages 4-8 to teach their students how to make their own versions of games. Provide iterative feedback.
Spring 2014	· Contribute to formative assessment of tools for teachers of children ages 4-8 to teach their students how to make their own versions of games. Provide iterative feedback.
Summer 2014	· Monitor progress of study.	· Recruit Title I preschool programs/families · Recruit afterschool programs/families with underserved students
Year Four
Fall 2014	· Conduct formative studies to determine the best level of tracking. · Conduct formative studies to evaluate games across pbskidsgo.org. · Pilot document describing best practices around developing parent and teacher math activities for children age 2-8	· Obtain MOUs from preschools, schools and districts (RCT Study 2). · Obtain informed consent from study participants(RCT Study 2). · Obtain demographic and baseline student achievement data for student participants (RCT Study 2). · Conduct RCT (2) of use of all multi-platform game suites for students ages 2 to 5. · Conduct RCT (2) of use of all multi-platform game suites for students ages 6 to 8. · Study of game modding tools. · Study of game wrappers. · Study of tools for teachers to teach students how to create their own games.
Winter 2014	· Continue formative studies to determine the best level of tracking. · Continue formative studies to evaluate games across pbskidsgo.org. · Data analysis and reporting	· Continue RCT (2) of use of all multi-platform game suites for students ages 2 to 5. · Continue RCT of use of all multi-platform game suites for students ages 6 to 8. · Study of parents using progress tracking. · Study of teachers using progress tracking. · Continue study of game modding tools. · Continue study of game wrappers. · Continue study of tools for teachers to teach students how to create their own games.
Spring 2015	· Data analysis and reporting · Monitor study progress	· Continue RCT (2) of use of all multi-platform game suites for students ages 2 to 5. · Continue RCT (2) of use of all multi-platform game suites for students ages 6 to 8. · Continue study of parents using progress tracking. · Continue study of teachers using progress tracking. · Continue study of game modding tools. · Continue study of game wrappers. · Continue study of tools for teachers to teach students how to create their own games. RCT of use of all multi-platform game suites for students ages 2 to 5.
Summer 2015		· Continue RCT (2) of use of all multi-platform game suites for students ages 2 to 5. · Continue RCT (2) of use of all multi-platform game suites for students ages 6 to 8. · Continue study of game modding tools. · Continue study of game wrappers. · Continue study of tools for teachers to teach students how to create their own games.
	Year Five
		[Analyze, Report]

APPENDIX E: Advisor Bios

Art Baroody is a Professor of Curriculum & Instruction (early childhood and elementary mathematics education) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on the teaching and learning of basic counting, number, and arithmetic concepts and skills by young children and children with learning difficulties. Dr. Baroody is the author of several books on teaching children mathematics.

Alan Gershenfeld, Founder and President of E-Line Media, a publisher of digital entertainment that engages, educates and empowers with a core focus on computer/video games and web comics/graphic novels. E-Line develops games and comics that are fun, relevant and genuinely impactful in the areas of learning, health and youth empowerment. Alan currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Games for Change, a nonprofit that helps to rise the sector of computer and video games for social change.

Kevin Clark is an Associate Professor in the Instructional Technology program, and the Director of the Center for Digital Media Innovation and Diversity in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University. Dr. Clark's research interests include the role of video games and interactive media in the education of children in formal and non-formal learning environments, particularly from underserved communities. His scholarly activities focus on the use of video game design to increase interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, and issues of diversity in the design and development video games and other educational media.

Jerlean Daniel is Executive Director Designate of National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation’s largest organization of early childhood education professionals working with and on behalf of children from birth through age eight. Dr. Daniel has served on a variety of committees including the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Re-Designation of Head Start Grantees.

Blair MacIntyre is an Associate Professor in the School of Interactive Computing at the Georgia Tech University, where he has directed the GVU Center’s Augmented Environments Lab for 10 years. He has been conducting Augmented Reality research since 1991, with the goal of understanding both task-focused and experiential systems, and blend elements of augmented and mixed-reality, ubiquitous computing, tangible media and wearable computing.

Melanie Cornwell is the Vice President of Strategy at Creative Commons. Creative Commons is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to making it easier for people to share and build upon the work of others, consistent with the rules of copyright. Ms. Cornwell has spent most of the last decade as Editorial Projects Director at Wired magazine, where she built the department to extend the reach and influence of Wired’s leading-edge editorial to forums beyond the magazine, including television, online, radio, and live events. She was Executive Producer of Wired Science, a 10-hour primetime science series on PBS.

Jesse Schell has taught Game Design and led research projects at Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center since 2002. Dr. Schell is also the CEO of Pittsburgh’s largest videogame studio, Schell Games, and the former chairman of the International Game Developers Association. In 2004, he was named one of the world’s Top 100 Young Innovators by Technology Review, MIT’s magazine of innovation. He has been Creative Director of the Disney Virtual Reality Studio and has done extensive thinking about Transmedia Worlds. He recently made an inspiring presentation on the subject at the PBS KIDS Producers Summit, available at http://www.slideshare.net/jesseschell/transmedia-worlds-3656102.

APPENDIX F: PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! Program Descriptions

PBS KIDS Programs:

The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That!

Producer: Random House

Target Age: 2-5

Curriculum: scientific inquiry skills, core science concepts and vocabulary

About: THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! supports young children’s science learning by introducing scientific inquiry skills, teaching core science concepts and vocabulary, and preparing preschoolers for kindergarten and first grade science curriculum. Voiced by award-winning actor Martin Short, Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat guides friends Sally and Nick – with a little help from the Fish, Thing 1 and Thing 2 – on fun-filled adventures where they make natural-science discoveries such as learning how bees make honey or why owls sleep during the day.

Curious George

Producer: WGBH

Target Age: 3-5

Curriculum: science, engineering, and math.

About: George is a little monkey with an insatiable curiosity. Like George, children are intrigued by new things. They're natural explorers and scientists, and they're anxious to know how things work. Science, engineering, and mathematics are disciplines representing years of accumulated knowledge. The objective of the CURIOUS GEORGE series is to help children appreciate these disciplines and the wealth of knowledge contained in them. Appreciation and understanding begins for young children with exploration, observation, discovery, and most importantly, curiosity. Curious about the world around them, children begin to observe properties, discover how things work, and, ultimately, develop scientific thought processes.

Dinosaur Train

Producer: The Jim Henson Company

Target Age: 3-6

Curriculum: life science, natural history and paleontology

About: Dinosaur Train embraces and celebrates the fascination that preschoolers have with both dinosaurs and trains. Harnessing children's enthusiasm for and curiosity about dinosaurs, Dinosaur Train sparks children's interest in life sciences and natural history. The show encourages children to compare the characteristics of ancient animals with those that are alive today.  As they explore a variety of interesting animals past and present, children develop the inquiry skills and core knowledge needed to help them think, talk and act like scientists.

Sid the Science Kid

Producer: The Jim Henson Company

Target Age: 3-6

Curriculum: science, fostering natural curiosity, asking questions

About: To support science learning, Sid takes advantage of kids' instinctive quest to figure out the world as well as their growing sense of humor. The desire to understand underlies all scientific exploration, and preschoolers' questions often involve the same big ideas that scientists investigate. Kids who ask, "Why are the leaves falling off the trees? Why are my shoes too small? Where'd my snowman go?" – are wondering about transformation and change. "What's hair for? Why are my teeth different shapes? How do birds fly, and why can't I?" are questions about form and function. Research tells us that young children already know something about these big ideas. Sid is ready to help them learn more.

PBS KIDS GO! Programs:

Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman

Producer: WGBH

Target Age: 6-10

Curriculum: real world science, brainstorming, collaboration, conducting experiments, and problem solving.

About: The star/producer of FETCH! is a slightly neurotic yet lovably charismatic canine named Ruff Ruffman and rounding out the cast are Ruff's six tweenage contestants. Funded in large part by the National Science Foundation, the series focuses on real world science, featuring kids as they pursue questions, conduct experiments, and actively investigate the world around them. In addition, the series also has an extensive outreach initiative, designed to extend the impact of FETCH!'s science themes and give viewers a chance to play along with the show, even after the TV is turned off.

Fizzy’s Lunch Lab

Producer: CloudKid

Target Age: 6-8

Curriculum: internal anatomy, good nutrition, balanced diet, and physical activity

About: Professor Fizzy and his crew are on a mission to halt the children’s obesity epidemic by serving up a fun mix of nutrition info, healthy eating tips, and simple recipes. The Lunch Lab provides practical and positive examples of healthy eating and regular exercise within the framework of an entertaining format. And it doesn’t hurt, that laughter is the Lunch Lab’s favorite ingredient!

SciGirls

Producer: TPT

Target Age: 8-12

Curriculum: science, technology, engineering, and math

About: SciGirls showcases bright, curious real tween girls putting science and engineering to work in their everyday lives. The girls, with the help of scientist mentors, design their own inquiry-based investigations on a huge variety of topics, from the environment to technology and from engineering to nutrition. Shot reality style, SciGirls around the country study dolphins, engineer a giant mechanical puppet, unearth the archaeological secrets of extinct Native American cultures and create high-tech fashions.

Wild Kratts

Producer: Chris and Martin Kratt

Target Age: 6-8

Curriculum: natural history, zoology, exploring scientific areas beyond biology with animals

About: Wild Kratts is an adventure comedy hosted by wildlife experts Chris and Martin Kratt. The show is a combination of real-life and animated segments, which allow them to go places and have animal encounters that are just not possible in real life. These encounters result in learning new facts about some of the most amazing animals on the planet—their unique features, abilities and behaviors. These lessons extend not just to biology, but also show how animals can teach us about physics and chemistry.