A new study finds solid evidence that some of [these tools, including computer simulations but] particularly educational television, can boost students’ scientific knowledge.  Even popular entertainment can stoke their passion for the subject and help them envision themselves as scientists – a serious leap for some students.  Many teachers are attempting to use “informal science” from wider culture as a way of introducing or reinforcing lessons in biology, physics, and other subjects...

 

The study of informal science education, released this month by the National Research Council, found that despite the use of popular TV shows and films in classrooms, limited research is available on their overall effectiveness in improving science learning.  Even so, these shows have considerable power to influence, and in some cases distort the public’s understanding of science, the study notes.  On the one hand, the authors point out that “Crime Scene Investigation,” as “CSI” is officially known, is believed to have resulted in increasing calls from jurors in court cases for physical evidence and advanced technology.  Yet there are also examples of cases being dismissed because jurors cited the lack of DNA and other physical evidence that appears on such shows, according to the reports...

 

The National Research Council study found the strongest evidence that educational TV, through such shows as “Bill Nye the Science Guy” and “3-2-1 Contact,” can positively influence children’s knowledge of science.  In one study cited in the report, children who watched Mr. Nye’s show were able to provide more complete and complex explanations of scientific concepts and could better generate scientific ideas.

 

Substantially less evidence exists on the effect of other media, including digital media, gaming, and radio, on science learning, partly because some of those are new or have not been adequately studies, the authors found.  The clearest benefit of those media, in terms of promoting science knowledge, comes in their ability to motivate students and boost their interest in science, said Bruce V. Lewenstein, who co-chaired the NRC committee that produced the report....

 

Many students today are cultivating that inquisitiveness through online and video games.  Americans spent $10.5 billion on game software and accessories in 2005, the NRC study reports. Some of the most popular games create “virtual” worlds, or three-dimensional environments that change as the participant moves through them, and ask the player to make choices and respond to situations.  Online and interactive games that are closely linked to instruction are sometimes referred to as “serious games.”  One game cited in the study is Immune Attack, developed by the Federation of American Scientists, a nonpartisan Washington organization focused on science and technology issues...

 

Considerable research exists to support the idea that games motivate students in science and other subjects, said Henry Jenkins, the co-director of the Comparative Media Studies program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who has written extensively on the use and influence of games.  While the most science-effective games may be “fun,” what’s more important is that they are “engaging,” meaning they require hard work, concentration, and persistence, at the same time they’re enjoyable, Mr. Jenkins said.