We are seeking to understand how educators are using and implementing the PBS LearningMedia resources and to assess these resources’ impact on teachers’ classroom practices, quality of instruction, and student learning.

PBS LearningMedia is a free online service that provides PreK–12 educators with access to more than 30,000 digital resources, including educational media from PBS programs and national organizations such as the National Archives, NASA, and the Smithsonian. These resources are available in a variety of formats, such as video, interactive, audio, document, and digital image files. Lesson plans and learning activities, links to National and Common Core State Standards, and professional development resources are also available from PBS Learning Media.

Our research for this project is based on prior research into digital media use in classrooms, and will be conducted in three phases. In the first phase we will examine Web analytics and conduct focus groups with teachers to learn how teachers are using the PBS LearningMedia service. In the second phase, we will conduct a large-scale national survey to understand how teachers across the US and across the grade span are using the PBS LearningMedia resources, and how they are integrating them into various subject areas. In the third phase, we will conduct a randomized control trial to assess the impact on middle-school teachers and students of using the PBS LearningMedia in the classroom. As part of this study we will develop a curriculum guide and provide teachers with professional development and support to help them integrate the digital resources into their instructional activities.