Educational entertainment, also referred to by theportmanteauedutainment,[1] is media designed toeducate throughentertainment. The term was used as early as 1954 byWalt Disney. Most often it includes content intended to teach but has incidental entertainment value. It has been used by academia, corporations, governments, and other entities in various countries to disseminate information in classrooms and/or via television, radio, and other media to influence viewers' opinions and behaviors.[2]
Interest in combining education with entertainment, especially in order to make learning more enjoyable, has existed for hundreds of years, with theRenaissance andEnlightenment being movements in which this combination was presented to students.[3][page needed]Komenský in particular is affiliated with the "school as play" concept, which proposespedagogy with dramatic or delightful elements.[3]
Poor Richard's Almanack demonstrates early implementation of edutainment, withBenjamin Franklin combining entertaining and educational content, such as puzzles and rules of conduct, into an instructional entity for colonists.[4]
Later development of the concept of edutainment can be tied toWalt Disney, with his first educational short film,Tommy Tucker's Tooth, being commissioned and shot in 1922 for the Deneer Dental Institute.[5] The entry of theU.S. intoWorld War II also had a major impact on the popularity of educational entertainment, as a relationship between Disney and the U.S. government formed; Disney was able to experiment with educational and nonfiction films in a way that continued even after the war,[6] with series such asTrue-Life Adventures[7] andDisneyland.[8][page needed] In the transcript of an interview withAlexander P. de Seversky from The Walt Disney Archives, of which its date and interviewer is unknown,[6] the following quotation is found:
It is a new kind of entertainment that goes far beyond simply "amusing" its audience. This picture is vital entertainment--it treats on a subject that directly affects every man, woman, and child, in America. With dramatic action it exposes the basic ideas that will rid the mind of confusion and clarify the war thinking of the public.
— Walt Disney, Interview with Alexander de Seversky
Since the 1970s, various groups in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Latin America have used edutainment to address health and social issues such assubstance abuse,immunization,teenage pregnancy,HIV/AIDS, andcancer. Initiatives in major universities, such asJohns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs[9] and theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison,NGOs such as PCI-Media Impact, and government agencies such as the U.S.Centers for Disease Control (CDC)[9][10] have produced edutainment content.
Modern forms of edutainment include television productions, film, museum exhibits, and computer software which use entertainment to attract and maintain an audience, while incorporating deliberate educational content or messages. It is also apparent that educational elements are becoming implemented into traditionally recreational realms, such as vacations and games.[4]
The term edutainment was used as early as 1954 byWalt Disney to describe theTrue Life Adventures series.[11] Thenounedutainment is aneologisticportmanteau used by Robert Heyman in 1973 while producing documentaries for theNational Geographic Society.[12] It was used by Dr. Chris Daniels in 1975 to encapsulate the theme of his Millennium Project. This project later became known as The Elysian World Project.[13] The terms "edutainment" (and "busitainment") were used in 2001 to explain how the CRUMPET project, on context-aware and personalised Tourism, refers to people travelling for adventure yet who also travel for education and business and who do not perceive themselves as classical "tourists".[14] The offshoot word "Edutainer" has been used by Craig Sim Webb since before the turn of the millennium to describe an individual who offers edutainment presentations and performances.[15]
Schoolhouse Rock,Wishbone,Sesame Street, andBill Nye the Science Guy are examples of shows that usemusic and video to teach topics like math, science, and history. Using music to aid memory dates back to the passing of ancient oral traditions, including theIliad and theOdyssey. Much of what edutainment can offer through audio and video especially, is accessible over the internet on platforms such asYouTube, with such channels asVsauce,CGP Grey,MinutePhysics,Meet Arnold,Veritasium,andCrash Course.
Public Service Broadcasting is a band that incorporates audio and footage from theBritish Film Institute into their music and performances, and this partnership helps the British Film Institute showcase its material; their albumInform-Educate-Entertain, which covers topics such as the climbing ofMount Everest andhighway safety, demonstrates the connection between the concept of edutainment and their music.[16]
Motion pictures with educational content appeared as early as 1943, such asPrivate Snafu, and can still be seen in films such asAn Inconvenient Truth. AfterWorld War II, educational entertainment shifted towards television. Television programs can be divided into three main categories: those with primarily educational intentions, those with a high degree of both education and entertainment, and entertainment shows with incidental or occasional educational value.
Mexican TV producerMiguel Sabido pioneered in the 1970s a form of edutainment viatelenovelas, "soap operas for social change". The "Sabido method" has been adopted in many other countries subsequently, including India, Peru, Kenya, and China.[17] In Mexico, the government in the 1970s successfully used a telenovela to promote family planning to curb the country's high birth rate.[18][page needed]
The third season of the television showMTV Shuga was analyzed by researchers and then published online in 2017 in terms of its effects related to its goal of educating African youth aboutsexual health andHIV, and secondarily,gender-based violence.[19] In therandomized control trials, those in the treatment group who watched the show for six months were "almost twice as likely" to get tested at HIV testing centers; mixed results were found in regards to the show's effects on gender-based violence.[19]
Educating the public about health issues is a focus for many stakeholders, including the pharmaceutical industry. In recent years, several initiatives have used educational entertainment principles to highlight specific conditions or wider healthcare issues. Examples include In Memory about dementia,[20] Millefeuille about psoriasis[21] and This is Axiom about the challenges facing the UK's National Health Service.[22]
Games fulfill a number of educational purposes. Some games may be explicitly designed with education in mind, while others may have incidental or secondary educational value. All types of games, includingboard,card,quizzes, and video games, may be used in an educational environment.[23] Educational games are designed to teach people about certain subjects, expand concepts, reinforce development, understand an historical event or culture, or assist them in learning a skill as they play.[citation needed]
According to Paraskeva (2010), at least 68% of American households play video games. Many recent research articles postulate education and gaming can be joined to provide academic benefits.[24][page range too broad]
According to Van Eck (2006), there are three reasons why games are considered learning tools: 1. Ongoing research that has included the last 20 years of educational findings have proven that digital games can be educational; 2. The new generation of today wants "multiple streams of information" (p. 1), which includes quick and frequent interaction that allows inductive reasoning; and 3. The mere popularity of games has created a billion-dollar industry. The idea of playing a game assumes the person is engaging in that activity by choice. The activity should have some value of "fun". This does not mean that the person is engaging in the activity only for leisure pursuits; it can also include the desire to learn a skill, connect with other gamers (social community), and spend time in a chosen activity. The activity needs to remain one of choice for the gamer.[25][page range too broad]
Kim (2008) supports the use of off-the-shelf games withmeta-cognitive strategies to provide an increase in students' cognitive performance.[26][page range too broad]
Radio can serve as an effective vehicle for educational entertainment. The British radio soap operaThe Archers has for decades been systematically educating its audience on agricultural matters; likewise, theTanzanian radio soap operaTwende na Wakati ("Let's Go With the Times") was written primarily to promotefamily planning.[citation needed]
Likewise,podcasts have begun to exemplify the concept of edutainment, with some radio programs also becoming available in this digital format. Not only are there are series with educational elements that are listened to recreationally, but there are alsopodcasts used as an educational tool. Lessons based on podcasts have increased in popularity, withTeachersPayTeachers finding that lesson plans relating to podcasts rose in downloads by 21 percent and 650 percent in 2014 and 2015, respectively, which corresponded with the release ofSerial.[27]
Other successful radio programs and/or podcasts that have fused entertainment and education include:
Toys are perhaps the earliest "edutainment" objects a person encounters, as many toys have also an educational aspect beside theiraesthetic appeal. They can teach children literacy, numerical, conceptual or motor skills. Many toys (e.g., a miniaturepiano) are simply colorful, scaled-down versions of more complex objects, and thus can base children in skills and benefits associated with the latter. It is up to grown-ups to guide children to the toy's proper use in order to make the most out of it.[citation needed]
Toys are often employed in the context ofmimicry androleplay to partially experience personalities or situations not otherwise possible, very akin tosimulation in video games. They can be used as primitive means to nurture aninstinct or acharacter trait in children. Often, toys work simultaneously the other way, providing children with the means toexpress those things: a doll may be used by a girl to mimic her mother or expressmotherhood as much as to explore it.[citation needed]
Even for toys that don't possess explicit educational value, a thoughtful parent or teacher can turn a staticfigurine, for example, into an object of interest, by pointing out its features or costumes, or referring to its history or science (e.g., a figurine of aNative American may be a starting point for exploring American history; aSanta Claus may be used to explore the roots of Christmas; a toyastronaut to explore science...), which can be done in conjunction with a more-explicitly "edutaining" object, such as apicture book. Most children are naturally inquisitive (possibly why they sometimes break their toys; simply to know what is inside or how it moves or what produces that sound), and caregivers should not waste this opportunity.[citation needed]
Evengrown-ups can learn through toys about children: what are theirtalents or interests; if they are moreextrovert orintrovert; indeed if they dislike toys and prefer social activities or sport, and thus capitalize on the children's abilities and correct what is wrong or lacking.[citation needed]
Some toys are of considerable appeal and benefit to both children and adults, such asLego orRubik's Cube, as their design and implementation can range from the simple to the sophisticated.[citation needed]
The term "edutainment" was first made popular amongst the hip hop community byKRS-One (a.k.a. The Teacha) thanks to hisBoogie Down Productionsalbum by the same name.
The term has since been borrowed to describe hip hop culture's innate pedagogical aesthetics. Examples of this include how Hip Hop uniquely combines both thought and action (seePaulo Freire's use ofpraxis inPedagogy of the Oppressed) and values both Eurocentric values of rational thought and Afrocentric epistemology of kinetic, affective and emotional ways of knowing.[38] Another example is in the transmission of technical and historical knowledge, the manner in which Hip Hop practitioners learn and exchange by sharing moments of performance together throughbuilding orbuilding sessions.[39]
The concept of educational entertainment is being used for building learning programs for organizations. High technology is used to make the programs entertaining and educational.[40][page range too broad] As an example,PowerPoint presentations may become more entertaining with the addition of flashy animations or graphics. An article in a satirical newspaper,The Onion, poked fun at the concept of embellishing boring presentations with attention-catching effects.[41] A fictional marketing executive in the article noted the previous lack of excitement in the presentation, saying "When we first finished the PowerPoint, the content was all there, but it still lacked that certain something."[41]
Theme parks are a specific kind of setting in which the combination of entertaining and educational elements can be prevalent.Epcot atWalt Disney World, which is owned byThe Walt Disney Company, is highly based on edutainment; the park features attractions that teach about the past, conservation, imagination, future technologies, and the world. The park's dedication plaque, written byMarty Sklar and Erwin Okun, states the following: "MayEPCOT Center entertain, inform and inspire. And above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man's ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere."[42]
The offerings and promotions atSeaWorld associated with the educational topics ofmarine biology,conservation, and animal rescue efforts are increasing at their current locations and in plans for the upcomingAbu Dhabi theme park, which is likely due to activism for animal rights.[43][44]
Other notable theme parks that incorporate educational elements and topics areDisney's Animal Kingdom,Holy Land Experience,Dinosaur World,Busch Gardens, andPuy du Fou.[citation needed]
Edutainment is also a growingparadigm within thescience center andchildren's museum community in the United States, as well as in many other locations such as thezoo or abotanical garden. Educational locations such as these are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to reach the surrounding public and get them interested in areas such as the fine arts, science, literature, and history. Additionally,field trip visits to these educational places provide participants with interactional stimulus to learn about the content offered there. Since people are used to flashy, polished entertainment venues like movie theaters and theme parks, they demand similar experiences at science centers or museums. Consequently, interactive experiences, such as games andmobile apps, are implemented in museums in order to more effectively help people learn about what they are seeing.[45] Museums are also embracing the ability to use storytelling to engage people, especially those who are young, in hopes to increase attendance; all the while, though, it is possible for the focus and purpose of museums to be diluted.[46] Thus, a museum or a zoo can be seen as just another business competing for entertainment dollars from the public, rather than as an institution that serves the public welfare through education or historical preservation.[47][page range too broad]
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Much research has been done in association with edutainment and its effectiveness in its various forms. Particularly, the effects of the implementation of the concept of edutainment in the classroom setting have been studied on multiple occasions. The concept offlipped classrooms, in association with edutainment, was studied by Retta Guy and Gerald Marquis (2016), in which students were assignedvideo lessons and podcasts as opposed to projects prior to class; it was found that these students outperformed those in traditional classrooms, found the actual time in class to prompt more interaction, and thought the class to be more enjoyable, although there was a noticeable period of adaption.[48][page needed]
In a study conducted by Ruby Lynch-Arroyo and Joyce Asing-Cashman (2016),Numb3rs, which is an example of edutainment in the form of a television show, was integrated into the education ofpreservice mathematics teachers. The subsequent results exemplified the potential for edutainment to promotecritical thinking, increased engagement, andgrowth mindsets.[49][page needed]
Similarly, Craig D. Cox,et al. (2017) conducted a study in which a mini-series that combined educational and entertaining elements was developed and presented to pharmacypreceptors; it was effective in increasing the confidence of the participants and was an honorable mention for theAmerican Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Innovations in Teaching Award in 2015.[50]
A system that incorporated the concept of edutainment through the use of games has also been studied in association withdisabled students by Amal Dandashi,et al. (2015), and it was found that the system had a positive impact in terms of scores, coordination, communication, and memorization skills; after replaying, higher scores were often achieved as well.[51]
As for podcasts and narration specifically, according to a study conducted by Trish L. Varao Sousa, Jonathan S. A. Carriere, and Daniel Smilek (2013) with student participants, these forms may not be particularly helpful, as their use can result in both less information actually internalized and less engagement overall when compared to other "reading encounters."[52]
Debate regarding the value of educational entertainment and its implementation has been had for decades.[53] The negative feedback received by Walt Disney for hisTrue-Life Adventures series represents the views of some skeptics of the concept of edutainment. For example, the use of music along with the footage of animals, such as the circumstance in which "The courtship of tarantulas was set to a tango, while the movements of two scorpions were showcased with square dance music in the background" was criticized at the time; the purpose of the music was to enhance the footage, but some people took issue with this humanization. Additionally, without approval, some of the film crew ofWhite Wilderness prompted unnatural behavior in lemmings that would be filmed, which then generated a negative response.[54]
Sesame Street, a television show that demonstrates the concept of edutainment, has also specifically been subject to criticism. For instance, in an article published inThe Atlantic in May 1971,John Holt criticizes the promotion of "Right Answers" in the television show without actual action being taken by the children, and also argues that it is nonsensical and perplexing to have adults convey to children that everything that is to be discovered is logical and easy to understand.[55]
The argument that the concept of edutainment hurts the actual value of education has been prevalent as well. The book entitledAmusing Ourselves to Death by theoristNeil Postman demonstrates this notion, as it is claimed that areas of study have been "transformed into congenial adjuncts of show business."[56] Museum professionals especially have faced this dilemma, as in study conducted by Pierre Balloffet, François H. Courvoisier, and Joëlle Lagier (2014), museum professionals did not have severe negative opinions of the incorporation of educational entertainment, but individuals nevertheless had varying viewpoints on "the appropriateness or potential risks of edutainment."[57][page needed]
