Education

01 Apr

Posted at 19:23h in Children, Education

A few months ago, my Girl Scout troop of 8 and 9-year-old girls voted on which badges they wanted to earn.  They overwhelmingly voted to earn the “STEM Career Exploration” badge, and the “Coding” badge, among others. It was clear they were very excited about STEM subjects. The funny thing is, a number of them didn’t know exactly what STEM was, but they did know that it’s cool.

How does my troop know that STEM is cool, and that there is a place for them in it? I give credit to the many organizations that have been working to encourage women’s interest in STEM: from established organizations like Girl Scouts, to new but now well-known brands like the Rebel Girls books, to up-and-coming organizations such as Lost Women of Science. Thanks to these organizations and so many others, girls can see themselves as scientists, they can practice being scientists themselves, and they can hear the stories of women who came before them.

Elevating the visibility of women in STEM roles is particularly crucial for young girls to imagine themselves in similar positions. Our Girl Scout troop enjoyed hosting a computer engineer who shared insights into her profession. Similarly, our local library organized a meet-and-greet session with a female paleontologist. Initiatives like Lost Women of Science amplify the stories of lesser-known women, reaching millions and shedding light on the contributions of women throughout history who were overlooked.

When girls see individuals like them excelling as chemists, mechanical engineers, or app developers, they dream of following in their footsteps. I’ve observed firsthand the power of both historical and modern narratives that highlight women in STEM for young girls. Stories of historical women show girls that women succeeded even if they weren’t always welcomed, and stories of modern women demonstrate that STEM is an area in which girls and women can thrive.

By Mary Meyn, Director of Research.

31 Aug

Posted at 02:27h in Children, Education, Media

The Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report is a biennial national survey of parents’ and children’s reading attitudes and behaviors. Fluent Research recently conducted the eighth edition of the survey on behalf of Scholastic, and we are pleased to share that major media outlets have already picked up some of the report’s key findings.

On June 2, 2023, Psychology Today shared results from this research that demonstrated the strong link between reading frequency and emotional well-being. Teens who read less frequently were more likely than other teens to say that their emotional or mental health was worse compared to before the pandemic. In fact, the teens who read less often are more likely to report feeling anxious, depressed, and lonely than the teens who read more often.

On June 24, 2023, Alyssa Rosenberg of the Washington Post wrote an opinion piece about the decline in kids’ reading for fun. She cited data from Scholastic’s Kids & Family Reading Report showing that 28% of children between ages 6-17 read 5-7 days a week, down from 37% in 2010. With this in mind, she offered some outstanding ways to encourage children to read, including giving kids the freedom to choose their own books. This last point is supported by data from the research, which found that more than 90% of kids say their favorite books and the books they are more likely to finish are the ones they have picked out themselves.

We’re thrilled to have conducted this impactful research on behalf of Scholastic and look forward to sharing more news coverage of the report as it becomes available. You can view the research results on Scholastic’s Kids & Family Reading Report website.

By Stefanie Cousins

28 Aug

Posted at 20:11h in Education, Methodology, Research

As a quantitative researcher and a current joint major in economics and math, we have been encouraged to see the increased emphasis on motivating girls and women to pursue STEM activities and educational opportunities in recent years. We were inspired to spotlight STEM opportunities for women in college in light of a Forbes article we read by the CEO of Vector Laboratories Dr. Lisa Sellers that focuses on what companies can do to motivate women to pursue STEM careers.

Dr. Sellers offers insightful strategies for out-of-school organizations, companies, and secondary schools to encourage young women to pursue STEM and how to make it more inclusive of all genders. Since women who are entering college or already matriculating may not have had these opportunities, we wondered how colleges and universities might inspire women to pursue STEM majors and careers.

From Fluent’s perspective there is one obvious first step, and that is to conduct research to better understand women’s experiences, needs, opinions, and perceptions of STEM. Below we suggest ideas for research as well as steps that institutions might take to welcome more women into STEM majors and related careers:

Ask women what they need

Qualitative, quantitative, or a mix of both research methods can help uncover insights into women’s attitudes and perceptions of STEM majors. Focus groups of women in college who have chosen STEM majors would provide an understanding of why they chose that major, what has helped them succeed, and what else would support them in pursuit of their degree and opportunities after graduation. Focus groups with students who have not yet declared a major may provide insight into the barriers that exist for women pursuing a STEM major or career. Additionally, colleges and universities may want to survey current and prospective students to understand how they perceive STEM majors and the barriers in pursuing them. With this understanding, institutions of higher education can make adjustments to help encourage more women to pursue STEM.

Invite women to join

Sometimes all someone needs is an invitation to join. It’s a lot easier to join a group when you’re invited – that signals to someone that they are welcome! Colleges and universities can offer information sessions about various majors, including STEM majors, and invite women to attend or host women-only events specific to STEM.  

Encourage women to try something new

Colleges and universities should remind students that college is a great opportunity to try something new. Yes, some students in Intro to Computer Science may have already taken AP Computer Science in high school or attended coding camp. However introductory classes are designed to teach everything you need to be successful in that class. Emphasizing that no prior knowledge is needed to take an introductory class in course descriptions, syllabi, and professor communications can help encourage those students who have less experience with STEM subject matter to feel comfortable taking a chance on a class that is outside of their comfort zone.

Provide women with mentorship

Female role models are essential for other women to hear stories of personal experiences that help them envision a path forward for themselves. There are many opportunities to provide role models in a higher education setting: 1) Encourage women to be teaching assistants in STEM classes. 2) Provide opportunities for recent graduates in STEM majors to speak about their college and first job experiences. 3) Invite women in management and leadership positions to speak openly about their own paths and provide guidance for those just starting out.

At Fluent, our experience with colleges and universities, clients in the education sector, and young adult populations has shown us time and again the value of research. Clients have the opportunity to directly impact students’ educational experiences and outcomes by testing and improving materials and offerings with their target audience. Similarly, research also provides them with an understanding of their brand equity, what drives it, and benchmarks that help to improve their standing. On a more personal note, we have both benefited from some of the ideas suggested above. We are particularly grateful for the strong mentorship we’ve received from professors, managers, and co-workers. Moreover, the invitations to join a group or try something new have opened doors for us. We believe these opportunities have been instrumental in our education and growth, and look forward to hearing new ideas to encourage  women to choose STEM education and careers.

 

By Mary Meyn and Halley Robbins

30 May

Posted at 14:20h in Children, Education, Evaluation, Kids

In this special Kid Insight column, which originally appeared in Kidscreen Magazine last month, David Cohen, senior director of content research at Sesame Workshop, Stefanie Cousins, vice-president of marketing and communications at Fluent Research, and Sofia Polo, director of research strategy at Fluent Research, give insight into Sesame Workshop’s impact strategy for hard-to-reach communities.

Children’s content has the power to positively impact children’s lives in ways that ripple through generations, and that’s the reason why many of us do what we do. But while we may try to deliver content that authentically reaches a diverse range of families, we have to ask: Are we achieving that goal? And if not, how can we do better?

At Sesame Street in Communities (SSIC), we’ve tried to formalize the answer to this second question. Although our efforts lean on the reach and resources of Sesame Workshop, we believe that elements of our model can be incorporated by other companies that want to more strategically develop and distribute their content (or supporting campaigns) to specific or hard-to-reach communities.

STEP 1

Partner up!

Identify potential partners with strong connections to local communities, such as healthcare organizations, nonprofits and educational institutions. We believe that a key part of success here is giving community stakeholders co-leadership roles right from the beginning. Here are some questions to consider.

Population: Is there a group of people that you are specifically interested in creating content for? If so, reach out to social service organizations that provide outreach to that community.

Subject matter: Who might have subject matter expertise or an interest in your topic? It’s helpful to consider community partners who can contribute ideas and who will also benefit from the outcome.

Capabilities: What can the community partner realistically offer for the delivery and implementation of content? Successful partnerships begin with clearly communicated expectations about responsibilities and level of involvement.

STEP 2

Do your research!

Now it’s time to get to know the community—like, REALLY get to know it. Get out there (or go online) to conduct interviews, focus groups or surveys to understand your target population’s context, needs, beliefs and attitudes as related to your topic. Connecting with the community in this way will also give you the opportunity to learn about effective ways of distributing the content. Here are some tips to get you started.

Use step 1: Community partners likely have relationships with the people you want to reach. Engage them by asking them to help recruit research participants, host focus groups or review interview questions to ensure that they are culturally and linguistically sensitive.

Choose the right methodology: Focus groups and interviews, for example, let participants tell stories that highlight their lived experience, and they work great for research that’s meant to inform decisions about an upcoming project. There are also online platforms (such as bulletin boards) that provide a freeform space for research participants to respond to your questions in writing. You do not need to recruit hundreds of research participants—many SSIC studies recruit as few as 25 people for this type of research.

Hire a research consulting firm: Not all of this needs to fall on your shoulders, and there are often affordable options.

STEP 3

Spread the word!

Let the results of your research guide your content development and distribution. Having the help of community partners at this point is essential. As you know, it’s challenging for any content or campaign to capture the attention of busy parents with young children, especially those from underserved communities. However, when a trusted community organization disseminates the content, those parents are more likely to see it, trust it, and absorb its messaging. Here are some suggestions.

  • Organize family-friendly events at local schools or community centers where materials are distributed.
  • Conduct sessions to show healthcare providers and caregivers how to access and use the materials.
  • Work with librarians and healthcare providers to connect with community members.
IDEAS IN ACTION

Let’s take a look at how this works on the ground. In 2018, SSIC launched an oral health initiative targeting Black and immigrant families with young children in Los Angeles County. We set out to address how content could improve oral health outcomes for young children.

Why oral health? According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in young children, and it affects high-risk children beginning in infancy and early childhood. Children with poor oral health miss more school days and receive lower grades than children with good oral health.

We became aware of this issue as part of a National Maternal and Child Oral Health Policy Center meeting in Washington, DC in 2006. Once we identified the opportunity for content to play a role in improving this outcome, we set about building our strategy.

Partner selection: We decided to partner with the UCLA School of Dentistry because it was determined that SSIC resources would be a valuable complement to its existing “More LA Smiles” children’s health awareness campaign.

Research: We partnered with Fluent Research, a consulting firm with expertise in children’s media and community-based research. They were selected through a competitive RFP process based on their experience in conducting research and evaluations of media-based resources and initiatives with young children and their caregivers. The research consisted of a series of interviews and focus groups with parents, early childhood educators, and dentists who serve Black, Latino, Korean, Chinese and Filipino families in Los Angeles. SSIC’s community partners played an instrumental role in carrying out this research by identifying and recruiting hard-to-reach research participants.

Analysis: The research highlighted specific financial, psychological and immigration-related factors that make accessing oral healthcare a challenge for parents, and pinpointed common misconceptions and hesitations around diet, oral hygiene and dentist visits. The research also identified schools, daycares and doctors’ offices as trusted settings for accessing information about parenting and health.

Execution: SSIC and its community partners developed several strategies for distributing the content, including events at schools and clinics, the distribution of booklets and online videos to childcare and healthcare providers, and a social media campaign that involved local businesses and organizations posting bilingual graphics and videos promoting the importance of tooth brushing (featuring Elmo and Grover, of course!). SSIC also worked with community partners to install Sesame Street-themed “Comfy-Cozy Spaces” in their facilities, where children can play with plush Sesame Street Muppet toys and parents have access to the oral health content.

Results & follow-up: After one year, a review of the campaign’s reach found that it had exceeded its goals, generating nearly 700,000 views of the oral health videos and increasing SSIC’s following on Facebook by 112%.

This is just one example of how SSIC uses its community-centered model to develop content and supporting campaigns that successfully target hard-to-reach populations. Although it has its challenges, even small steps toward blending aspects of this model into your content development and distribution process can make a difference.

At the end of the day, infusing community voices into content helps producers make more authentic programming, but it also ends up having a much deeper impact on the people and audiences who are targeted to consume it.

24 Aug

Posted at 19:08h in Education, Employee News, Interns, Market Research

This summer, we have been working with three talented interns, offering them the chance to learn more about the world of data and insights-driven strategic consulting and helping them to hone their research skills.

We’ve also been sharing short interviews with each intern where we’ve chatted about their experiences working with us and what they’ve learned. In this third and final interview, we’re speaking with psychology major Emma Clarke who is studying at Tulane University in New Orleans.

Fluent: What made you want to intern at Fluent Research?

Emma: As a psychology major, there are many different paths that I could take after graduation. I was really interested in figuring out what path I’d like to take, so I wanted to explore what doing a type of research would be like. I also have a relative who is a client of Fluent Research. Seeing how well respected Fluent is by them and the research Fluent has done for them made me very interested as well.

Fluent: What have you learned so far?

Emma: I have learned many different skills so far! I think the most important thing that I have learned is that it is crucial to be firm and confident in your findings for a client. I also have learned the many different ways that research can be conducted and how to guide an interview through observing projects.

Fluent: What has been the most interesting thing you have done?

Emma: The most interesting thing that I have done is gone through interviews of military spouses who were widowed by suicide. Although the interviews were very emotional and sad, their stories were touching and they had very unique perspectives that allowed them to contribute to interesting research.

Fluent: What do you hope to do after college?

Emma: While I am still not 100% sure what I’d like to do after college, I am leaning towards doing research similar to the market research conducted by Fluent. Alternatively, I might be interested in doing more general psychology research. Either way, I will probably be going to graduate school after college to pursue a master’s or a Ph.D.

19 Aug

Posted at 18:35h in Education, Employee News, Interns, Market Research

We’re lucky enough to have three stellar interns working with us at Fluent Research who have all been impressing us with their tenacity and work ethic.

Last week, we shared an interview with Markos Stroumbakis, a rising sophomore at Hunter College in New York City. This week, we’re getting to know Elizabeth Anna Mintusova, a student at Saint Louis University in Missouri.

Fluent: What made you want to intern at Fluent Research?

One of the main reasons I dreamed about being an intern at Fluent Research is because I believe that here I can perfectly apply and combine my passion for psychology and business at the same time. In addition to that, working at this company gives me a great opportunity to collaborate with people from different backgrounds so I can learn something new all the time.

Fluent: What have you learned so far?

Elizabeth: So far, I have learned to work on completely unique projects every day, where all of them require certain skills in different areas. I have also learned how to manage my time schedule correctly, multitask, welcome clients, and be fast and efficient in terms of cooperation with the members of the Fluent Research team who work remotely.

Fluent: What has been the most interesting thing you have done? 

Elizabeth: I think that the most interesting thing that I have done so far during my internship is testing future surveys and questionnaires. It is very exciting to take the polls by yourself and try to detect any possible errors to fix them. Another awesome part of that work is applying the roles of different people to yourself so you can detect errors that show up in different scenarios.

Fluent: What do you hope to do after college? 

Elizabeth: I am not sure about what I want to do after graduating from the university, but I am definitely planning to work in a company that is related to psychology and human resources where I could work and communicate with people, while also having responsibilities that are related to business administration and finance.

 

27 Jun

Posted at 14:52h in Children, Content, Education, Employee News, Kids, Research

Next month Fluent’s Director of Content & Evaluation, Dr. Allison Caplovitz, will be returning to Miami to attend the Kidscreen Summit after the conference’s two-year hiatus due to COVID. Allison’s favorite meeting of the year, the Kidscreen Summit is known as the most important annual event in the kids media industry.

Allison’s background includes deep experience informing the development of children’s television programs, evaluating curriculum development, and conducting summative research. She has advised 9 Story, Highlights for Children, Meta, Netflix, PBS Kids, Sesame Workshop, Warner Media, and YouTube Kids, and was instrumental to the success of the iconic children’s media property Blue’s Clues. Read all about Allison here and be sure to connect with her in Miami.

20 Dec

Posted at 22:24h in Education, Technology

In late October, Mark Zuckerberg announced the naming of his umbrella company, Meta. The name was specifically chosen to closely identify the premier force that is shaping the metaverse. Facebook describes the metaverse as “a set of virtual spaces where you can create and explore with other people who aren’t in the same physical space as you. You’ll be able to hang out with friends, work, play, learn, shop, create and more. It’s not necessarily about spending more time online — it’s about making the time you do spend online more meaningful.”

Comments and editorials have been and will be flooding news outlets, social media, and conversations around the remaining water coolers. Early reactions have focused on the companies facilitating this change rather than the potential that this evolution may unlock for society’s greatest challenges. It would be naïve to think that the emergence, development, and cultivation of the metaverse has been or will be rooted in altruism and concern for the public “good.” Judge it as you may, my point is not to persuade you to think this is a “good” or “bad” thing, rather I aim, as a researcher does, to think about the ways that the metaverse will create impact and change and explore the lever by which it does this.

Because I study the development of educational programs, media, and technology, I would ask that you consider the role that the metaverse could play in the operation and support of kids and families. Simply stated, it may help us all as a society raise children more effectively. In my work over the past few years, I have specialized in understanding kids and families, especially when they interact with technology and media. I have had the privilege of working with world class companies that are in the business of creating solutions for kids and families that make their lives safer, richer, and easier. By engaging with these partners over time, I have come to know that they are not only incredibly talented in their skills but also genuinely strive to make the world a better place.

Let’s also recognize that the metaverse has the potential to level the playing field in a variety of disciplines by developing inclusive platforms from the outset. According to the Equity by Design proponents, inequity is designed into systems and with help and intent can be designed out of them. Designers should not focus their considerations on the bulk of the curve when designing but rather aim to create solutions for those in the margins of society. Solutions that are developed in this way, they claim, have historically created not only solutions for those in the margins but have also created unintended benefits for the greater society.

If we accept for the moment that the metaverse will be a reality and a large part of all our lives in the future, designing for the margins yields the biggest benefit for society as a whole. That means there is an optimistic and altruistic core of intent underlying the actions of those designing components of the metaverse for kids and families. I can’t help but wonder (in the truest sense of the word) about what could be possible as a result of this evolution.

Will it be possible for children of incarcerated parents to sit with an imprisoned mother or father and read books together at night? Could deployed soldiers take a few minutes to play catch with their daughters before they got on the bus for school? Could the field of education ∂be leveled by removing the barriers of geography, resources, and time?

The metaverse will never replace the “real” world. It lacks the palpable energy generated by bringing people together in a physical space. This is the kind of energy that all living things emit, and which connects us with our most prehistoric instincts. Conversely, the metaverse is, at its root, a futuristic cognitive experience which reengages emotional references and allows for implicit connection when the physical is impossible.

Research must be a fundamental part of the evolution into this new space. Social scientists must strive to understand how the metaverse and those who support the welfare of families can create a mutually beneficial relationship that fosters a healthier, happier, and more engaged society.

Dan Warren, Ph.D. is Director, Youth Development and Education at Fluent Research. Dan holds a doctorate in Human Development and Child Study from Tufts University and taught elementary school in Massachusetts for nearly a decade.

15 Dec

Posted at 22:56h in Content, Education, Evaluation, Market Research, Publications, Research

Fluent’s Research Strategist Sofia Polo recently completed research on oral health literacy for our client Sesame Workshop that was included in an article published in the peer-reviewed California Dental Association Journal.

The article describes a series of activities through which UCLA and Sesame Street collaborated to develop and use oral health resources as part of a children’s oral health awareness campaign. Read an excerpt of some of Fluent’s findings below. You can read the rest of the study starting from page 771 on the December 2021 issue of the California Dental Association Journal.

Focus Groups:

Sesame Street organized a qualitative study using focus groups to examine dentists’, child care providers’ and parents’ current practices and perceptions of the barriers Chinese-speaking, Spanish- speaking, Korean-speaking, Black and Filipino families encounter with regard to the oral health of their young children. The focus groups also sought to solicit feedback on SSIC’s oral health resources.Research objectives included identifying stakeholders’ top priorities and concerns around the oral health of young children; exploring stakeholders’ current practices for promoting the oral health of young children and pinpointing where they learned about these practices; describing the challenges and barriers parents encounter in promoting the oral health of young children, including those unique to specific language/ethnic groups; and gathering feedback and recommendations on the SSIC resources and soliciting ideas for effective dissemination strategies to reach the specific language/ethnic groups. The focus groups consisted of 16 in-depth 45- to 60-minute individual interviews with dentists via Zoom and 13 90-minute virtual focus groups with mothers and child care providers conducted via Zoom.

Results:

During the lifetime of the campaign, the aim was to achieve the following goals across all platforms on social media:

  • Reach 10,000 users per video at minimum.
  • Achieve 25% engagement across all posts per video views.
  • Receive 20,000 views per Dentist Grover video.
  • Receive 50,000 views for Elmo’s Toothy Dance.
  • Increase followership by 50% across all platforms.
  • Recruit at least five local and/ or national partners.  

Results of the awareness campaign exceeded each of the reestablished goals, with the social media campaign generating impressive metrics within a month of the release of the fifth video (FIGURE 2) and a grand total of over 687,000 views of the five featured new videos across MLAS and SSIC websites by the conclusion of the project in December 2020. Followers increased across all social media platforms, with Facebook followers showing the highest percentage increase (112%) and Instagram having the greatest number of followers (204).

 

24 Aug

Posted at 21:18h in Education, Publications

Entrepreneur Media mentions Fluent’s study, “School, Interrupted,” in its article on the experiences of students with individualized learning plans with distance learning.

“According to a recent survey from Fluent Research, “Parents of students who had Individualized Learning Plans (IEP) were significantly more likely to report that distance learning allowed their child to keep up with their learning goals. This progress did not come without a great deal of work and stress, however. Parents of students with IEPs expressed higher levels of frustration with online distance learning, especially when it came to simultaneously managing their child’s work and their own work from home.”  View Article