A Study of the Effectiveness of BrainPOP, a Web-Based Animated Instructional Tool Multimedia Learning Application

Client: 

BrainPOP

The Challenge: 

Do students using BrainPOP as part of their instruction show larger gains in Language, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and Science skills than a comparable group of students who do not use BrainPOP? Research has shown that the brain processes information using two channels: visual and auditory. Does this multimodal processing capability, as presented by the BrainPOP instructional tool enhance student learning?

The Solution: 

Using a quasi-experimental, pre-post design, this study compared the growth in Language, Reading Comprehension, and Vocabulary skills between students in classes using BrainPOP (Treatment Group) and a comparable group of students in classes that did not use BrainPOP (Control Group). Student growth in Language, Reading comprehension, Vocabulary and Science was measured by comparing scores from the Stanford 10 Achievement Test™, Abbreviated Battery (SAT 10), at the beginning of the second semester of the school year and end of the 2008-2009 school year. The study examined differences in growth among the total group of students and between students of different gender and ethnic backgrounds as well as whether or not they received free or reduced lunch.