Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away!

Below is a review of the Sesame Street online learning site. It is designed to complement the popular television series.


Learning Audience
Preschool children aged 3-5, with a direct aim at 4 year olds. The site is a learning complement to the popular television show. Site navigation requires the assistance of an adult.

Gain Attention
As a page loads, colorful numbers appear to simulate the counting exercises seen on television. Each page opens with colorful cartoon graphics, audio and sound effects like the popular television show. The target audience can relate to their favorite characters seen on the show.

Inform Learners of Objectives
Through interactive games and activities, the learner is immersed in Sesame Street. The learning objective is not explicitly stated for any of the activities, but rather it uses the underlying principle, “learning is fun!”

Stimulate Recall of Prior Activity
The site is designed to complement the PBS television show. There is heavy use of the show’s characters and games that simulate the on-air content.

Present Content
The games and activities are designed to make learning fun. The activities are organized in four child friendly categories:

1. Games: Within this category, there are games about letters, phonics, numbers, shapes, etc.
2. Stories: Virtual storybooks are presented in this category. Some are ‘page flippers’ while others are interactive, requiring the learner to make decisions throughout the story and resulting in different endings each time.
3. Art: Virtual coloring books allow the learner to paint a picture of their favorite Sesame Street character (coloring between the lines has never been so easy). In addition, coloring book sheets can be printed so the learner can create their own art for their walls.
4. Mail: The Learner can send emails to their favorite Sesame Street characters or an E-card to friends and family.

Provide Learning Guidance
All activities are engaging and positively reinforce the learner. Examples are audience appropriate. Learners are instantly comfortable with the online experience, as they recognize the characters from television.

Elicit Performance
Most of the activities include multiple rounds of the same exercise using different elements (e.g. matching exercises repeat the exercise using different letter or phonics). The repetition helps ensure the information is retained.

Provide Feedback
The characters provide immediate feedback- praise if the answer is correct; encouragement if the wrong answer is selected. True to its character on television, Oscar the Grouch is less patient and provides hints after three unsuccessful tries in his activities.

Assess Performance
In some cases, the activities utilize a ‘test and tell’ model. Here, the Learner is asked to perform a task without knowing the content. It is through this exploration, that the learning occurs.

Enhance Retention and Transfer to the Job
Game based and fun, the Sesame Street has created an interactive site that should promote further learning beyond the sixty-minute television program. It can be a powerful tool that enhances the learning experience for its intended audience.

Site Pros

• Site utilizes, ‘test and tell’ learning concept
• A great representation of Sesame Street and its main characters
• Language is written in an audience appropriate tone and context
• Navigation for children makes sense- click on a character to learn what activities they ‘host’
• Employs self-direction learning skills in some activities

Site Cons

• Some activity pages require some time to load
• Navigation can be confusing and over stimulating for adults