Family media use study

 A national study found that completing a family media use plan was not linked to statistically significant changes in media rule engagement among adolescents. An editorial that was published alongside the study delved into some of the reasons that can complicate using a family media use plan in adolescents including the increasing use of screens in both education and socialization as well as the urge to fight against parental expectations.

Moreno M, Binger K, Zhao Q, Eickhoff J. Effect of a family media use plan on media rule engagement among adolescents. JAMA Pediatrics. January 25, 2021. Epub ahead of print. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.5629

https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/do-media-plans-impact-teen-media-use

Teacher online presence research

The science behind engaging students via instructional videos is complicated, according to findings by researchers. Their findings show that when these visuals are used effectively, it can drive student engagement, but in some cases it could be distracting. While students reported higher engagement when the instructor looked at the camera than when they didn’t, the transparent whiteboard wasn’t always the most effective. Stull says that it seems that actually seeing the teacher’s face the whole time may have distracted attention away from the words and drawings on the transparent whiteboard.

Stull, A. T., Fiorella, L., & Mayer, R. E. (2020). The case for embodied instruction: The instructor as a source of attentional and social cues in video lectures. Journal of Educational Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000650