Tech Review and Redesign
The PBS Peg + Cat Big Gig app, based on the PBS Kids Series by the same name, aims to help kids between the ages of three and six practice counting and math through song. In this reflection, I analyze the positive contributions of the parasocial relationship afforded through the app on a child’s learning outcomes while highlighting the shortcomings of the app in maximizing its interactive potential.
The Peg + Cat app brings to bear the impact potential of parasocial factors in promoting user engagement and advancing learning outcomes. I was drawn to the Peg + Cat app after having seen one of the episodes with my nieces; I felt a sense of familiarity with the characters due to that previous interaction (Hirsh, 2015). This familiarity was similar to the feeling my peers and I experienced in class when reading with the Buzz Lightyear e-book; because we recognized the characters and their stories, we perceived ourselves to have a deeper interaction with them even if they could not respond to us (Hirsh, 2015, p. 19). I was interested in what the Peg + Cat characters had to say to me through the app because I felt I was building off of a previous interaction. I developed an affinity for Peg and her posse, so when Peg asked me to help her count all of her friends to make sure no one was left behind, I truly was interested in helping. In this way, I experienced firsthand the engagement benefits of parasocial relationships, which I can only imagine to be amplified for users between the ages of three and six. My engagement was further exacerbated through the singing and cheering of the characters. These acts became extrinsic motivators for me to continue to play the game, perform well, and remain on task (Hirsh, 2015). Due to all of these factors, I would expect the Peg + Cat app to do an effective job of teaching kids counting skills (Hirsh, 2015; Richert et. al, 2011, p. 89). Ultimately, the Peg + Cat app’s use of parasocial relationships to engage young learners provides an effective means of working toward the learning outcome of learning to count.
Despite the advantages of utilizing parasocial factors to advance learning, the Peg + Cat app does not use its interactive potential to the best effect. The “Giant Hide and Seek” game, in particular, sheds light on the limitations of the app via its poor visual design. The game involves hiding some of the characters in inanimate objects to prevent them from being found by the adults, thereby teaching users to match characters to open slots. In the screen capture of the game below, you can see how users are expected to drag each of the five characters one by one into the available slots in a frame or a bowl. Particularly among users closer to three years old that are just beginning to grasp the symbolic representation of objects on the screen, the mere outline of a frame and a bowl may not translate to the actual objects those shapes are intended to represent (Richert et. al, 2011). A more effective design might use images of the actual objects with a more creative interface that portrays what would happen in real life. Specifically, users would see an actual bowl and drag characters into the bowl rather than placing the characters on top of its outline. In this way, the learner would find meaning in the game that goes beyond the confines of the app (Hirsh, 2015). Implementing these minor though significant design improvements has the potential to augment the learning experience for users, especially those on the older side of the age range for whom this game might prove too easy to be engaging.
Overall, the Peg + Cat app is a worthwhile tool for teaching some of the basics of counting and math. While it takes advantage of parasocial factors to draw users, it could take advantage of simple improvements to escalate learning outcomes for users.
References
Hirsh-Pasek, K., Zosh, J.M, Golinkoff, R.M., Gray, J.H., Robb, M.B., & Kaufman, J. (2015). Putting Education in “Educational” Apps: Lessons From the Science of Learning. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16, 3-34.
Richert, R.A., Robb, M.B., & Smith, E.I. (2011). Media as social partners: The social nature of young children’s learning from screen media. Child Development, 82-95.
