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Background: Promising evidence supports the effectiveness of edutainment interventions in shifting norms to prevent violence against women and girls and other harmful practices, yet further research into mechanisms and pathways of impact is needed to inform intervention development, delivery and scale-up. This exploratory qualitative evaluation examined the feasibility and indications of change in attitudes, beliefs, norms and behaviours following the broadcast of a radio drama aired to prevent age-disparate transactional sex in Kigoma, Tanzania. Methods: Over seven weeks, six episodes were broadcast on local radio weekly, between November and December 2021 in Kigoma, targeting adolescent girls (aged 13–15 years) and their caregivers. Reflection sessions were conducted twice a week with 70 girls across seven schools, supplemented by after-school Girls' Club listening sessions for a subgroup of 30 girls. We conducted seven before and after focus group discussions, five with girls (n = 50), one with men caregivers (n = 9) and one with women caregivers (n = 9) and analysed them using thematic and framework analysis approaches. Results: Overall, we found that while girls exhibited significant engagement with the drama, caregiver participation, particularly among men, was low. Thus, no clear changes were detected in men. We did not find any differences in impact based on listening sessions' attendance vs. home listening. We detected positive changes among girls and women in four thematic areas after listening to the drama: (1) participant's increasingly challenged perceptions about what kinds of girls and men take part in age-disparate transactional sex, what can be exchanged, and men's motivations for engaging; (2) there was a shift from attributing blame for age-disparate transactional sex relationships from girls to men; (3) girl's reported increased agency and confidence to avoid age-disparate transactional sex relationships; and (4) we found a heightened sense of responsibility and recognition for the role of parents, peers and community members in preventing age-disparate transactional sex. Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for further implementation research to explore ways to effectively engage men. They also underscore the potential of engaging, evidence-based edutainment interventions in fostering spontaneous critical reflection about complex behaviours such as age-disparate transactional sex, and diffusing key messages among target populations without the use of organised diffusion activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents "The Mediterranean Forest," an interactive exhibit designed for the Science Museum of Valencia. The exhibit engages children aged 3–8 by bringing their animal drawings to life in a virtual world. The system allows children to select, paint, scan, and transform drawings into three-dimensional avatars. These virtual animals interact with each other in the environment and with the children in the room. The exhibit is a collaborative space, where users can manipulate the real world, that promotes learning by exploration. The proposed solution integrates various cutting-edge technologies, including a large Virtual Reality projection system with blending techniques, Kinect devices for the interactivity, cheoptics hologram technology for realistic 3D visuals, and AI-driven virtual avatars simulating different behaviors and reacting to the user's approach. The exhibit was evaluated through a study involving children, with feedback collected using a tailored questionnaire and the results indicated high levels of engagement and enjoyment among the children, with the majority expressing positive experiences. Some questions were not understandable for some children, which should be considered for future formal evaluation. The system's intuitiveness allowed children to navigate and interact with the virtual environment. The exhibit also demonstrates scalability, accommodating large groups of children effectively. Overall, "The Mediterranean Forest" successfully captivates children's attention, fostering creativity and imagination by transforming their drawings into a dynamic virtual world. This study underscores the benefits of using interactive technologies in museum settings to enhance children's learning experiences, encouraging further advancements in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study quantitatively examines the coeducation of television series and films between 1986 and 2023. This analysis has been facilitated by applying bibliometric analysis to scientific production using a relevant Web of Science (WoS) database. Analyses of 190 documents were conducted using quantitative and descriptive methods. These results present a multifaceted analysis of scientific production, evaluating historical development, the productivity of countries and institutions, authors' productivity, and sources' productivity. The study indicates that scientific production has grown exponentially in the last decade; this coincides with the emergence of video-on-demand platforms, multiscreen consumption, and equality policies. The conclusions must emphasize the significant role played by fiction series and film productions as socializing agents and their educational potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the needs of most English for a Specific Purpose (ESP) learners, speaking proficiency and terminology learning are two challenging objectives of their English learning. This anxiety is boosted when it comes to technical environments because it needs a range of specific vocabulary, resulting in lower scores than expected. Edutainment or the integration of entertainment with education is supposed to be helpful. Regarding a quasi-experimental study, 60 Iranian ESP learners studying nursing were conveniently selected and distributed into experimental (EG) and control (CG) groups. During the intervention phase, participants in the EG were taught the instructional materials based on Edutainment activities ranging from simple crossword puzzles to complex simulative games. Participants in the CG received the same content through mainstream English learning tasks. The instruments included an Oxford Placement Test (OPT), speaking proficiency, and terminology tests. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the outcomes. The results indicated that EG participants significantly outperformed CG regarding speaking proficiency and terminology learning. While Edutainment was significantly effective in enhancing the mentioned domains, it was more beneficial in speaking proficiency compared to terminology learning. The outcome may benefit ESP teachers, learners, and curriculum developers considering the integration of education and entertainment.

In this article, I insist on a broader conceptualisation of the Disney Vault, not only as a figurative place for films outside of their distribution windows, but also as an industrial practice of vaulting which continues to play a role at the Walt Disney Company. Drawing on primary resources and the company’s home-video distribution history, I explore Disney’s relationship to past, present, and future. I posit that mobilising the Vault as a branding tool has broader historiographical implications in that it works as a tool of public relations that obfuscates problematic corporate histories—even as the company continues to distribute content in the streaming age. Using Song of the South (Wilfred Jackson, 1946) and the film’s paratexts as a case study, I consider how contemporary language surrounding the Vault has served to mask Disney’s most problematic and notorious property in the streaming age. By painting the streaming platform as a democratic space of open access, Disney conceals a fraught past by guiding users to believe that they maintain complete access to the Disney collection. Recognising vaulting as an industry practice can help researchers more effectively account for the limitations of the corporate-owned streaming archive.

A multi-section coordinated math for social sciences course at a Hispanic-Serving Institution went through a major revision which included the addition of many resources. One resource was educational songs, including a lyric video on the three possible outcomes when solving a system of linear equations. The learning objective associated with this topic is one where learning (if not also teaching) may fall short, thus motivating a creative way to increase engagement. We discuss results from anonymous surveys of students and instructors to assess this educational song's potential to support student engagement (and hopefully learning), contextualized with qualitative data such as classroom observation. Recommendations for future assessment and class use are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We exploit a field experiment by (Chong, A., and M. Valdivia. 2023. "Edutainment, Savings, and Generational Differences in Rural Areas of Peru." In Working Paper. Department of Economics, Georgia State University) and test whether poor women from rural areas in developing countries that are able to save seek dwelling-related assets and find causal evidence that this is indeed the case. Furthermore, we also find that the older cohort of women, those aged forty and higher, also prioritize material assets related to health-related expenditures, in particular, access to public sewerage system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focuses on the development based on edutainment pop-up letter card media customized for use by dyslexic children in elementary school. Dyslexia poses significant challenges for children in learning to read and write, requiring specialized educational tools to support their learning needs. The developed popup letter cards integrate visual, auditory, and tactile elements to create an engaging and multisensory learning experience. By leveraging interactive features and user-friendly design, it is hoped that the development of this media can provide a solution to reading difficulties for dyslexic students in elementary school. The method used in this research is Design Based Research (DBR), the selection of this method is considered appropriate for developing a product that can be one of the solutions to the problems that occur in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narrative media interventions in the form of edutainment are increasingly used to change behaviors, social norms, and attitudes. The present study examines the effects of a narrative intervention using role models on efficacy beliefs, behavioral options, social norms, and attitudes. I utilize data from a cluster randomized controlled trial with two arms (treatment vs. control) conducted in 132 villages in Burkina Faso (N = 2,904 participants). Randomly selected participants in intervention villages participated in group listening sessions of a radio drama over 3 months. Compared to a business-as-usual control, the narrative intervention increased self- and collective efficacy beliefs to bring about social change, and influenced endorsement of behavioral options to fight corruption. The intervention also reduced the perception that reporting corruption is viewed as dangerous by the community. The findings contribute to the literature on narrative media interventions and social modeling of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Using memes enhances the student perception of fun within taught content. • Creating and using memes improves the perception of knowledge retention. • Students' demographics did not appear to affect students' experiences of using memes as a learning tool. Meme-making is an effective method for engaging students and enhancing the learning environment. Memes are a social media cultural phenomenon that the majority of those in Higher Education are exposed to on an almost daily occurrence. This research examined the use of meme-making within the forensic sciences to allow students to reflect on their knowledge. Students studying modules in forensic science across six universities in the UK and USA participated in the study. At the end of a teaching session, students produced a meme (using Meme Generator) to reflect on what they had learned; memes were then shared with the class anonymously via Padlet. This allowed all class members to see and engage with the memes created. At the end of the activity students were anonymously surveyed on their experience using Microsoft Forms and analysis of the results were undertaken using SPSS software. Meme-making was found to be an inclusive learning activity with no limitations, including age (part-time, distance learning and visually impaired students were not part of the study parameters). Results showed that not only did students find the practice fun, but it also helped with the retention of the class content suggesting that the meme-making process is an effective way to enhance the learning environment while engaging students. Student feedback suggests that to maximise participation the educator should stress reflection and learning as the key purpose of generating a meme, rather than being witty or entertaining. The forensic science educator should be mindful of selecting appropriate subject matter for this often-humorous activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With competing demands on attention, one option is to use the humanities and arts to 'hack' the attention of students. This is one experienced professor's journey to find balance, mindfulness and attention through the humanities and arts.

The metaverse, powered by XR technologies, enables human augmentation by enhancing physical, cognitive, and sensory capabilities. Cultural heritage sees the metaverse as a vehicle for expression and exploration, providing new methods for heritage fruition and preservation. This article proposes a metaverse application, inspired by the events of the Italian Resistance, promoting interactions between multiple users in an immersive VR experience while safeguarding intangible cultural assets according to an edutainment approach. The virtual environment, based on Ivrea's town hall square, provides in-depth information about the partisan's life and the historical value of its actions for the city. Furthermore, the application allows users to meet in the same virtual place and engage with one another in real time through the Spatial SDK. Before the public presentation, a heterogeneous group of thirty users underwent usability and engagement tests to assess the experience on both VR headsets and smartphones. Tests revealed statistically significant evidence that there is a genuine difference in users' perceptions of usability and engagement with different devices and types of interaction. This study highlights the effectiveness of adopting XR as a supporting technology to complement the real experience of cultural heritage valorization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thus far, the success of soap operas in peacebuilding and their contribution to social change have been attributed to the edutainment format they usually take. The edutainment format is indeed an essential element of success, but it alone does not reveal the basis for soap operas' influence on audiences and societies. We therefore argue that for soap operas to have a transformative peacebuilding effect, to contribute to the learning of non-violent engagement with conflict and thereby to enable social change and resilience to violent conflict within societies, they need to do more than educate and entertain: they need to acquire moral authority. This moral authority can only be derived from the combination of two elements: first, edutainment and second, civil norm building. The second element, though indispensable, has thus far not formed part of our understanding of the success of soap operas. To illustrate our argument, we take the soap opera Team Kenya which was created following the 2007–2008 post-election violence to help Kenyans overcome their ethnic-tribal identity conflicts in non-violent ways as a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questioning is an important activity in teaching. In medical colleges, on-stage quiz competitions are appreciated by students as well as faculty as they are an engaging way to connect with the discipline. We organized the Physiology Quiz Competition to assess the concepts of functional mechanisms of various organ systems. It was an academic tool for teaching and learning for 200 first-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) course students. It was conducted in four rounds: multiple choice question-based round 1 (R1), explanatory-type round 2 (R2), rapid-fire round 3 (R3), and image-based round 4 (R4). The postquiz feedback questionnaire included 23 total questions, 10 questions used a 5-point Likert scale, another 10 questions had dichotomous options, and the remaining 3 questions were used to collect general information about all rounds. Data were collected and analyzed. The outcome of academic learning was reported by 26% of students regarding R1, 30.5% regarding R2, 18.5% regarding R3, and 25% regarding R4 round. R4 and R3 were reported by 44.5% and 23% of students and R2 and R1 by 16% of students as a source of entertainment. A total of 67% of students found the quiz to be an excellent teaching and learning method. All students endorsed the quiz as innovative and interesting. In conclusion, the Physiology Quiz Competition can be used for edutainment as an innovative teaching and learning method, especially for first-year medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This aerial review concentrates on the development of the South African television industry as chronicled and analysed by scholarship. Academic reflections on the evolution of television are categorised into three main periods: First, the advent of South African television, second, the transitional period, and third, a period of stocktaking. The overview aims to provide readers with key academic discussions during these periods and the historical context within which they took shape. Looking at issues ranging from censorship, nation-building, restructuring and globalisation, to event television, edutainment programming and community TV, the South African television environment is shown to be in constant transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the perspectives of re-enactor tour guides (RTG) concerning their role and re-enactment of dark histories—an overlooked topic within dark tourism research. A conceptual model is proposed that reflects the role of RTGs and how they differ from re-enactors and non-acting tour guides. The model was developed from data collected using rich picture building (RPB) during focus groups with RTGs at three lighter dark visitor attractions. The findings reveal RTGs are passionate about the history and committed to delivering memorable visitor experiences. They also reveal RTGs can offer attraction management constructive feedback and ideas to enhance the visitor experience. The study extends existing literature and provides important insights pertaining to RTGs and the re-enactment of dark histories within lighter dark tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization makes cultural absorption faster, but this also has a negative effect if the culture exposed is unsuitable. This will also affect the morale of a generation. One media that can spread culture and moral values is video games. For example, in a role-playing game genre which makes the players act like it is their real life, they can grasp many valuable experiences. Therefore, this study aims to identify the moral values in a video game called Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. Harvest Moon: Back to Nature or HM BTN is a role-playing game in which the player acts as an amateur farmer to save his inheritance farm. The data in this study is in the form of text and co-text derived from the game. This study applies qualitative descriptive methods to analyse and present the results. The analysis results demonstrate that seven types of moral values were identified from the video game. They are; bravery, love and affection, sympathy to others, cooperativeness, thankfulness, trustworthiness, and kind-hearted. This result indicated that Harvest Moon: Back to Nature video game presents not only entertaining gameplay to the gamers but also several moral values that construct a good personality to them. It can be concluded that video games can be utilized as learning media depending on the genre and theme. Educators need to select the appropriate one.

The learning process is fundamentally a communication process within education. Media's role is crucial, as it aids in clarifying ambiguous material and acting as an intermediary. Complex subjects can be simplified using media, addressing teacher limitations in conveying concepts and solidifying abstract material. Developing Edutainment-Based Interactive E-Modules for Class XII Physics at SMA Negeri 1 Bluluk enables teachers to innovate, creating engaging content. Students benefit from active participation in collaborative learning, both online and offline, facilitated by Canva for Education. This study employs the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) for development, utilizing questionnaires for material, learning design, and media experts. Trials involving peer, individual, small group, and field testing were conducted among teachers and students. The feasibility of the learning media was positively assessed by experts, yielding high percentages. Validation of Canva for Education Technology-Based Learning Media indicated its suitability for Physics education in Class XII at SMA Negeri 1 Bluluk Lamongan.

This study quantitatively examines the coeducation of television series and films between 1986 and 2023. This analysis has been facilitated by applying bibliometric analysis to scientific production using a relevant Web of Science (WoS) database. Analyses of 190 documents were conducted using quantitative and descriptive methods. These results present a multifaceted analysis of scientific production, evaluating historical development, the productivity of countries and institutions, authors’ productivity, and sources’ productivity. The study indicates that scientific production has grown exponentially in the last decade; this coincides with the emergence of video-on-demand platforms, multiscreen consumption, and equality policies. The conclusions must emphasize the significant role played by fiction series and film productions as socializing agents and their educational potential.

In celebration of the planetarium's 100th anniversary, this article offers a case study of the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Center Planetarium. The planetarium emerges as a paramount symbol of the enduring significance of these celestial learning centres, uniquely positioned to champion astronomy education and the preservation of the pristine night sky. Through innovative initiatives and immersive experiences, this planetarium inspires the next generation of scientists and illuminates the path to a future shaped by scientific curiosity and cosmic exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reveals the meaning of the concept of artificial intelligence and proves the necessity of its application in the educational space. The purpose of the article is to show the importance of artificial intelligence as an educational and entertainment tool in higher education. The methodological concept is aimed at ensuring the effectiveness of students' education with the help of artificial intelligence. The research results show the types (weak and strong), directions, functions of artificial intelligence; the importance of edutainment in higher education and its main principles are revealed. Artificial intelligence is presented as a toolkit of edutainment in higher education and the importance of using artificial intelligence functions for edutainment in US higher education to improve human skills and abilities is shown. The significance of the avatar and virtual teacher in the educational process is revealed. During the research and experimental work, we singled out the leading factors of the actualization of the ideas of artificial intelligence as an educational and entertainment toolkit in the modern theory and practice of training students of higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the needs of most English for a Specific Purpose (ESP) learners, speaking proficiency and terminology learning are two challenging objectives of their English learning. This anxiety is boosted when it comes to technical environments because it needs a range of specific vocabulary, resulting in lower scores than expected. Edutainment or the integration of entertainment with education is supposed to be helpful. Regarding a quasiexperimental study, 60 Iranian ESP learners studying nursing were conveniently selected and distributed into experimental (EG) and control (CG) groups. During the intervention phase, participants in the EG were taught the instructional materials based on Edutainment activities ranging from simple crossword puzzles to complex simulative games. Participants in the CG received the same content through mainstream English learning tasks. The instruments included an Oxford Placement Test (OPT), speaking proficiency, and terminology tests. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the outcomes. The results indicated that EG participants significantly outperformed CG regarding speaking proficiency and terminology learning. While Edutainment was significantly effective in enhancing the mentioned domains, it was more beneficial in speaking proficiency compared to terminology learning. The outcome may benefit ESP teachers, learners, and curriculum developers considering the integration of education and entertainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an illustration of perfect cosmic timing, the week of November 27, 2022 saw two distinct public incidents involving the British Royal Family that worked serendipitously with one another to [...]

The article is devoted to the didactic potential of mobile applications for learning English as a foreign language by students of non-philology specialities. Since mobile learning acquires complex and systemic features, it is extremely important to investigate specific means that contribute to the implementation of educational tasks and the acquisition of necessary competencies by students getting higher education. The purpose of the article is to review existing mobile applications designed for learning English as a foreign language by Ukrainian students in order to determine their didactic potential. Research methods: the analysis of sources on the topic of research made it possible to understand the state of development of the topic, the main directions of domestic and foreign research on mobile learning; descriptive provided an opportunity to generalize the experience gained during reconnaissance; synthesis of the obtained data contributed to the conclusion of the research concept and its implementation. The didactic potential of mobile applications in learning English as a foreign language is considered. A number of mobile applications offered by Google Play were analyzed, and it was determined that they can be typologically classified according to various characteristics (age of the target audience, level of foreign language proficiency, developer expertise, amount of processed material, number of downloads and the score with which users rated a certain application). The applications that can be logically and naturally introduced into the educational process of students of the 1st year of the elementary and pre-intermediate levels were analyzed. 8 applications were considered. As a result of the research, it was found out that despite the considerable diversity of the analyzed applications, their common feature is the implementation of the “edutainment” concept, in which educational goals are achieved by combining the game form and the educational component of the material under consideration. Application developers pay the most attention to grammatical material and thematic vocabulary. Learned topics can be consolidated with the help of tests, often presented in a game form. An indisputable positive point is that the studied lexemes, grammatical constructions and whole sentences are voiced by native English speakers. Based on the concept of interval repetition, the developers include tools in the applications that allow students to memorize the material as easily and naturally as possible. These can be, for example: a repetition calendar, a reminder system, associative pictures, quizzes, the ability to create word cards by your own, transcription of words in English, examples of the use of polysemantic lexemes in different meanings, accompanied by translation and voiceover in a male or female voice. Both individual and group work is provided in the applications. The function of group English learning can be easily used during classroom classes. Mobile applications are a powerful resource that a teacher can refer to when dealing with specific topics. It is convenient for the student to use mobile applications outside of class time, consolidating information learned from textbooks and expanding it with the help of material provided in the course. However, mobile applications in no way replace the main textbook, being only one of the varieties of didactic material which is modern, relevant and understandable for a modern student of higher education.

AbstractThis paper appraises the role of contemporary Kiswahili music, a form of oral art, in promoting environmental awareness and advocacy. Using case studies from Kenya and Tanzania, we analyse whether East African music infused with suitable environmental practices can help mainstream environmental education, arouse public interest towards nature, advocate for change in mind-sets, and call for proactive action on environmental conservation, while still offering entertainment. Ethnomusicological Kiswahili songs encouraging connection to nature were purposively chosen and acquired from YouTube. The lyrics of these songs were transcribed, translated, and analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis and Conceptual Metaphor Theories. By examining the context and meanings of these songs, we demonstrate that contemporary environmental songs are art forms of expression that advocate for increased environmental management by eliciting discussions and encouraging active societal eco-friendly remedial actions towards ecological resilience and environmental integrity. This article contributes to the emerging discourse on educational and environmental connections through the use of contemporary music, entertainment, and metaphors, with an overarching view to addressing current and emerging environmental concerns. Consequently, we affirm that African music can be used for entertainment, communication of messages and promotion of positive behaviour change.