Abby Swartz

From Sesame Street to Paw Patrol: The Evolution of Children’s Television Programming

Biography

Abby Swartz is a fourth year student at Toronto Metropolitan University pursuing a BA in Professional Communication with a minor in Communication Design. Along with her interests in communication, she has a strong passion for child development and education. She hopes to use the communication skills she has developed over the past four years to become an elementary teacher who effectively engages students and helps to instill a love of learning in each child at a young age.

Details of Project

This research project investigates the ways that children’s educational television programming has adapted from the 1970s to the present day. The research was conducted by analyzing dozens of video clips of the most popular children’s educational programs over the decades. The trends and patterns prevalent throughout the research findings indicate that children’s television shows have become increasingly complex over the years. Ultimately, this study suggests that children’s television programming can positively impact cognitive development by testing memory and recall, encouraging audience participation, and engaging imaginative thinking.

Lightning talk

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