BrainPOP Awarded Research-Based Design Product Certification

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Aug 04, 2020, 14:20 ET

NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BrainPOP, the online educational solution that makes rigorous learning experiences accessible and engaging for all students, has earned the Research-Based Design product certification from Digital Promise. The new product certification is a rigorous, reliable signal for school administrators, educators, and families looking for evidence of research-based educational technology (edtech) products.

"Designed by true pioneers in learning technologies, BrainPOP stands out as one of the most accessible and impactful learning solutions for all students. Earning the Research-Based Design product certification from Digital Promise is an important milestone for an exceptional product design based on state-of-the-art learning sciences and rigorous efficacy evidence from multiple research studies," said Yigal Rosen, Ph.D., a co-author of Equity in Learning with BrainPOP: Fostering Access and Impact for All, who serves on the research faculty of Harvard's Graduate School of Education. Dr. Rosen collaborated on the paper, which was submitted as part of the product certification process, with Barbara Hubert, Ph.D., Director of Professional Learning at BrainPOP.

The Research-Based Design product certification is awarded to products that submit artifacts demonstrating: "They consulted research about learning to inform product design decisions; They developed a theoretical framework, such as a logic model or theory of change, grounded in research about how people learn to drive product planning and decision making; They publicly communicate the product's research basis."

"Everything we do at BrainPOP is designed to help students build the essential skills they need to succeed and thrive in the classroom and beyond. Supporting equitable, differentiated instruction for all students is central to the products we build and the services we offer to educators and parents," said Scott Kirkpatrick, CEO of BrainPOP. "We are very proud to be recognized by Digital Promise for our work in this space."

Ensuring all learners have equitable access to rigorous learning opportunities is a challenging task. Online educational platforms driven by learning science research have rich potential to support creating instructional access to high-quality learning experiences. BrainPOP is deeply committed to integrating research on learning into the design of its content and tools. This commitment anchored the design of the original BrainPOP platform and will continue to guide its development in the future.

Since its founding in 1999 by Avraham Kadar, M.D., BrainPOP has been continuously innovating to prepare students to become the leaders of tomorrow. Over the last 20 years, BrainPOP has reached more than 300 million learners worldwide. From the beginning, the BrainPOP approach engaged kids' curiosity through short animated movies that make complicated ideas simple and clear, helping them experience the sudden burst of understanding that Dr. Kadar called a "brain pop." Today, schools and districts nationwide utilize BrainPOP to raise academic achievement and strengthen students' critical, computational, and creative thinking skills.

"Schools and families want to know which edtech products can actually help students learn," said Karen Cator, president and CEO of Digital Promise. "Digital Promise's Product Certifications are designed to help strengthen consumers' confidence in choosing research-based products, while recognizing product developers doing the important work of incorporating valid research into their designs."

The Research-Based Design product certification uses a competency-based learning framework, developed in consultation with Digital Promise's Learner Variability Project advisory board, expert researchers in the learning sciences field, and dozens of educators across the United States. Further detail about its development can be found in Digital Promise's new report, "Designing Edtech that Matters for Learning: Research-Based Design Product Certifications."

About BrainPOP
BrainPOP is an online educational solution that makes rigorous learning experiences accessible and engaging for all. Proven to raise academic achievement, it has been a trusted resource to more than six million educators and has engaged the hearts and challenged the minds of over 300 million learners worldwide. 70% of K-8 U.S. schools have turned to BrainPOP as a go-to resource for remote learning, and nine out of 10 educators would recommend it to a friend or colleague. BrainPOP provides endless opportunities for kids to take agency over their learning through playful, knowledge-building content and learner-driven projects that strengthen critical, computational, and creative thinking across the entire curriculum. The company is committed to empowering kids to succeed and thrive in the classroom and beyond.

About Digital Promise
Digital Promise is a nonprofit organization that builds powerful networks and takes on grand challenges by working at the intersection of researchers, entrepreneurs, and educators. Our vision is that all people, at every stage of their lives, have access to learning experiences that help them acquire the knowledge and skills they need to thrive and continuously learn in an ever-changing world.

SOURCE BrainPOP