Science-themed music videos boost scientific literacy, study shows

University of Washington - As the United States puts ever-greater emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics education to keep competitive in the global economy, schools are trying to figure out how to improve student learning in science. University of Washington researchers Katie Davis and Greg Crowther think music may be the answer for some kids. They studied the ability of music videos to enhance students' understanding of scientific concepts. Davis will present "Sing about Science: Leveraging the Power of Music to Improve Science Education” on Friday (April 4) at the American Educational Research Association's annual conference. Davis and Crowther aren't just talking about music as a mnemonic device to help students memorize facts. Previous research has shown that music can reduce stress and increase student engagement in the learning process, so the researchers theorized that music videos could help some students process and retain information better. "It makes sense that we shouldn't teach all kids in the same way; we should individualize,” said Davis, an assistant professor in the UW's Information School.