Media Smart Be Adwise 2: an evaluation

Be Adwise 2 was the second set of teaching materials produced as part of the UK Media Smart initiative. The materials were launched in late 2004, and were sent on request free of charge to over 7000 UK primary schools. Developed with leading UK media literacy experts, the materials were designed for use with pupils at Key Stage 2 (aged 7-11). They aimed to support a range of curriculum areas, focusing particularly on Literacy/English and Citizenship. The Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media was engaged by Media Smart in mid-2006 to undertake an independent, objective evaluation of its Be Adwise 2 materials. The evaluation sought to address the following questions: • How and where were teachers using the materials? • How well did they connect with the existing curriculum? • Were the materials easy to use with different groups of children? • How did the materials relate to teachers’ own views on advertising and media literacy? • Did the materials help children to understand advertising better?