Bridging the cultures of research and practice: The global evolution of Sesame Street’s playful problem-solving curriculum

Traditionally, theory and practice are treated as separate silos when designing educational media, or at best, as theory informing practice in a one-way relationship. The relationship between theory and practice, however, is most productive when seen as reciprocal, existing in an iterative relationship with each influencing the other in turn. This paper reflects on the Sesame Street production and research described earlier in this special section, drawing lessons and implications for future theory and research. Implications are also drawn for future productions of Sesame Street and its international co-productions, extensions into ancillary media, and, more broadly, educational media in general, informed by a global advisory panel and the development of a global theoretical framework for future multiplatform content creation. Beyond informing Sesame Workshop’s approach to creativity and playful problem solving, this paper offers a model for media makers seeking to bridge the research-practice gap.