Audio in the Classroom Shows Powerful Impact: OCEAN Kids Nurdle Patrol Engages Students and Builds Environmental Knowledge

Audio-based learning shows strong potential as a powerful classroom tool, with growing evidence that well-designed audio experiences can deeply engage students and support meaningful learning. Findings from the external evaluation OCEAN Kids: Nurdle Patrol, an audio-driven science course for elementary students, found that the program is highly effective in building student knowledge, creating deep engagement, and fostering environmental stewardship.

Funded by the National Academies’ Gulf Research Program, and developed through a collaboration between Tumble Media, Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), and the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, OCEAN Kids: Nurdle Patrol empowers children to fight plastic pollution by enrolling them in a playful, audio-led “Secret Agent” mission. Through immersive storytelling, sound design, and real-world citizen science activities, students investigate nurdles — tiny plastic pellets that pollute waterways — while learning how scientists study environmental problems.

Topline findings from the evaluation show the audio-based program is feasible, engaging, and impactful in elementary school classrooms. Teachers consistently reported high levels of student focus and participation, and results demonstrate the program reliably builds knowledge and awareness of environmental issues. The evaluation, conducted by iEval, also found early indications that the program has potential to influence students and their families’ behaviors related to plastic pollution.

Qualitative feedback from classrooms illustrates the power of the audio format. One teacher shared that her students “had a reputation for being the noisiest group of students since they had been in kindergarten,” yet during the OCEAN Kids audio lesson, they listened “with rapt attention” the entire time. In another classroom, students eagerly answered questions out loud as the audio course host prompted them during the lesson, treating the audio experience as an active conversation rather than a passive listen.

Students echoed this enthusiasm in their own words. When asked how they learn while listening to the podcast, they responded with comments such as, “I like hearing the facts and gaining all this knowledge,” and “With my headphones on, it’s more personal learning… like it’s a secret mission made just for me.” Others praised the production elements: “The music and sound effects make it fun to listen to.”

The program also made an impact at home. In a survey, parents reported their children expressing interest in doing more environmental exploration, thinking more critically about plastics, and increasing recycling efforts. One parent said, “She thinks twice before she throws certain things in the regular trash.”

“This evaluation confirms what we’ve learned from over a decade of experience and research in the children’s audio space — audio engages children on a deep and meaningful level,” said Marshall Escamilla, Director of Education for Tumble Media. Escamilla also served as the host and “Nurdle Patrol recruiter” for the audio course.

“This program helps frame nurdle pollution as a mystery, which draws the students in and helps them understand the type of impact they have on our coast,” said Jace Tunnell,  Director of Community Engagement, Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Tunnell is featured in the audio course as “Chief Jace,” the scientific voice of Nurdle Patrol.  “Plus, OCEAN Kids empowers the students to become citizen-scientists as they spot, report on, and contribute data that helps us better understand and address plastic pollution in the Gulf.”

“AUI was proud to lead this innovative audio learning initiative and explore the power of narrative to spark student curiosity,” said Sara Robberson Lentz, STEM Education Officer at AUI. ”The evaluation makes clear that when storytelling connects to students’ natural sense of wonder, they lean into learning in remarkable ways. We will continue to support work that cultivates the scientific understanding and environmental problem-solving skills needed by the next generation.”

The OCEAN Kids team is now focused on refining the program, expanding classroom implementation, and exploring how audio-based learning can be integrated more broadly into education. The evaluation adds to a growing body of research-backed evidence that audio is a powerful tool for students and teachers.

Nurdle Patrol is free and available in English at sciencepodcastforkids.com/nurdles and soon, in Spanish, at sciencepodcastforkids/patrullanurdle