The report, published by educational research body FutureLab, and basedon three PhD studentship projects, looked at how digital technology cansupport early years learning both in school and at home, and the issuesto consider in their design.
The study, From research to design: perspective on early years anddigital technologies, argues that early years learning is linked toshared physical and social activities involving children and adults, butthat digital technologies designed for the early years are often forindividual use and depend on equipment designed for adults, such as thecomputer keyboard. It blamed historic institutional and cultural factorsfor the lack of interactive technologies designed with young children inmind, saying that although schools in England are given e-learningcredits to buy educational software to suit personal computers, PCs wereoriginally designed to support office, desk-based use. It added thatinteractive whiteboards have become popular because they suit thetraditional methods of whole-class teaching from the front.
The report said leisure and entertainment technology, such as the Wiigames console or robotic kits found in MindStorms, were a 'strikingexample' of products that were designed for a different type of userinteraction. It said toys for pre-schoolers, including those thatsimulate mobile phones, laptops and games consoles, were an important,but largely overlooked source of exposure to technology in the home.
'What might happen if we turned the assumption of the lone child placedin front of a PC on its head and designed instead for theinter-generational, shared participation in play with tangibleartefacts?' said the report.
Rosamund Sutherland, professor of education at the University of Bristoland contributor to the report, said, 'We are drawing attention to theimportant ways in which young children learn. They like to interact withothers through playing and sharing. Designers of digital technologiesfor early years need to support this and leave room for children toconstruct their own ideas and use their imagination. Learning for theearly years is unique. Young children are not scaled-down adults - theyhave specific requirements for digital technologies.'
Further information: www.futurelab.org.uk/openingeducation.
