Pre-K Children’s Interaction with Educational Software Programs; An Observation of Capabilities and Levels of Engagement

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Lee, Y. (2009). Pre-K Children’s Interaction with Educational Software Programs; An Observation of Capabilities and Levels of Engagement. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 18(3), 289-309. Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/28310.

Journal Information

Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia
ISSN 1055-8896
Volume 18, Issue 3, July 2009
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)  Chesapeake, VA

More Information on JEMH

Author

Youngju Lee, University of Viginia, USA

Abstract

In this study, an interpretive qualitative approach was employed to explore how pre-K children interact with educational software programs. This study addressed four aspects of children’s computer use: mouse manipulation, interface interpretation, level of enthusiasm or disengagement, and human interaction between peers and between a child and their parents. The data was collected in a pre-K classroom and the houses of the participants during a two month period. The study consisted of observations and brief conversations with children, as well as interviews with the teacher and parents. The findings demonstrated that children have a wide range of mouse manipulation skills and interface interpretation abilities. Their level of enjoyment was influenced by their skill levels. Children were more likely to be engaged when they possessed the proper computer skills or received appropriate scaffolding from a knowledgeable adult or advanced peer. Thus, prior experience in computer use and developmental level seems to have a strong effect on an individual’s capabilities and interaction with the software. This research will greatly assist with developers in designing better software and teachers in effectively using educational software programs with young children.

Keywords

• Early Childhood Education
• Children
• Computers
• Human Computer Interaction
• Multimedia
• Software

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