Evidence for Learning: Digital technology

Children are using digital technologies at increasingly earlier ages (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2013), with access from birth, and no memory of life before the internet (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008; Tapscott, 1998). The digital age brings new opportunities, including the potential for digital devices and interactive media to be used as a tool for teaching and learning with young children (Donohue, 2015; Zabatiero, Straker, Mantilla, Edwards, & Danby, 2018). In doing so, we can help ensure young children have the skills to succeed in a digital society and become well-informed, safe and responsible digital citizens (Donohue, 2015; Holloway, Green, & Stevenson, 2015; Zabatiero et al., 2018).

A study of children aged 3 – 5 years from pre-schools in Queensland Australia examined whether the use of touchscreen tablets was correlated with emergent literacy skills (Neumann, 2014). It found that children’s level of letter sound knowledge and name writing was related to having access to a tablet at home. No correlation was found between time spent using a tablet and emergent literacy skills. There is a risk that ownership of tablets may be correlated with other factors that boost early literacy, the authors called for more empirically designed research to test whether use of tablets has a causal impact on early literacy skills (Neumann, 2014).

It is important that adults working in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings ensure appropriate digital technology use ​‘by and with’ young children (Mantilla & Edwards, 2019). For instance, it is suggested that digital media content and devices can be used in ways that help children to engage, explore, express or imagine, and facilitate meaning-making, collaboration and problem-solving (Early Childhood Australia, 2018; Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media, 2012; Guernsey, 2012). As a case example, an Australian study found that viewing of a YouTube video in a preschool classroom has the potential to be a thoroughly interactive learning experience, facilitating opportunities for communication and turn-taking between a child and their teacher in response to the video, to arrive at a shared understanding of its meaning (Davidson, Given, Danby, & Thorpe, 2019). Relatedly, a study of 103 Australian children aged 3 to 5 years found that the introduction of digital animation in the preschool classroom can potentially transform the nature of children’s play through facilitating imaginary and role-play in a digital form (Fleer, 2017).

Australian guidelines suggest sedentary screen time is recommended to be limited to no more than one hour per day for children 2 – 5 years of age (Australian Government Department of Health, 2017). Educators working with young children should ensure the wise use of digital technologies to minimise potential musculoskeletal risks, including modelling correct postures during tablet use (Howie, Coenen, Campbell, Ranelli, & Straker, 2017). This recommendation is predicated on the basis of a study of 10 Australian children aged 3 – 5 years from the Perth metropolitan area, which found that use of mobile touchscreen devices poses unique musculoskeletal risks and can contribute to increased sedentary behaviour and reduced physical activity among young children. Whilst this laboratory-based study was limited by a small sample size, due to an intensive measurement protocol, it nevertheless suggests that non-screen toy play should be encouraged among young children as an alternative to screen time (Howie et al., 2017).

Research on young children’s use of technology is in its infancy, with the rapidly changing nature of technology making it difficult to measure its effects over time. Although evidence in the Australasian context is limited, international research also indicates that when used appropriately and with engaged adults, technology holds considerable potential for supporting children’s learning and development.