Alexis R. Lauricella

Factors influencing digital technology use in early childhood education

The current study uses path modeling to investigate the relationship between extrinsic and intrinsic factors that influence early childhood educators’ digital technology use. Survey data from 1234 early childhood educators indicate that attitudes toward the value of technology to aid children’s learning have the strongest effect on technology use, followed by confidence and support in using technology. Additionally, student SES has the strongest effect on attitudes, while support and technology policy influence teacher confidence, which in turn influences attitudes. In contrast, more experienced teachers have more negative attitudes. Overall, the study provides the first path model investigating early childhood educators’ technology use and provides practical considerations to aid teachers’ use of technology in the classroom.

Infant and Early Childhood Exposure to Adult-Directed and Child-Directed Television Programming: Relations with Cognitive Skills at Age Four

This study described the relations among the amount of child-directed versus adult-directed television exposure at ages 1 and 4 with cognitive outcomes at age 4. Sixty parents completed 24-hour television diaries when their children were 1 and 4 years of age. At age 4, their children also completed a series of cognitive measures and parents completed an assessment of their childrens executive functioning skills. High levels of exposure to programs designed for adults during both infancy and at age 4, and high levels of household television use at age 4, were all associated with poorer executive functioning at age 4. High exposure to television programs designed for adults during the preschool years was also associated with poorer cognitive outcomes at age 4. In contrast, exposure to television programs designed for young children at either time point was not associated with any outcome measure at age 4. These results suggest that exposure to child-directed versus adult-directed television content is an important factor in understanding the relation between media exposure and developmental outcomes.

The Mobile Generation: Youth and Adolescent Ownership and Use of New Media

The relatively recent invention of mobile tablets has changed the way children and adolescents use media technologies. Given that children and adolescents differ developmentally, we use Uses and Gratifications theory to explore ownership of mobile devices by young people and how children and adolescents use newer media technologies, including the Internet and mobile devices. Results from a national study of 909 children and adolescents, 8 to 17 years old, demonstrate that even younger children are avid users of new mobile devices, although ownership and use of mobile phones and tablets increases with age. Further, Internet use varies as a function of age, suggesting that children and adolescents may have different interests in and motivations to use new media technology, which play a role in their media use behavior.

Emerging Computer Skills: Influences of young children's executive functioning abilities and parental scaffolding techniques in the US

The purpose of this study was to examine how 4-year-old children learn to use computers, with specific interest in what cognitive factors and parental scaffolding practices are associated with control of the computer via the computer mouse interface. Fifty-three 4-year-old children were videotaped while viewing two computer storybooks. Results indicated that children who had better executive functioning abilities were more likely to control the mouse. When the child primarily controlled the mouse, parent verbalizations were typically related to computer mechanics about how to use the mouse. In contrast, when the parent primarily controlled the mouse, parent verbalizations were focused on story-relevant questions. Regardless of whether the child or parent controlled the mouse, story comprehension was comparable. The results suggest that executive functioning ability is important in young childrens development of computer skills and that parents adapt their verbalizations to match the abilities of their children and the tasks that they are doing.

Measuring with Murray

American students rank well below international peers in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Early exposure to STEM-related concepts is critical to later academic achievement. Given the rise of tablet-computer use in early childhood education settings, interactive technology might be one particularly fruitful way of supplementing early STEM education. Using a between-subjects experimental design, we sought to determine whether preschoolers could learn a fundamental math concept (i.e., measurement with non-standard units) from educational technology, and whether interactivity is a crucial component of learning from that technology. Participants who either played an interactive tablet-based game or viewed a non-interactive video demonstrated greater transfer of knowledge than those assigned to a control condition. Interestingly, interactivity contributed to better performance on near transfer tasks, while participants in the non-interactive condition performed better on far transfer tasks. Our findings suggest that, while preschool-aged children can learn early STEM skills from educational technology, interactivity may only further support learning in certain contexts.

Children and the Internet: Developmental Implications of Web Site Preferences Among 8- to 12-Year-Old Children

The Internet is quickly becoming a favored medium for children, but few studies have investigated the content and types of activities children engage with online. The current study uses data collected from a national sample of 442 8- to 12-year-old children to investigate childrens Internet content preferences during middle childhood. Results indicate that YouTube and Facebook were the two most favored Web sites. Additionally, there were significant differences by age and gender. Overall, results suggest childrens Web site preferences are consistent with emotional, social, and cognitive development encountered in middle childhood.

What kind of adults will our children become? The impact of growing up in a media-saturated world

Abstract This article urges children and media scholars to consider the broader consequences of the ubiquitous media environment in which children live today. We consider, within a broader sociocultural context, the ways in which media and interactive technology serve as more knowledgeable others, scaffolding childrens learning and development. Given this context, it is imperative for researchers to consider the consequences of living in the digital age and how broader developmental trajectories may be influenced. We call upon children and media researchers to contemplate more thoughtful research agendas that begin to assess the larger impact of media on children’s learning and developmental trajectories.

The “New” Technology Environment: The Role of Content and Context on Learning and Development from Mobile Media

The rise of mobile media over recent years has brought promise and potential for children’s learning and development. With new—and often highly interactive—ways for children to engage with digital media and technology, as well as the ability to engage anywhere at anytime, mobile media is providing new and different opportunities unavailable with prior technologies. At the same time, these novel opportunities have led to more questions regarding the developmental appropriateness of digital media and technology, as well as how to best leverage the novel features of mobile media (e.g., touchscreens, anywhere/anytime engagement) to support young children’s learning and development. What has not changed, however, is the foundational importance of understanding not just whether and how children engage with mobile media but the content and context of that engagement. Indeed, emerging technologies afford new types of content (e.g., interactive) and contexts (e.g., mobile media can be taken anywhere), and have shifted traditional notions of screens and screen time. This chapter explores how new content and contexts afforded by mobile media fit into the daily lives of children and their influence on children’s learning and development.

Supporting Head Start parents: impact of a text message intervention on parent–child activity engagement

Head Start emphasises parent engagement as a critical strategy in promoting childrens long-term learning. Parents can support childrens positive development by engaging them in stimulating activities. The following study assessed whether a service that delivered parenting tips via text message could prompt parents of children enrolled in Head Start programmes to engage in more learning activities with their children. Two hundred and fifty-six parents participated in the study with approximately half receiving text messages for six weeks. All participants completed a questionnaire about the types of learning activities in which they engaged their children. Parents who received the service engaged in more learning activities; this was particularly true of fathers and parents of boys. Parents reported high rates of satisfaction with service. These results suggest that text-based interventions as a supplement to other forms of family engagement may successfully communicate parenting information and support parental engagement with young children.

Should babies be watching television and DVDs

Should babies be watching television and DVDs? This is a reasonable question to ask but a difficult one to answer. This article reviews the theories and related research to examine what is known about infant media use. The review provides evidence both for and against each theory. The importance of infants learning how to watch and learn from screen media presentations is indicated and the new world of media to which babies are exposed is discussed.