Developing young children’s technology-based communication skills using iPads and creation apps: An action study

Abstract

Today's young children are exposed to new information technology and communication practices from early on, but the usage activities they engage in may not help fulfilling their needs in developing technology-based communication skills. This article presents preliminary findings of an action study with eight children of four to five years old in using one creation app, SeeSaw, to create artifacts to express themselves in ways that suit their personal abilities. A sequence of 11 teacher-initiated activities guided the children towards the development of age appropriate technology-based communication skills (TBCS). Digital artifacts produced by the children and videos of learning sessions were collected and analyzed using a thematic content analysis approach. The findings reveal that four- to five-year-old children acquire TBCS quickly and progressively. They are also able to use their developing TBCS effectively to communicate their experiences, knowledge and ideas using a variety of audio and visual elements. This study contributes to the literature of new learning opportunities in this information environment, with a focus on the user group of young children which has been understudied in information science.