Abstract:
Australian curriculum guidelines, from the early years, support the inclusion of digital technologies to enhance student learning, and endorse embedding digital activities into classroom learning opportunities. Schools manage these expectations in a variety of ways, and provide a range of digital and electronic resources to support digital learning opportunities. Resources include the provision of digital devices (e.g. tablets, laptops, and electronic whiteboards), digital applications ('apps'), and dedicated classroom space (e.g. desktop computer, an iPad station, Computer Lab). At a time when educators are urged to teach children to be literate across a variety of contexts and multiple forms of media, the need to critically select and reflect upon the use of digital resources is imperative. Much of what masquerades for "educational" in the digital world, is not. Literacy is often over-simplified as a set of skills where mastery is required for learning to read and write and this is reflected in the design of many digital resources. As the types of digital resources incorporated into literacy classrooms are defined and redefined, it is timely to consider: How are digital resources being incorporated into classrooms? Are digital technologies simply replicating traditional classroom pedagogies? How do these practices connect with quality literacy pedagogy?
This presentation shares data from three studies of students in three different primary schools using three different commercial programs promoted as "educational". It reports the ways these children independently access and participate in the digital activities on offer while their teacher works with other children. Case 1 examines students practising handwriting using a tablet app. Case 2 uses eye tracking software to track a student's reading of an e-book using the automatic read function. Case 3 involves a student in a Computer Lab using a reading and comprehension app that involves a quiz. At first, these students appear engaged and focused on their activities, but closer investigation reveals dilemmas and problems caused by the apps themselves that are not immediately recognisable. This critique examines children's use of "educational" digital resources, and their appropriateness for literacy learning, as well as some alternatives for leveraging the affordances of the technology to support children's literate abilities. In doing so, how children engage with digital resources for active and engaged literacy learning in meaningful and socially interactive contexts will be explored. Principles for the selection of digital resources to promote playful, scaffolded, and exploratory literacy learning will be revealed.
This presentation shares data from three studies of students in three different primary schools using three different commercial programs promoted as "educational". It reports the ways these children independently access and participate in the digital activities on offer while their teacher works with other children. Case 1 examines students practising handwriting using a tablet app. Case 2 uses eye tracking software to track a student's reading of an e-book using the automatic read function. Case 3 involves a student in a Computer Lab using a reading and comprehension app that involves a quiz. At first, these students appear engaged and focused on their activities, but closer investigation reveals dilemmas and problems caused by the apps themselves that are not immediately recognisable. This critique examines children's use of "educational" digital resources, and their appropriateness for literacy learning, as well as some alternatives for leveraging the affordances of the technology to support children's literate abilities. In doing so, how children engage with digital resources for active and engaged literacy learning in meaningful and socially interactive contexts will be explored. Principles for the selection of digital resources to promote playful, scaffolded, and exploratory literacy learning will be revealed.