The role and potential of ICT in early childhood ... - NZCER

The role and potential of ICT in early childhood education

A review of New Zealand and international literature

NEW ZEALAND COUNCIL FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH TE RNANGA O AOTEAROA M TE RANGAHAU I TE MTAURANGA

WELLINGTON 2004

Prepared for: Ministry of Education Early Childhood Education Tertiary, Curriculum, Teaching and Learning 45-47 Pipitea Street Thorndon Wellington

Prepared by: Rachel Bolstad New Zealand Council for Educational Research PO Box 3237 Wellington

? Ministry of Education November 2004 ISBN Print 0-478-13236-0

Web 0-478-13237-9

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the following people who contributed to the production of this review. From the Ministry of Education: Patricia Nally, Louise Alliston, Eliza Avery, Melissa Brewerton, Rachel Currie, Patricia Laurenson, Carol Moffat, and Lisa Oldridge. From the New Zealand Council for Educational Research: Linda Mitchell, Cathy Wylie, Christine Williams, Kristina Louis, Susan Tompkinson, Johanne McComish, Hilary Ferral, Diane Mara, and Shelley Carlyle. We are also grateful to all those from the early childhood education sector who provided references and suggested information sources for this review.

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Table of Contents

Executive summary

vii

1. Introduction

1

1.1 What is ICT?

1

1.2 Why does ICT matter in early childhood education?

2

ICT already affects the people and environments that surround young children's learning

2

ICT offers new opportunities to strengthen many aspects of early childhood education practice 2 There is support for the development and integration of ICT into education policy, curriculum,

and practice across the whole education sector

3

1.3 What roles can ICT play in ECE?

5

1.4 Developing ICT capability in the ECE sector

7

Supporting children's ICT capability and ICT literacy

7

Supporting practitioners' ICT capability and ICT literacy

8

1.5 The structure of this review

9

1.6 Summary of Section 1

10

2. Characteristics of the literature on ICT in early childhood education

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2.1 Kinds of research on ICT in early childhood education

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"Effects" research

14

Investigations of children's behaviour and social interactions around computers

14

Research into children's experiences of ICT in early childhood education settings and at home 14

Research on practitioners' professional learning in, or through, ICT

15

Case studies and exemplars of the use of ICT in early childhood education settings

15

A comment about these categories of research

16

2.2 Definitions of "early childhood" in the literature

17

2.3 Summary of Section 2

17

3. ICT and young children: the key issues

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3.1 Why use ICT with young children?

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Areas of concern about children's computer use

20

3.2 How can ICT enrich the early childhood learning environment?

25

What is developmentally appropriate use of ICT with young children?

26

ICT and children's play

28

Using ICT to support language development

30

Using ICT to support mathematical thinking and problem-solving

32

Supporting children from diverse cultural or language backgrounds

32

Supporting children with special learning needs

33

3.3 Knowing when and how to use ICT with children

34

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