How to understand the role of digital play in the early years with ease
The Role of Digital Play in the Early Years
Young children today continue to be born in this digital and information age that we live in. Digital technologies are becoming more embedded and ubiquitous in the environment around children. They are having a profound effect on young children’s live and they are being ‘taken for granted’.
For parents and educators of the pre-digital age, you can now choose to embrace digital play options which come with a need to learn new skills. Yet, digital play has been proven to be the most effective way to integrate digital technology in early childhood education learning environments.
“The key skills of the future will include the ability to develop innovative ways of using technology to enhance the learning environment, and to encourage technology literacy, knowledge deepening and knowledge creation.”
(UNESCO ICT-CST 2008a: 9)
This provides further evidence of why complex and continuous professional development for ECE teachers is a key requirement for the productive integration of ICT into the learning and development process of young children.
“This requires a different set of classroom management skills to be developed.”
In relation to the roles that digital technology in early childhood education can play there is a growing recognition of the many different ways that digital play can contribute to, or transform, the activities, roles, and relationships experienced by children and adults in early childhood learning environments.
Here are some possible roles that digital play can have in early childhood education:
Roles of Digital Play
Examples may include the following
Children using digital technology such as ICT in their play or learning (alone, with peers, or with adults)
Children using computers to play games, listen to stories, or draw pictures.
Children using ICT equipment in games or role-play activities.
Children and practitioners using digital technology to scaffold children’s learning
Using the Internet to locate information or resources, sparked by children’s interest in a particular topic or idea.
Children and practitioners using digital technology together to document and reflect on children’s learning with parents, or with other practitioners.
Taking digital photos, videos or audio recordings of activities in the early childhood education setting and reviewing these together, or sharing them with parents.
Practitioners and children using digital technology to build portfolios of children’s work, to use for evaluating progress in children’s learning and development.
Health and Safety Issues with Digital Play
While young children are naturally drawn to digital technologies there is a proliferation of literature that makes claims to both its advantages and disadvantages of it to them. Concerns today relate to the following:
- Harmful physical effects of children’s prolonged computer use;
- Negative impacts on children’s social development (for example, computer use will encourage anti-social behaviour);
- Educational concerns that computers will interfere with children’s cognitive development;
- Concerns about children’s exposure to unsuitable content;
- Concerns that computer use may displace other important learning and play activities.
Despite this, most parents see digital technologies as largely having positive benefits. This is mostly due to seeing it as a valid form of children’s entertainment and today, they can offer constructive play options which stimulate imagination and promote social development. All of which support early learning.
Facilitating Digital play in the early years
The barriers in early childhood education and care practices that have made it difficult to integrate digital technology in early childhood education are aligned with that in other sectors such as primary and secondary. Below is a diagram from First Discoverers such highlights what they are.
