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LEARNING SHAPED BY ICT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION:
INDIAN CONTEXT
Article · June 2014
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LEARNING SHAPED BY ICT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION:
INDIAN CONTEXT
ARCHANA KUMARI*
*Junior Project Consultant, National University of Education Planning and Administration, New Delhi, India
ABSTRACT
Today there is a significant amount of support and interest in the early childhood
education sector for incorporating ICT in meaningful and authentic ways into the curriculum
and day-to-day practices of early childhood education, to pave the way for unprecedented
learning opportunities. But at the same time, several early childhood professionals, parents
and child advocacy groups are crying hoarse about detrimental effects of using computers
and other digital technology at early childhood level on children’s cognitive, social and
emotional development. Some critics have argued that passive use of technology may replace
active play, social interaction among children and relationship with adults. These opinions are
contradicted by many research evidences, which show that ICT alone cannot facilitate
learning and development of children to their full potential. For effective and successful
integration of ICT in early childhood years there should be active engagement of children,
interactivity between teacher and children and providing opportunity for peer-to-peer
learning, positive feedback by adults or teachers, group participation and connecting
technology with the real life context.
KEYWORDS: Early Childhood Education, Integration of ICT, Digital Literacy, Active
Engagement, Developmentally Appropriate.
INTRODUCTION
It is now well acknowledged over the years that children learn through their own
interpretations of situations, events, experiences, and expectations to their play and toys are
the tools for play. But today’s children are not seen much playing with toys. Instead they are
spending more time with smart phones, i pads, camera, computers etc (Gutnik et al. 2011;
Rideout 2011). According to Siraj-Blatchford and Whitebread (2003), today young children
are growing up in a world which not only contains but is also increasingly shaped by ICT (p.
19). Before 1999, the literature related to the use of ICT was limited to the role and use of
computers by young children. But in the last few years there has also been a growth in
research and descriptive literature about the use of other kinds of ICT in early childhood
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education, use of ICT by teachers, positive impacts of learning with ICT in preschool
classrooms etc.
The terms “ICT” and “digital tools” are being used interchangeably throughout this article.
ICT is short for information- and communication-technology, which is any form of
technology that is used for sharing information. The term “digital tools” implies an indication
of the use of ICT as a tool, something we may use to achieve something else, and might be a
more suitable term to use in preschool (Bolgan, 2008).
The research evidences shows that ICT can contribute to, or transform, the activities, roles,
and relationships experienced by children and adults in early childhood education settings.
On the other hand from the rationalist point of view, use of computers is not appropriate at
early childhood level. It is likely that the negative findings regarding ICT use with this age
group has less to do with use of technology per se and more to do with how the child’s
exposure to technology is structured. Developmentally appropriate exposure to these
advanced technologies provides opportunities for active exploration and active learning,
collaboration with others, and “real world” connections to the larger academic and social
environment (Primavera, Wiederlight, & DiGiacomo 2001).
Today there is a significant amount of support and interest in the education sector for
incorporating technology in meaningful and authentic ways into the curriculum and day-today practices. But at the same time it demands the crucial role of teachers in the full
development and use of technology in the early childhood classroom (Swan et al. 2002; ISTE
2008; USDOE 2010; NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center 2012). Addressing the importance of
ICT in Early Childhood Care and Education the ECCE policy of 2013, recommends that the
State shall take all necessary measures to provide access to ICT tools for equitable, inclusive
and affordable education for all children especially in remote, tribal and hard to reach areas.
Integration of ICT in curriculum is associated with better language and literacy outcomes,
such as letter recognition, sequencing, and sounds; listening and comprehension; vocabulary;
and understanding concepts about stories and print (Nir-Gal & Klein 2004; Penuel et al.
2009). The concepts of mathematics like number recognition, counting, shape recognition
and composition, and sorting could be understood easily when children use computers with
teacher’s assistance (Clements & Sarama 2007).
ICT is not equally approachable by all children especially in the context of India where 48%
(75.7 million) of preschool age children goes to anganwadis centre run by ‘Ministry of
Women and Child Welfare’ under its ICDS programme. In addition, another 10 million 0-6
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age group children are provided ECCE by the country’s estimated 300,000 private sector
preschools and NGOs. Rising urbanization, increased proportion of women joining the
workforce, rising aspirations for quality education for offspring and improved affordability
are factors driving the strong growth in this segment (Anand Rathi, 2011). Parents prefer to
have their kids go to a school which are equipped with scientifically supported curriculums,
advanced educational materials and equipments, new technology like computers, smart
board, music system, overhead projectors etc. and routines that are more fun than formal,
focusing mainly on developing the mental growth of the child. There is a widespread belief
among educators and parents that children will require technological competencies to succeed
in the workplace. It is this belief that many preschools have included ICT into children’s
learning experiences alongside many other kinds of activities. Not only in schools but these
technologies are increasingly being utilized in their homes as well as in classrooms, affecting
the ways in which young children interact with the world and with others. The present article
is focused on the use of ICT in preschool classroom transaction and its effect on students
learning.
Integration of technology into early childhood settings
There is a long term debate among professionals, educationist and child advocacy groups
about the appropriateness of using ICT in early childhood settings. Some critics have argued
that passive use of technology may replace active play, social interaction among children and
relationship with adults. There is no educational benefit of using ICT for young children;
rather it poses many physical, social, emotional, moral and intellectual hazards like visual
strain, obesity, lack of creativity, social isolation, etc. It is also linked to delayed language
acquisition (Chonchaiya, W. & Pruksananonda, C. 2008). There may be a risk of
inappropriate choices of technology and its use with young children in inappropriate ways by
teachers who lack technological literacy can negatively impact children’s learning and
development.
These debates raises some questions on the use of ICT in early childhood: Does use of ICT
hampers the physical social and emotional development by reducing child’s social interaction
and participation in active play? Does it replace some other important learning and play
activities?
But, at the same time, many research studies show that some exposure to thoughtfully
constructed and well informed choices of technology allow learners to access information and
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supports in many aspects of learning, such as in language development and development of
mathematical thinking. Children show more interest in learning with a diverse colors, images,
text and hyperlinks as compared to learning with books consists of black text on white sheets.
It also provides opportunity to children with special needs for manipulating and exploring the
information on their own or with a little support from adults. Learning with technology can
lead to language and social skill development if children are actively engaged in activities
well planned by teachers or adults. So it can be said that the usefulness and benefit of using
technology during early years depends on the extent to which the technology being used by
children are developmentally appropriate. New technologies should not be seen as a way of
displacing regular indoor and outdoor experiences essential for gross and fine motor skills.
Ways to enrich the early childhood learning environment with ICT
Children are exposed to technology as a passive learner’s where they are provided with
limited programmes like coloring, playing games, listening rhymes etc. This type of passive
exposure to technology does not facilitate higher level of thinking among children. For
effective and successful integration of ICT in early childhood years there should be active
engagement of children, interactivity between teacher and children and among children,
positive feedback by adults or teachers, group participation and connecting technology with
the real life context.
How much to use:
Responsive interaction between adults and children, indoor and outdoor activities, creative
play, real life explorations are very important for holistic development of young children. So,
play or learning with technology should not replace these activities essential for cognitive,
social, emotional, physical, and linguistic development of children. Early childhood educator
should limit the time for exposure to screen and should create a balance between activities
done with technology
Kind of activity:
The ICT tools employed in early years should be developmentally appropriate and
cognitively challenging in nature. That means it should be responsive to the ages and
developmental levels of the children, to their individual needs and interests, and to their
social and cultural contexts. Besides these the use of technology should be integrated into the
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curriculum of ECCE centre in such a way that it supports the learning of children. Health and
safety concern should be taken care of while designing the activity for children. All these can
be possible only if an adult or teacher who has better understanding of developmental needs
of children is involved in designing the tools.
Involvement of teachers:
The most important goal for the teacher is to help children experience the technology as a
communication information tool with vast possibilities, and to give children the motivation to
explore and create to the edge of their and technology’s limits; thereby helping children to
become good communicators, information seeks, and evaluators of content (Bolstad, R.2004:
p.40). Learning with ICT becomes more effective when teachers or adults frame the activity
as per the need of the child and they keep on interacting with children through questioning,
modeling and encouraging collaboration. Learning should integrate the strength of digital
technology with traditional method of information transaction. Teachers can facilitate
creative thinking among children by posing some curious situation or by posing a problem in
front of them. Technology can be used as a lesson delivery platform to present information to
children.
Pedagogical consideration/integrating technology with traditional way of teaching:
The learners of 21st century are curious, willing to think analyze and evaluate. They can
imagine, explore, and experiment with the tools given to them. Therefore pedagogical
considerations should always accompany decisions relating to ICT use. Teachers can utilize
the curious, exploring and imaginative skills of children to maximize the learning opportunity
of children with technology. Bolgan (2004), claims that teachers prefer traditional way of
teaching rather than introducing ICT. They think that use of technology kills creative thinking
and imagination of children but creative use of well planned and guided activity complement
the traditional ways of doing activities. For example in traditional way teacher tells the story
by using flashcards, story books, and puppets or by acting. New dimensions can be added to
storytelling by using digital drawing, sounds, words and movement in the traditional way of
storytelling.
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Interactivity:
Learning to children cannot facilitated through just sitting and watching rhymes, stories or
educational programmes in front of computer or smart board or one way technology like
software that children use at preschool or home. Learning with technology to be effective
needs two-way interaction between children and teacher or adults. Teacher can correlate the
information given by software with day to day real life activities or experience. Information
given with technology can be supported by showing slides containing more examples, posing
question to children or asking them to correlate the present slide with previous slides.
Instant Feedback:
Many softwares are designed in such a way that automatically shows results instantly after
putting answers. It gives a sense of completion to the child and encourages him/her to solve
the next level. In other words it can be said that a technology designed with taking into
consideration the power of play in learning and to make use of spontaneity, creativity and
imagination of the child itself can facilitate understanding and problem solving.
Areas of Concern
The skeptics may cry hoarse about detrimental effects of using computers and other digital
technology at early childhood level on children’s cognitive, social and emotional
development. There seems to be a remaining resistance towards digital technology in early
childhood, both among parents, preschool practitioners and in society generally. Parents and
teachers are apprehensive about children getting dependent and habitual to programmes and
games that do not deliver any educational benefit to their children. As a result of excessive
engagement with digital technology, children refrain from reading books; do not interact
much with peers and parents. The outdoor activities have decreased as they remain glued to
their gadgets. Specific areas of concern often raised in relation to children’s technology use are:
Health and safety concern:
The risks associated with use of technology are either due to engagement in inappropriate
content or excessive time spent with technology. Spending excessive amount of time with
technology are likely to have harmful impacts on children’s vision, back and wrist. There
may be the risk of obesity, repetitive strain due to wrong posture. Excessive exposure to
technology is associated with a form of tendonitis and seizures in children with
photosensitive epilepsy caused by flashing light of video programmes. For children to have a
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positive learning experience with technology, they need appropriately-positioned equipments
and correct posture.
Social Isolation:
Many parents are worried about their children not going out to play outdoor with their peers
or not talking much to parents and relatives. They remain glued to i-pad, mobiles or
computers, shuts them off with the opportunity to interact with adults, parents or peers which
is an essential element of relationship. It also results in displacement of other essential and
potentially enriching experiences. The notion of a child sitting in front of the computer as a
passive learner has been disapproved by many researchers. They advocate the collaborative
approach where children are grouped together so that they communicate with each other.
While solving a problem different solutions come out and children learn in a joyful manner.
Exposure to harmful contents
Unmonitored use of technology may cause exposure of children to violent, sexual or
commercial content which may lead to socially unacceptable behavior. This is one of the
major areas of concern for parents that children are getting the notion of revenge, aggression,
and unhealthy competition while playing games on mobile phones, tabs, i- pad or computers.
This raises a need of supervision of the type of content which the child is using and limiting
the time for using technologies to ensure healthy and safe use of technology.
Children cognitive development:
Creativity and imagination are the prerequisite for innovative thinking. Software programmes
are mostly designed in such a way that children do not need to strain their brain. It stunts their
creative thinking, imagination and problem solving skills which are the prerequisite for
innovative thinking. This technology driven society is becoming alarmingly deficient in
generating their own ideas and images.
Classroom management and class scenario:
The integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the preschool
classroom demands skills on the part of teacher to deal with expected and unexpected
problems such as teaching with few computers in the classroom, selecting the right software
programme, repairing the hardware problems etc. If the teacher is not well trained to manage
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such problems, the energy of teacher will be focused on managing the classroom rather than
getting instructionally innovative. When the activity is not preplanned or organized by
teachers, it creates a chaos in the classroom. If children are given a computer for free activity,
it fails to engage children effectively and as a result, they get frustrated and quickly jump to
another activity (Plowman and Stephen 2006).Therefore, adequate number of computers in
the classroom and teacher’s competency to instruct with technology is a major concern.
Inequalities:
Another frequently mentioned problem was the disparities between students who have access
to technology at home and those who do not. Not only in metro city but even in tier II and tier
III cities, children get the access to digital gadgets at their home. But the kind of gadget they
get exposure to, are limited to mobiles, television or cameras, on which they mostly play
games or watch programmes which do not have educational content. Whereas in metro cities
the private preschools have widened the horizon of children by providing them experience of
learning through computers, smart boards etc. While visiting few private preschools of Delhi
for my son’s admission I found some private preschools like Mother’s Pride, Brats and
Cuties, Little millennium etc. having separate computer rooms with ten to fifteen computers,
LCD, smart board etc. At the same time there were many well known franchise preschools of
shamrock, Eurokids and mushrooming preschools of Delhi did not have LCD, smart board or
computers in the classroom. So being in the same city children is getting unequal exposure to
ICT in their preschools as per their affordability. Besides this disparity also exists because of
difference in school culture, children’s cultural background and children’s exposure to
different language which is fundamental to use technology.
Conclusion
Integrating ICT in preschool classrooms may be looked upon as a potential threat to the
physical, social and intellectual development of children or just as a tool to teach specific
skills and concepts. After discussing the risk and benefit factor of integrating ICT in
preschool education, it can be said that the potential value of ICT as a tool for young children
can not be ignored but suggests that learning with technology should enable children to feel
the joy of creative work and intellectual activity, to create their own thoughts, to give
children the opportunity to feel the strength of their own intelligence. Teachers and adults can
play a great role by planning the programmes as per the need and interest of children, giving
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preliminary explanation, imposing questions, setting examples from real life. It contributes to
the conceptual processing of the introduced information. But it needs to be supported with
responsive interaction to facilitate co-operation and collaboration between peers and between
children and adults. Children should be encouraged to use computers in ways that instill a
thirst for knowledge and a zeal for positive social engagement. Parents are concerned about
the overindulgence of their children with technology, leading to lack of interest in other
activities and isolation of their children. But it can be dramatically reduced or even
eliminated by close supervision and monitoring of activities, children are engaged and setting
out the time limitation for using technology. The other way to guide children to utilize ICT is
by active participation of parents or adults in children’s digital world of play, learning and
development.
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