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Digital Childhoods, Multimodality and STEM

Convenors:

Lorna Arnott, University of Strathclyde, UK
Maria Dardanou, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway
Sarika Kewalramani, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia

Purpose

Our SIG is an inclusive group of academics, teachers, practitioners and students who are interested in the researching Digital Childhoods. We have an eclectic mix of members from across the world who are all interested in how technologies are shaping and being shaped, by children. We accept a broad definition of ‘technologies’ to explore how digital devices not only contribute to children’s cognitive development but also have a central place in play, life and leisure activities. We welcome members with a variety of experience and we seek to support new academics who are emerging in the field.

Report

Click here to view the meeting minutes, EECRA 2022 (pdf)

Click here to view the 2017-18 report (pdf)
Click here to view the 2016-17 report (pdf)
Click here to view the 2015-16 report (pdf) Lorna & Jan

News & Events

The next SIG meeting will be held online, 10.00 – 11.30am (BST), 20th September.

If you wish to attend, please contact the convenors for the meeting link.

Activities & Publications

Policy Brief

  • COST Action IS1410/ EECERA Digital Childhoods SIG, Policy Brief, August 2018, Digital Literacy and Young Children: Towards Better Understandings of the Benefits and Challenges of Digital Technologies in Homes and Early Years Settings

Research Publications

  • Arnott, L., Palaiologou, I. & Gray, C. (2019) Internet of toys across home and early childhood settings: understanding the ecology of the child’s social world.  Technology, Pedagogy and Education.
  • Arnott, L., Palaiologou, I., & Gray, C . (2019). An Ecological Exploration of the Internet of Toys in Early Childhood Everyday Life. Mascheroni & Holloway. In The Internet of Toys: Practices, Affordances and the Political Economy of Children’s Play DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-10898-4
  • O’Connor, J., Fotakopolou, O., Hatzigianni, M and Fridberg, M. (2018 ) ‘Parents’ perspectives on the use of touchscreen technology by 0-3 year olds in the UK, Sweden, Australia and Greece’. Palaiologou, I. and Gray , C., (Eds) (forthcoming) Digital Practices in Early Childhood Education: An international Perspective, London: SAGE.
  • Arnott, L (2017) Technology and Learning in the Early Years, London, SAGE.
  • Arnott, L., Grogan, D., & Duncan, P. (2017) Lessons from using iPads to understand young children’s creativity, Runco, M (Eds.) Creativity and Education, London, SAGE.
  • Marsh, J., Kontovourki, S. Tafa, E. and Salomaa, S. (2017). Developing Digital Literacy in Early Years Settings: Professional Development Needs for Practitioners. A White Paper for COST Action IS1410.
  • O’Connor, J. & Mercer, J. (Eds) (2017) Childhood & Celebrity. Abingdon: Routledge.
  • O’Connor, J. (2017) ‘Appropriate play? Parents’ reflections on 0-3s using touchscreen technology in the home’. In Arnott, L. (2017 forthcoming) Digital Technologies and Learning in the Early Years. London: SAGE.
  • Undheim, Marianne; Vangsnes, Vigdis (2017): Digital stories in Norwegian Kindergartens. Under review by Journal of Nordic Research in Early Childhood Educational Research.
  • Aldhafeeri, F M., and Palaiologou, I., (2016) Interactions with digital technologies of children from 3 to 6 in Kuwaiti homes, in Educational Futures, vol 7 (3), pp 48-68.
  • Aldhafeeri, F., Palaiologou, I., and Folorunsho, A. (2016) Integration of digital technologies into play-based pedagogy in Kuwaiti early childhood education: teachers’ views, attitudes and aptitudes.International Journal of Early Years Education, pp.1-19.
  • Arnott, L. (2016). An ecological exploration of young children’s digital play: framing children’s social experiences with technologies in early childhood. Early Years, 1-18. DOI: 10.1080/09575146.2016.1181049
  • Arnott, L. (2016). The role of digital technologies. In I. Palaiologou (Ed.), The Early Years Foundation Stage: Theory and Practice. (3 ed.). London, SAGE.
  • Arnott, L., Grogan, D., & Duncan, P. (2016) Lessons from using iPads to understand young children’s creativity, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 17 (2) p.157–173
  • Dunn, J.; Gray, C.; Mitchell, D. and Moffett, P. (2016) The impact of resources on the literacy landscape: young children’s views on using iPads in early years classrooms. Paper presented at The Literacy Association of Ireland (LAI) Conference, Dublin, September.
  • Dunn, J., Gray, C., Moffett, P. and Mitchell, D. (2016) ‘It’s more funner than doing work’: children’s perspectives on using tablet computers in the early years of school. Early Child Development and Care. DO!: 10.1080/03004430.2016.1238824 SCoTENS(Standing Conference on Teacher Education North and South) Seed
  • Kaye L (Ed) (2016) Young Children in a Digital Age: Supporting Learning and Development with technology in Early Years , London, Routledge.
  • O’Connor, J. and Fotakopoulou, O. (2016) A threat to early childhood innocence or the future of learning? Parents’ perspectives on the use of touchscreen technology by 0–3 year olds in the UK. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood 17(2).
  • Palaiologou, I., (2016) Teachers’ Dispositions towards the role of digital devices in play-based pedagogy in early childhood education, in Early Years An International Research Journal, vol 36 (3), pp.305-321 (DOI 10.1080/09575146.2016.1174816)
  • Palaiologou, I., (2016) Children Under Five and Digital Technologies: Implication for Early Years Pedagogy, in The European Early Childhood Research Journal, vol 24 (1), pp 5-24 (DOI:10.1080/1350293X.2014.929876, first published on line 2014).
  • Salomaa, S. (2016a) Mediakasvatustietoisuuden jäsentäminen varhaiskasvatuksessa. [Aspects on media educational consciousness in ECE] Varhaiskasvatuksen tiedelehti. Journal of Early Childhood Education Research. 5 (1), 136–161
  • Salomaa, S. (2016b) Aspects of Educational Consciousness in Early Childhood Media Education. In Í. Pereira, A. Ramos & J. Marsh (eds.) The Digital Literacy and Multimodal Practices of Young Children: Engaging with Emergent Research. Proceedings of the first Training School of COST Action IS1410, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, 6th – 8th June, 2016.
  • Vangsnes, V. (2016). The Teacher`s Roles – Alternation between different teacher positions in didactic practices. Paper presented at the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA). Dublin, sept. 2016.

Funding Applications

  1. Dunn, J. Funding Grant £3000 (2016-2017) for a 1 year project ‘Writing and iPads in the Early Years’.
  2. Vangsnes, Vigdis – Application sent to Norwegian Research Council (answer in March 2017) Title: Building Sustainable Digital Practices in Kindergarten Literacy and Arts Programmes (DigiSus)

Chairs/Organisation/Events

  1. Saara Salomaa, National Audiovisual Institute KAVI (Finland), Media Education Conference in Helsinki. Position in conference: one of the organisers and round table discussion host
  2. Palaiologou, I., represented the SIG in Cyprus 2016 meeting of the COST Action programme for The digital literacy and multimodal practices of young children (DigiLitEY), run by Jackie Marsh. A report about this event can be found by clicking here.

Links & Partners

COST Action project on The digital literacy and multimodal practices of young children (DigiLitEY), run by Professor Jackie Marsh http://digilitey.eu/.

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