C H I L D R E N , T E C H N O L O G Y A N D P L AY

Technology and Play - a guide for teachers

The LEGO Foundation Tecnhology and Play - a guide for teachers 2

Researchers from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and the University of Sheffield, UK worked with the LEGO Foundation and Dubit to explore children’s (aged 3-11) use of technology, and its impact on play and learning.

In this booklet, we outline how we carried out the research, share some findings and offer some guidance for parents and carers on supporting children’s digital play.

Digital

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How we carried out the study

South Africa* UK

1,286Survey respondents

2,429Survey respondents

9Case study families

10Case study families

10Case study children

17Case study children

9Number of early years settings and primary schools involved

5Number of early years settings and primary schools involved

49Focus group children

71Focus group children

30Telephone interviews with parents

30Telephone interviews with parents

14Teachers and community members interviewed

24Teachers and community members interviewed

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*From the Cape Town area

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The research questions and key findings

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What is the relationship between children’s use of technology and their play in everyday life?

Q U E S T I O N 1

Standard TV65 % of SA children and 82 %

of UK children have access to

a standard TV.

Laptop23 % of SA children and 72 %

of UK children have access to

a laptop.

Tablet

21 % of SA children and 94 %

of UK children have access to

a tablet.

Smartphone28 % of SA children and 84 %

of UK children have access to

a smartphone.

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What skills and knowledge do children develop in their play with technology?

Holisticskills

Subjectknowledge

Digitalskills

Social, physical,

emotional and

creative skills

E.g. operating devices

and navigating apps,

finding information,

keeping safe, creating

digital content

E.g. language, literacy,

mathematics, science,

geography, history, art

and so on

Q U E S T I O N 2

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How far does children’s play with technology demonstrate the five characteristics of learning through play?

Joyful Children exhibited positive emotions, sometimes after initial frustrations, as they played on a range of devices.

Socially interactive Devices provided opportunities to engage with others, either via co-presence or remotely.

Meaningful Children used technologies, apps and games that related to non-digital interests and their everyday lives.

Actively engaging Children were completely focused when using devices, making choices and demonstrating agency.

Iterative Children tested and tried out different aspects of technologies, revisiting games and apps and making improvements.

Q U E S T I O N 3

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Digital play can foster:

Children use technology playfully to create:

Imagination

Creative thinking

Problem-solving

Persistence

Resilience

Inquisitiveness

Drawings and paintings

Computer games

Music

Rhymes and word play

Writing - stories, lists etc.

What is the relationship between play, technology and creativity?

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Q U E S T I O N 4

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How do parents and adults facilitate children’s play with technology, and what are their views on this issue?

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Parents were concerned about:

Safety and privacy

Too much screen time

Commercialisation

Lack of cultural representation

Potential social isolation

Negative emotional impact

Parents were positive about:

Skills and knowledge developed in digital play

Positive emotional impact

Potential for social interaction

Preparation for future education/employment

Q U E S T I O N 5

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Parents facilitated children’s play in the following ways:

Parent facilitation

Free Play

Parents provided resources and space for children’s free play.

Guided Play

Parents helped children in their digital play, and sometimes co-played.

Game Play

Parents played digital games with children, or explained the rules of games to them

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To what extent is children’s play with technology shaped by socio-cultural contexts?Children’s digital play was influenced by the following factors:

Economics

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Children in South Africa were much less likely to

own a range of digital devices than UK children.

Social class in the UK impacts more on type of

use than access.

Children were disadvantaged when

digital media and games did not provide

representations of their culture and/or

language.

Boys are more likely to play racing games, while

the gender gap across other types of games is

much smaller.B

Q U E S T I O N 6

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Implications of the study for teachers

There are numerous ways in which learning through digital play can be fostered in the classroom. In the following section, we focus on four key types of digital play, and offer some suggestions about how teachers

might plan for them.

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Exploratory digital play

Exploratory play is important for learning, as it enables children to explore, experiment and problem-solve at their own pace. Being able to do this with digital devices is essential, as children can gain confidence in using technology through a trial and error approach. With more complex devices, children will need to be given basic information about how to operate them before they are able to play in an open-ended way with them.

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Ideas for exploratory digital play:

Before using any device new to the class in the curriculum, let children have an opportunity to explore the device through independent, exploratory play. This will provide a valuable introduction to the tool, and help them to become more confident in using it.

Place a digital camera in a tray with construction toys and some toy figures – children can experiment making films as they play with the toys.

Give children a tablet as they play in an outdoor environment and see what they do with it (ensuring that they have been introduced to the camera function previously).

If you have access to coding toys, let children play in an open-ended way with them. Coding toys such as LEGO’s Coding Express and Ozobots can be easy for children to learn to use through trial and error. (Teachers may wish to follow this open-ended play with structured sessions so that children learn to make best use of the resources.)

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Imaginative digital play

In imaginative play, children can develop a range of skills, including social skills. Imaginative play enables them to work through questions and fears, and explore areas of interest. Digital play can foster the imagination in a range of ways. First, digital devices might spark imaginative play. So, for example, children may play a ‘Peppa Pig’ app, which then stimulates them to play out a scenario from the app. Second, children may incorporate digital devices into their imaginative play, such as when they use a digital camera as they pretend to be a polar explorer, for example. Third, digital technologies may enable children to expand their imaginations by introducing them to worlds that they have never experienced, as is the case with the use of Virtual Reality tools.

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Ideas for imaginative digital play:

If you have a role play area in your classroom, incorporate digital technology into the role play theme. For example, a digital voice recorder could be added to an office, or a laptop to a doctor’s surgery.

If you have access to a tablet, let children explore augmented reality apps that can spark their imaginations (Twinkl has a number of such apps that can be accessed at no cost).

Google Cardboard Virtual Reality viewers can be purchased and used to experience VR apps that can prompt imaginative player. If you are able to access VR equipment, there are numerous apps and games that can enable children to explore their imaginations, such as Google Tilt Brush, which allows children to draw and paint in 3D.

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Game-based digital play

Game-based learning can develop a range of skills, including problem-solving, logical thinking and critical thinking. Well-designed games and apps can foster learning in a range of subjects including language, literacy, mathematics, science, geography and history. Teachers already use a range of educational apps in the classroom and there are numerous online guides to inform choices. Below, we focus on sharing the following ideas for ways in which game play can be incorporated into the curriculum.

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Ideas for game-based digital play:

Games such as Minecraft and Roblox can be very useful for motivating learning. The Minecraft Education website and Roblox Education website offer lots of ideas and examples. Enabling children to play in dyads or small groups can foster language and communication skills. Allowing children to share their creations with the rest of the class in ‘show and tell’ sessions can build confidence.

ScratchJr and Scratch enable children to create their own interactive stories, animations and computer games. There are lots of easy-to-follow tutorials and educator guides if you feel uncertain about introducing children to the sites.

Consider using Alternate Reality Games (ARGs).These are games that develop a narrative across a range of media and enables players to actively shape and transform the story. For example, the website Dreams of Time and Space provides lots of ideas and resources for an AR game which will be sure to engage your class!

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Creative digital play

Creative play is important for cognitive, social and emotional development. There are many ways in which digital devices can enable creative play, and it is important that children have these opportunities, given that they may spend a lot of time outside school playing on apps that position them as consumers rather than producers. Some ways of fostering creative digital play are listed below.

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Ideas for game-based digital play:

Use drawing apps such as Microsoft Fresh Paint and Sketches which enable children to explore a range of drawing and painting skills. Inspire children by sharing with them the digital outputs of artists such as David Hockney.

Simple film-making apps include iMotion and Green Screen by Do Ink, both of which can be used by children from the early years of school.

If you are fortunate enough to have a 360 camera in school, then an app such as Google Tour Creator will enable children to create 360 tours.

Using QR code reader apps can offer a means of linking children’s offline work with online videos and podcasts. Scanning a QR code on a child’s drawing to find a video of them telling a story about the drawing can be inspirational for classmates and parents.4

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These are just a few ideas, there are many other ways to engage children in creative play using apps, online sites and games.

Enabling children to create digital content and not just consume it is important for

developing their sense of independence and agency in relation to technology use.

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In the Children, Technology and Play study, teachers took a variety of roles in relation to children’s digital play. These can be characterised as follows:

Facilitator: Teachers provided resources and space that enabled children to play digitally. Spaces included physical spaces and curriculum spaces, which is not easy in contexts in which curricula are heavily mandated.

Supporter: There were times at which teachers took a more active role than facilitating, but not quite as active as providing guidance. In this role, they offered feedback and encouragement to children as children played on devices.

Guide: Teachers offered pupils guidance as they played with digital devices. This often took the form of questions and prompts for reflection.

Instructor: Direct instruction occurred as teachers told children what they needed to do in order to perform a specific task.

Co-player: in some cases, teachers played alongside children, being an active participant in games or play activities.

The role of the teacher K

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In some activities, teachers adopted a number of the roles above in the same digital play episode, moving smoothly between them. Each of the roles above are important. Teachers could review and reflect on their roles in digital play contexts over a period of time to ensure that they take on a range of roles, and not simply focus on the role of instructor. This is important because each of these roles have particular value in children’s education. For example, children learn a great deal from teachers when they are co-players, as modelling occurs in that context.

The role of the teacher

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The full report can be accessed here: https://www.LEGOfoundation.com/en/learn-how/knowledge-base/children-tech-play/

Conclusion

Children’s play with technology is not only beneficial for their learning at school, but also at home. In this booklet we have focused on approaches that can be used in the classroom, but if teachers have opportunities to talk to parents about this topic, it would be helpful to share some of these ideas with them. School can be a valuable source of support for parents who seek ideas about how to embed technology in their children’s lives in safe and productive ways.

It is also of value for teachers to find time to engage in digital play themselves. Exploring and experimenting with new devices, apps and tools can be important in developing ideas for use in the classroom. The ‘Children. Technology and Play’ study demonstrated the powerful role that digital play has in children’s daily lives, and if children are to build successfully on their

early experiences in the home, then having teachers who are comfortable in this digital landscape is important. That does not mean teachers are expected to be experts in educational technology, but rather that they are willing to learn, including from the children themselves. In this way, children and teachers can play together and learn together.

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