How Do Toddlers Experience Digital Media? A Case Study of a 28-Month Old Child Learning to Use iPad

Digital media is becoming increasingly prevalent in households and classroom settings lowering the age of fi rst exposure to technology; however, little is known about how children experience digital media and how their experiences relate to learning and social engagement. In this case study, we followed a 28-month-old boy in a naturalistic setting for 5 weeks, videotaping the process of his interactions with the iPad. Using a combination of video coding, screen recordings, and a formal academic assessment we evaluated the effects of digital media on specifi c learning outcomes, child affective states associated with gains in digital literacy, and the role of social interaction in the process of digital media exposure. We found that the number of errors predicted a signifi cant amount of the variance in the child’s levels of frustration, attentiveness, help-seeking behaviors, and persistence. Two main types of affect, confusion and attentiveness, predicted gains in his iPad profi ciency, providing important insights into the role of emotions in digital learning. With increased levels of iPad profi ciency, we observed an inconsistent pattern of child social engagement. This study is the fi rst, to our knowledge, to use a combination of qualitative observation data, standardized assessment, and quantitative analysis of a child’s behavior in the process of digital literacy learning.

Tablet technologies are the most novel addition of digital media to children’s environments, as they can be used both as an active and passive technology and require fi ne motor skills to allow for navigation. The impact of these features on the development of young children currently remains understudied.

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