Young students using iPads: App design and content influences on their learning pathways

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dc.contributor.authorFalloon, Garry
dc.date.accessioned2013-11-06T22:40:30Z
dc.date.available2013-11-06T22:40:30Z
dc.date.copyright2013-10
dc.date.issued2013
dc.description.abstractThe past few years have seen an array of new technological gadgets arrive on the education scene, perhaps the best known of these being Apple's i-Device range, particularly the iPad. Such devices have been described by some as ‘game changers’, and promoted as a key component to stimulating much-needed educational reform. However, history suggests the hype and rhetoric surrounding these technological innovations has failed to match the reality of their performance, in action. Some have attributed this failure to a lack of alignment by teachers of pedagogical models with the potential of technologies, while others argue that claims made are simply unrealistic sales hype. Regardless, schools continue to be seduced by these new technologies, purchasing ever increasing amounts based on the alleged learning promises they offer their students. This study presents an innovative approach to exploring student interaction with iPad apps, and is an attempt to begin to unpack factors that affect their learning pathways, in an effort to improve the educational potential of these popular devices. It focuses specifically on design and content features of apps selected by an experienced teacher to enhance literacy, numeracy and problem-solving capabilities of her 5 year old students. Findings reveal a complex matrix of influencing factors. These include the effect of embedded pedagogical scaffolds (eg., modelling, reflection time), corrective and formative feedback, text-to-speech functionality, imposed interaction parameters, impediments (eg., web links, advertisements, buying content) and the entertainment/education balance. Arguments are made for researchers, teachers and developers to work together and adopt methodologies such as that introduced in this article, to gather data to radically improve the design of apps used by young students for learning.en_NZ
dc.identifier.citationFalloon, G. (2013). Young students using iPads: App design and content influences on their learning pathways. Computers & Education, 68, 505-521.en_NZ
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.compedu.2013.06.006en_NZ
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10289/8149
dc.language.isoenen_NZ
dc.publisherElsevieren_NZ
dc.relation.isPartOfComputers & Educationen_NZ
dc.relation.ispartofComputers & Education
dc.relation.urihttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131513001577en_NZ
dc.subjectiPadsen_NZ
dc.subjectappsen_NZ
dc.subjectdesignen_NZ
dc.subjecttableten_NZ
dc.subjectlearningen_NZ
dc.titleYoung students using iPads: App design and content influences on their learning pathwaysen_NZ
dc.typeJournal Articleen_NZ
pubs.begin-page505en_NZ
pubs.elements-id38662
pubs.end-page521en_NZ
pubs.volume68en_NZ
uow.identifier.article-noCen_NZ
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