Creating Software Applications for Children: Some Thoughts About Design

The last decade has seen an explosion in the number, variety, and complexity of software applications. While this phenomenon has been most pronounced in the world of professional software (i.e., commercial software aimed at adult professionals), it is no less true in educational software. Moreover, the trends visible in commercial application design—notably, an increase in interface complexity, and proliferation of narrowly domain-specific packages—are likewise visible in the educational realm.

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