Developmentally Appropriate Technology in Early Childhood: ‘video Conferencing’

This article presents the findings of a pilot study of video conferencing, provided as a free-play activity for 4 year-olds in three early childhood settings. The work was carried out in two primary school classes and continued in a local authority nursery. The authors conclude that application of this technology may be justified in terms of developing children's awareness and understanding of the technology itself, but that no evidence was found in this first trial to suggest any developmental gains that went beyond this. The findings suggested that the technology in itself is unlikely to provide a means by which children could develop their initial ‘theory of mind’. However, this novel use of technology may have a valuable educational role to play, and this deserves further study. It may well be that closed-circuit television systems may be applied to encourage reinforcement and, with adult support, to encourage further learning and development.