An Analysis of the Interaction Design of the Best Educational Apps for Children Aged Zero to Eight = Análisis del diseño interactivo de las mejores apps educativas para niños de cero a ocho años

Crescenzi-Lanna, Lucrezia and Grané-Oró, Mariona An Analysis of the Interaction Design of the Best Educational Apps for Children Aged Zero to Eight = Análisis del diseño interactivo de las mejores apps educativas para niños de cero a ocho años. Comunicar, 2016, vol. 24, n. 46, pp. 77-85. [Journal article (Paginated)]

[thumbnail of c4608en.pdf] Text
c4608en.pdf - Published version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike.

Download (250kB)
[thumbnail of c4608es.pdf] Text
c4608es.pdf

Download (251kB)
Alternative locations: http://dx.doi.org/10.3916/C46-2016-08

English abstract

The proliferation of mobile devices and their use by children of all ages raise issues among families and educators with regard to their quality and appropriateness. Given the absence of an industry standard or an official ratings system for children’s apps, specialist websites or blogs are frequently consulted when choosing apps. This article presents the results of a content analysis of the visual and interaction design features of 100 educational applications recommended by international experts for children from six months to eight years old. In addition, the adaptability of an application’s content to children was taken into account as a qualitative measurement. Four researchers participated in the definition of variables and the design of the observation instrument. This study focuses on child-computer interaction (HCI-CCI) from a pedagogical and developmental perspective, with the aim of discovering and promoting quality in mobile applications for children. The intention is to provide information on key criteria related to the design of applications for entertainment and learning. The results of the statistical analysis indicate a generally low-quality visual and interaction design in the sample group and content that mirrors problems in the school curriculum. Even applications with both content and design that are specifically targeted at children reveal issues that may impede user comprehension and interaction.

Spanish abstract

La proliferación de dispositivos móviles y su uso por parte de niños de todas las edades crea dudas acerca de su calidad y adecuación entre familias y educadores. Ante la falta de un sistema acordado u oficial de clasificación de aplicaciones infantiles, se suelen consultar webs especializadas o blogs de expertos para escoger las apps. Este artículo presenta los resultados de un análisis de contenido de las características del diseño visual e interactivo de 100 aplicaciones educativas recomendadas por expertos internacionales dirigidas a niños entre seis meses y ocho años. Se analiza además la adaptabilidad al target infantil, a partir de una ficha de análisis diseñada por cuatro investigadores. Con la finalidad de buscar y promover la calidad en las aplicaciones móviles para niños, esta investigación se enmarca en los estudios de la interacción niño-ordenador (HCI-CCI) desde una perspectiva pedagógica y de la psicología del desarrollo. Quiere ser una aportación sobre los criterios clave en el diseño de aplicaciones infantiles para el entretenimiento y el aprendizaje. Los resultados del análisis estadístico indican una escasa calidad del diseño visual e interactivo de la muestra y unos contenidos que reproducen los problemas del currículum escolar. Incluso algunas aplicaciones que se caracterizan por adaptar su contenido y diseño al target infantil, presentan también errores que pueden obstaculizar la comprensión y las interacciones del usuario.

Item type: Journal article (Paginated)
Keywords: child computer interaction, mobile devices, interaction design, graphical user interface, adaptability, content analysis, apps, quality, interacción niño-ordenador, dispositivos móviles, diseño interactivo, diseño, adaptabilidad, análisis de contenido, apps, calidad
Subjects: B. Information use and sociology of information > BJ. Communication
G. Industry, profession and education.
G. Industry, profession and education. > GH. Education.
Depositing user: Alex Ruiz
Date deposited: 01 Aug 2016 12:47
Last modified: 02 Aug 2016 07:28
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10760/29596

References

Amy, B., Alisa, B., & Andrea, F. (2002). HCI for Kids. In A. Sears, & J. Jacko (Eds.), The Human-Computer Interaction Handbook: Fundamentals, Evolving Technologies and Emerging Applications (pp. 794-809). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2013.808852

Bloom, B.S. (1973). Taxonomía de los objetivos para la educación. La clasificación de los métodos educacionales. Buenos Aires: El Ateneo.

Butler, J., Holden, K., & Lidwell, W. (2005). Principios universales de diseño. Barcelona: Blume.

Chiong, C., & Shuler, C. (2010). Learning: Is there an App for that? Investigations of Young Children’s Usage and Learning with Mobile Devices and Apps. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop (http://goo.gl/MsnjV4) (04-03-2015).

Crescenzi, L. (2010). La comprensión del niño telespectador: posibilidades y límites asociados a la edad. Zer, 15, 29, 69-88 (http://goo.gl/nPnKtq) (13-03-2015).

Crescenzi, L., Jewitt, C., & Price S. (2014). The Role of Touch in Preschool Children’s Learning Using iPad versus Paper Interaction. The Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 37, 86-95 (http://goo.gl/3ARGwJ) (20-02-2015).

Dondis, D.A. (1973). A Primer of Visual Literacy. The Massachussets Institute of Technology.

Fidler, R. (2014). Tablets Are Now Commonplace in Households with Children. 2014 RJI Mobile Media Research Report. Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI), Mobile Media Poll (http://goo.gl/cIdYHn) (19-03-2015).

Gardner, H. (2006). Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons. New York: Basic Books.

González C.S., & Navarro V. (2015). Métodos y técnicas para la evaluación de la experiencia emocional de niños y niñas con videojuegos activos. XVI Congreso Internacional Interacción’15. Barcelona: Vilanova i la Geltru. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004944114523368

Gramigna, A., & González-Faraco, J.C. (2009). Videojugando se aprende: renovar la teoría del conocimiento y la educación. Comunicar, 33, 157-164. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3916/c33-2009-03-007

Grané, M. (2012). El disseny interactiu a la xarxa. Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona.

Granic, I., Lobel, A., & Engels, R.C. (2014). The Benefits of Playing Video Games. American Psychologist, 69(1), 66. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0034857

Guernsey, L. (2013). Screen Time: How Electronic Media - From Baby Videos to Educational Software - Affects Your Young Child. New York: Basic Books. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2014.863486

Kemp, J., & Smellie, D. (1989). Planning, Producing and Using Instructional Media. New York: Harper & Row.

Landis, J., & Koch, G. (1977). The Measurement of Observer Agreement for Categorial Data. Biometrics, 33, 159-174.

Mascheroni, G., & Kjartan, O. (2014). Net Children Go Mobile. Risks and Opportunities. Milano: Educatt (http://goo.gl/a7CB5H) (19-03-2015).

Neumann M.M. (2014). An Examination of Touch Screen Tablets and Emergent Literacy in Australian Pre-school Children. Australian Journal of Education 58(2), 109-122. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004944114523368

Norman D.A. (2003). Emotional Design: Why we Love (or Hate) Everyday Things. Basic Books.

NPD Group. (2014). Kids and Consumer Electronics. (http://goo.gl/vvbGsn) (03-03-2015).

Papert, S. (1993). The Children’s Machine. Rethinking School in the Age of the Computer. New York: Basic Books.

Parrish, E.E., Giaschi D.E., Boden, C., & Dougherty, R. (2004). The Maturation of Form and Motion Perception in School Age Children. Vision Research, 45, 2005, 827-837.

Radesky, J.S., Schumacher, J., & Zuckerman, B. (2015). Mobile and Interactive Media Use by Young Children: the Good, the Bad, and the Unknown. Pediatrics 135(1), 1-3. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014-2251

Read, J.C., & Bekker, M. (2011). The Nature of Child Computer Interaction. HCI2011, Newcastle, UK (http://goo.gl/N4RFDJ) (13-03-2015).

Read, J.C., & Markopoulos, P. (2013). Child-computer Interaction. International Journal of Child Computer Interaction 1, 2-6. Elsevier. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2012.09.001

Rideout, V., & Saphir, M. (2013). Zero to Eight. Children’s Media Use in America. San Francisco: Common Sense (https://goo.gl/81ZPio) (04-03-2015).

Rockman, J. (2010). PBS Kids iPod app study: Findings and outcomes. Report. (http://goo.gl/p5oB8T) (24-02-2015).

Shneiderman, B., & Plaisant, C. (2010). Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction. Addison-Wesley Pearson. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/25065.950626

Tabachnick, B., & Fidell, L. (2007). Using Multivariate Statistics. Boston: Pearson.

Tognazzini, B. (2003). First Principles of Interaction Design. Asktog. (http://goo.gl/Tfcvky) (28-02-2015).


Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item