Toddlers Using Tablets: They Engage, Play, and Learn

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Educational Technology

Background:

• Young children's access to touchscreen devices is increasing, yet research on their operational success for learning is limited.
• Infants and toddlers possess immature cognitive, fine motor, and executive functions, raising questions about their ability to use tablets purposefully.
• Understanding how toddlers interact with digital interfaces is crucial for developing effective educational tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether toddlers can purposefully operate a tablet to achieve goals.
• To determine if toddlers can acquire skills and learn from commercial apps.
• To examine if executive functioning predicts success in using and learning from apps.

Main Methods:

• 31 two-year-olds and 29 three-year-olds used a shape-matching app and a storybook app on a tablet.
• Performance was compared to a paper storybook, and the Minnesota Executive Functioning Scale was administered.
• Minimal adult scaffolding was provided throughout the study.

Main Results:

• Toddlers demonstrated goal-directed touch gestures and manual interactions for tablet operation.
• Learning improved with tablet use, showing increased efficiency, fewer errors, and reduced completion times.
• Children recognized more content from the e-book and were less distracted compared to the paper version.
• Executive functioning significantly predicted app performance outcomes.
• Three-year-olds consistently outperformed two-year-olds across all measures.

Conclusions:

• Toddlers are capable of purposeful interaction with touchscreen devices for learning.
• Interactive devices show potential for supporting toddlers' educational development.
• Individual differences in executive functions play a role in toddlers' success with digital learning tools.