Curtin University Homepage
  • Library
  • Help
    • Admin

    espace - Curtin’s institutional repository

    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    View Item 
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item

    Watching, creating and achieving: Creative technologies as a conduit for learning in the early years

    Access Status
    Fulltext not available
    Authors
    McDonald, S.
    Howell, Jennifer
    Date
    2012
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    McDonald, S. and Howell, J. 2012. Watching, creating and achieving: Creative technologies as a conduit for learning in the early years. British Journal of Educational Technology. 43 (4): pp. 641-651.
    Source Title
    British Journal of Educational Technology
    DOI
    10.1111/j.1467-8535.2011.01231.x
    ISSN
    00071013
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/8734
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    This paper describes the use of robotics in an Early Years classroom as a tool to aid the development of technological skills in a creative environment rich with literacy and numeracy opportunities. The pilot project illustrates how a three-phase process can result in the development of: (1) emergent literacy and numeracy, (2) digital access for disadvantaged Early Years learners and (3) basic engineering concepts. The pilot study was conducted with a class of 16 students aged between 5 years and 6 months to 7 years, over a 6-week period. During this period, the students were introduced to and engaged in the creation of robots and simple machines via the use of a commercial robotics package. The pilot was designed around three distinct phases: modelling, exploring and evaluating. These phases provided scaffolding for the students to engage with the technology and for the class teacher to develop her own skills. The use of this particular robotics package is unique to Australia, unique to Early Years, and links hands-on, fine-motor development with 21st century learning. The researchers and authors of this paper are currently based at the Australian Catholic University and are involved with projects involving creative, digital technologies, children in the early years of formal schooling, emerging literacy and numeracy for diverse Early Years learners and the development of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Robot adoption and enterprise R&D manipulation: Evidence from China
      Zhou, Z.; Li, Z.; Du, S.; Cao, June (2024)
      Robot adoption has profoundly affected economies and societies as part of the continuous evolution of technology and associated industrial transformations. We use the country-industry-year industrial robots dataset published ...
    • Creative technologies as a conduit for learning in the early years
      Blackley, Susan; Howell, Jennifer (2012)
      This article describes the use of robotics in an Early Years classroom as a tool to aid the development of technological skills in a creative environment rich with literacy and numeracy opportunities. The participating ...
    • Encounter, story and dance: Human-machine communication and the design of human-technology interactions
      Sandry, Eleanor (2018)
      John McCarthy and Peter Wright argue that people “don't just use technology;” they “live with it,” which drives their decision “to suggest an approach to viewing technology as experience,” rather than theorizing people's ...
    Advanced search

    Browse

    Communities & CollectionsIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument TypeThis CollectionIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument Type

    My Account

    Admin

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    Follow Curtin

    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 

    CRICOS Provider Code: 00301JABN: 99 143 842 569TEQSA: PRV12158

    Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy statement | Accessibility

    Curtin would like to pay respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Perth campus is located, the Whadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation; and on our Kalgoorlie campus, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields.