C H I L D R E N , T E C H N O L O G Y A N D P L AY

Technology and Play - a guide for policy makers

The LEGO Foundation Tecnhology and Play - a guide for policy makers 2

Researchers from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and the University of Sheffield, UK worked with the LEGO Foundation and Dubit to explore children’s (aged 3-11) use of technology, and its impact on play and learning.

In this booklet, we outline how we carried out the research, share some findings and outline a series of recommendations for policy makers.

Digital

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How we carried out the study

UK

2,429Survey respondents

10Case study families

17Case study children

5Number of early years settings and primary schools involved

71Focus group children

30Telephone interviews with parents

24Teachers and community members interviewed

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South Africa*

1,286Survey respondents

9Case study families

10Case study children

9Number of early years settings and primary schools involved

49Focus group children

30Telephone interviews with parents

14Teachers and community members interviewed

*From the Cape Town area

The LEGO Foundation Tecnhology and Play - a guide for policy makers

The LEGO Foundation Tecnhology and Play - a guide for policy makers 4

The research questions and key findings

The LEGO Foundation Tecnhology and Play - a guide for policy makers 5

What is the relationship between children’s use of technology and their play in everyday life?

Standard TV65 % of SA children and 82 %

of UK children have access to

a standard TV.

Laptop23 % of SA children and 72 %

of UK children have access to

a laptop.

Tablet

21 % of SA children and 94 %

of UK children have access to

a tablet.

Smartphone28 % of SA children and 84 %

of UK children have access to

a smartphone.

Q U E S T I O N 1

The LEGO Foundation Tecnhology and Play - a guide for policy makers 6

What skills and knowledge do children develop in their play with technology?

Holisticskills

Subjectknowledge

Digitalskills

Social, physical,

emotional and

creative skills

E.g. operating devices

and navigating apps,

finding information,

keeping safe, creating

digital content

E.g. language, literacy,

mathematics, science,

geography, history, art

and so on

Q U E S T I O N 2

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How far does children’s play with technology demonstrate the five characteristics of learning through play?

Q U E S T I O N 3

Joyful Children exhibited positive emotions, sometimes after initial frustrations, as they played on a range of devices.

Socially interactive Devices provided opportunities to engage with others, either via co-presence or remotely.

Meaningful Children used technologies, apps and games that related to non-digital interests and their everyday lives.

Actively engaging Children were completely focused when using devices, making choices and demonstrating agency.

Iterative Children tested and tried out different aspects of technologies, revisiting games and apps and making improvements.

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Digital play can foster:

Children use technology playfully to create:

Imagination

Creative thinking

Problem-solving

Persistence

Resilience

Inquisitiveness

Drawings and paintings

Computer games

Music

Rhymes and word play

Writing - stories, lists etc.

What is the relationship between play, technology and creativity?

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Q U E S T I O N 4

The LEGO Foundation Tecnhology and Play - a guide for policy makers 9

How do parents and adults facilitate children’s play with technology, and what are their views on this issue?

Parents were concerned about:

Safety and privacy

Too much screen time

Commercialisation

Lack of cultural representation

Potential social isolation

Negative emotional impact

Parents were positive about:

Skills and knowledge developed in digital play

Positive emotional impact

Potential for social interaction

Preparation for future education/employment

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Q U E S T I O N 5

The LEGO Foundation Tecnhology and Play - a guide for policy makers 10

Parents facilitated children’s play in the following ways:

Parent facilitation

Free Play

Parents provided resources and space for children’s free play.

Guided Play

Parents helped children in their digital play, and sometimes co-played.

Game Play

Parents played digital games with children, or explained the rules of games to them

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To what extent is children’s play with technology shaped by socio-cultural contexts?Children’s digital play was influenced by the following factors:

Economics

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Children in South Africa were much less likely to

own a range of digital devices than UK children.

Social class in the UK impacts more on type of

use than access.

Children were disadvantaged when

digital media and games did not provide

representations of their culture and/or

language.

Boys are more likely to play racing games, while

the gender gap across other types of games is

much smaller.B

Q U E S T I O N 6

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Recommendationsfor policy makers

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One of the key messages to policy makers arising from this study is that digital play has significant value for children’s learning. Digital play is largely ignored in terms of policy development, yet it informs many aspects of children’s learning across home, school and community domains. Policy makers need to consider how digital play is conceptualised and embedded in curriculum documentation.

Further, policy makers should listen more closely to children’s own voices about their digital play. Children in this study had many significant things to say about their play and such insights can be used to inform policy-making. This needs to be undertaken in way that is representative of various communities and which is not tokenistic in nature.

The study points to the need to develop a policy approach to digital well-being that is much broader than a focus on online safety and the management of risks, such as health risks. Technology permeates many aspects of children’s lives and, therefore, a holistic approach should be taken to digital well-being which recognises the role of digital play in children’s learning and development. As well as learning how to manage their digital use and become a competent and confident digital citizen, children also need to learn how to develop and manage a digital play portfolio that is fulfilling for them, and fruitful for their friendships and family relationships.

There needs to further emphasis on the quality of technologies, products, devices and software solutions for children’s digital play. Governments could set standards and apply kitemarks, or lists of approved products, which could offer valuable guidance to parents.

Teacher education programmes need to be developed that address the issue of digital play and how schools can build on children’s home digital play practices. Schools have made great strides in terms of the use of technology to support learning but play is limited to the use of gamification strategies, in which apps and games are largely used to develop functional skills. A broader pedagogical approach to digital play is required, one that fosters more open-ended and experimental approaches.

One way of starting to address digital inequality is to lobby for a reduction in data costs for developing countries. For example South Africa has the most expensive home fibre internet connections of any country, according to a new survey1.

Finally, there should be more support for parents on how to mediate digital play. Parents frequently feel that this is a world outside of their own understanding, and so family digital play and learning programmes could be undertaken in which parents are introduced to strategies which can be used to strengthen the educational outcomes of digital co-play.

1. https://www.businessinsider.co.za › sa-fibre-data-costs-the-most-expensive-in.

ConclusionThe Children, Technology and Play study demonstrated the important role that digital devices play in children’s lives. Enabling children and

their families to make the most productive and safe use of technology to enhance digital play is a shared responsibility across families,

governments, educational institutions and the children’s media industry, and policy makers have a vital role to play in this effort.

The full report can be accessed here: https://www.LEGOfoundation.com/en/learn-how/knowledge-base/children-tech-play/

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