Children’s interactions and learning outcomes with interactive talking books

Abstract

How do pairs of children interact when using a multimedia CD-ROM storybook (“talking books”), and do their patterns of interaction reflect the gender composition of the pair? Do different types of pairs interact differently and remember the activity differently? These questions were addressed with a classroom experiment in which 8 year old boy/boy, boy/girl and girl/girl pairs worked through the screenpages of a CD-ROM storybook prior to completing a cued-recall comprehension test and a free-recall story writing exercise. During the storybook activity measures of computer interface use and measures of verbal interaction were recorded. Differences between pairs of children were recorded in the use of the computer interface, and verbal interactions were related to interface activity. The comprehension test delivered no differences between pairs, but the free-recall story writing exercise found superior performance for girls who had previously worked together. The measures of verbal interaction taken during the storybook activity did not predict subsequent performance, although disputes over the control of the mouse were related to free-recall story writing.