Technology For Children Research Articles

Chopsticks and clothes: Chinese heritage parents' perspectives on young children's technology use as a tool for language and cultural learning

AbstractThis paper presents Chinese heritage parents' perspectives on young children's use of technology as a tool for language and cultural learning. Growing up with Confucian heritage culture, some Chinese parents have particular cultural beliefs about learning that value effortful learning practices and the social context of learning. However, some Chinese parents believe technology is just a tool for entertainment and keeps children away from social interaction, which leads to their preference of print‐based literacy practices at home. Four parents from different families whose children were between the ages of four to five participated in this study. These parents were interviewed about their experience and history of using technology and their thoughts about technology as a tool for language and cultural learning. Four narratives were constructed to describe parents' experiences, histories, opinions, cultural values and beliefs. Parents' perspectives were influenced by a variety of intertwined factors, including their own childhood language learning experiences, their histories of using technology, their cultural values and beliefs about learning, the purpose of technological experiences, and the quality of available technological resources. Pedagogical implications for using technology with children and communicating with parents are discussed.

Relation of Health-Related Quality of Life with Glycemic Control and Use of Diabetes Technology in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: Results from a National Population Based Study.

The primary aim was to analyse the association between diabetes-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and HbA1c in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. The secondary aims were to evaluate the associations between diabetes-specific HRQOL and age, sex, diabetes duration, and the use of diabetes technology in diabetes treatment. Research Design and Methods. Children with type 1 diabetes (10-17 years, N = 1,019) and parents (children <10 years, N = 371; 10-17 years, N = 1,070) completed the DISABKIDS diabetes-specific questionnaire (DDM-10) as part of the 2017 data collection for the Norwegian Childhood Diabetes Registry. The DDM-10 consists of two subscales-'impact' and 'treatment'-with six and four items, respectively. In the linear regression models, the items and subscales were outcome variables, while HbA1c, age, sex, diabetes duration, insulin pump use, and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system use were predictor variables. Lower HbA1c measurements and male sex were associated with higher HRQOL scores on both DDM-10 scales in the age group 10-17 years, but not in children under 10 years. Parents gave lower HRQOL scores than children in the 10-17 age group. Insulin pump and CGM use were not significantly associated with HRQOL on the impact and treatment scale. Low HbA1c and male sex are significantly associated with high HRQOL in children aged 10-17 with type 1 diabetes, but the use of diabetes technology is not positively associated with HRQOL. Differences in child- and parent-reported scores imply that parents might both over- and underestimate their child's HRQOL.

Facial Scanning Accuracy with Stereophotogrammetry and Smartphone Technology in Children: A Systematic Review.

The aim of the study was to systematically review and compare the accuracy of smartphone scanners versus stereophotogrammetry technology for facial digitization in children. A systematic literature search strategy of articles published from 1 January 2010 to 30 August 2022 was adopted through a combination of Mesh terms and free text words pooled through boolean operators on the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, LILACS, and OpenGrey. Twenty-three articles met the inclusion criteria. Stationary stereophotogrammetry devices showed a mean accuracy that ranged from 0.087 to 0.860 mm, portable stereophotogrammetry scanners from 0.150 to 0.849 mm, and smartphones from 0.460 to 1.400 mm. Regarding the risk of bias assessment, fourteen papers showed an overall low risk, three articles had unclear risk and four articles had high risk. Although smartphones showed less performance on deep and irregular surfaces, all the analyzed devices were sufficiently accurate for clinical application. Internal depth-sensing cameras or external infrared structured-light depth-sensing cameras plugged into smartphones/tablets increased the accuracy. These devices are portable and inexpensive but require greater operator experience and patient compliance for the incremented time of acquisition. Stationary stereophotogrammetry is the gold standard for greater accuracy and shorter acquisition time, avoiding motion artifacts.

Digital Storytelling for Early Childhood Creativity: Diffusion of Innovation “3-D Coloring Quiver Application Based on Augmented Reality Technology in Children's Creativity Development”

One of the important activities in children's learning that is rarely explored is creativity. This is an important concept for the successful implementation of early childhood education programs. Every child's creative talent must be developed. Opportunities and learning resources in the form of an environment to explore sources and media need to be given to children in realizing their creative potential. The growing digital world and children's interest in devices such as smartphones are an opportunity for teachers to take advantage of interactive and interesting ICT-based learning resources and media through audio, visual and audio visual media. Utilization through the wise use of digital resources and media for children is an important part of learning. Digital Storytelling in coloring activities through the “Quiver 3-D Coloring based on augmented reality technology” application offers the integration of virtual objects into a real environment forming three-dimensional animations on smartphones, color pictures for children, presenting digital stories at the end of the activity, so that children have an interest so that their creativity will develop. The purpose of this research is to spread "augmented reality technology with Quiver-3D coloring application in developing children's creativity" by presenting digital stories. The approach used in this research is descriptive analysis method through a qualitative-quantitative approach. The data in this research were obtained by direct observation and research-related questions to informants. The results of the research show that: "children's creativity develops well through digital storytelling learning with 3-D Coloring based on Augmented Reality applications".

Home literacy in the digital era: The role of mobile screen media frequency in a U.S. state

AbstractStudies suggest that mobile screen media can play a positive role in young children's language and literacy development. However, the role of mobile screen media in the home literacy environment of pre‐school aged children has not been widely explored. Currently, it is unclear whether the amount of time on mobile devices has any association with their language and literacy development. The present study therefore explored the frequency of mobile digital media use and its relationship to children's language and emergent literacy skills, and whether and how child and family characteristics may have mediated this relationship. The sample consisted of 881 children in Massachusetts (Mage = 5.16; 69% White, non‐Hispanic; 48% female) who completed language and literacy assessments on letter/word recognition, phonological awareness, vocabulary, syntax and language. Parents completed a survey on their child's literacy and technology activities at home. Results suggest that any associations between mobile screen media and language and literacy development may not be explained by quantity of use, but rather the nature of use. No robust statistically significant associations were found between the frequency of mobile media device use and children's language and literacy skills after controlling for key child and family background characteristics. Although rhyme awareness scores were significantly related to frequency of mobile device use, the association was weak. Thus, further research should explore types of activities, app features, and interactions that are important for children's development of language and literacy skills when using mobile media devices.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Pre‐school aged children are spending an increasing amount of time with mobile screens. Mobile screen media can play a positive role in young children's language and literacy development. What this paper adds This paper describes the frequency in which pre‐school children in one US state use mobile screen media. The results of this paper provide suggest that there are no associations between mobile screen media and language and literacy development. This paper discusses how several home environmental factors play a role in children's early development of language and literacy. Implications for practice and/or policy Practitioners and teachers working with families of pre‐school children can focus on supporting the quality of interactions children have with mobile media rather than focusing on limiting the amount of time children spend with mobile media. Parents, practitioners and teachers should become familiar with educational media available and learn about effective ways to use it especially among children from low‐income household who engage with mobile media at higher rates.

Digital Technology Use and Cyberbullying Among Primary School Children: Digital Literacy and Parental Mediation as Moderators.

Cyberbullying has become a critical issue in many parts of the world. Children affected by bullying in cyberspace may also experience various other problems in their daily lives, such as emotional and behavioral issues. Despite the well-documented positive correlation between digital technology use and cyberbullying experiences in adolescents, a paucity of research has explored the association between digital technology use and cyberbullying, and the extent to which digital literacy (DL) and parental mediation moderate these relationships among primary school-aged children. This study addressed these research gaps. A total of 736 children (third grade, female = 52 percent) in Hong Kong, selected through stratified random sampling, reported on their digital technology use, parental mediation of technology use (i.e., active mediation and restriction), and cyberbullying experiences. A performance-based assessment measured children's DL. Results showed a positive association between children's digital technology use (both for leisure activities and for schoolwork) and cyberbullying experiences (both as perpetrator and victim). These positive associations were more pronounced among children with low levels of DL (only victims) as well as among children with highly restrictive parents (both perpetrators and victims). Implications for digital citizenship education and parental intervention are discussed.

Problematic Technology Use Scale for Young Children (PTUS-YC): Validity and Reliability Study

This study aimed to develop a measurement tool to identify preschool children’s problematic technology use levels and contribute to Turkish literature. The study group included in the exploratory factor analysis was composed of 357 voluntary children in the preschool period. The study group included in the confirmatory factor analysis, proximal validity analysis, item discrimination analysis, and reliability analysis was composed of a total of 402 parents. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to present the factor structure of PTUS-YC. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to test the model obtained with EFA. Item discrimination values obtained as a result of the independent sample t-test was investigated to determine the internal validity of the measurement tool. Furthermore, the correlation values between PTUS-YC items and the relevant factors and the complete measurement tool were calculated, and total item correlation was used to test whether each item served a common purpose. In addition, CR and AVE values were examined in the proximal validity analysis conducted for PTUS-YC. Reliability analysis for PTUS-YC was performed using Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficient and McDonald's Omega coefficient methods. As a result of the exploratory factor analysis, a 4-factor structure that explained 60.392% of the total variance was obtained: continuity of use, resistance to control, effects on development and deprivation-escape. Based on the results, PTUS-YC was a valid and reliable measurement tool that can be used to determine preschool children's problematic technology use levels.

Family Socioeconomic Status and Children's Screen Time.

ObjectiveThis mixed‐methods study examined whether higher‐socioeconomic status (SES) children's digital technology use adhered to contemporaneous pediatric guidelines, how it compared to lower‐SES children, and why, as analyses showed, higher‐SES children's technology use far exceeded pediatric recommendations.Background2013 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines recommended limited “screen time” for children. Higher SES families tend to follow guidelines, but digital technology use—simultaneously a health behavior and a pathway for building human capital—has complex implications.MethodQuantitative analyses provide new nationally representative estimates of the relationship between social class and 9‐ to 13‐year‐old children's technology time (including television), device access, and parenting rules (2014 PSID Child Development Supplement, N = 427). Qualitative analyses of 77 longitudinal higher‐SES parent interviews articulated explanatory processes.ResultsHigher‐SES children used technology as frequently as others and in excess of recommendations. Their device access, activities, and agency in adhering to rules, however, differed from others. Qualitative analysis uncovered processes that helped explain these findings: parents' ambivalence about technology and perception that expert guidance is absent or unrealistic, and children's exercise of agency to use technology facilitated by “concerted cultivation” parenting styles, led to higher‐SES individualistic parenting practices that supported children's increased non‐television technology use.ConclusionCultures and structures related to children's technology use are in flux, and classed norms and understandings are emerging to construct relevant class‐based distinctions around parenting.

Kids Online Safety Act: A means of monitoring children's use of social media apps

The Kid's Online Safety Act was recently introduced as a bipartisan proposal to decrease the potential of harm to children while online. This act places the responsibility on tech companies to implement controls on the content that is available to children aged 16 and under. Specific targets of the legislation are content that promotes harmful behaviors such as restricted eating, substance use, or promotion of self‐harm; any sharing of a minor's personal information; marketing that targets a minor's information; and algorithms that promote specific content for children. Further, it would limit a company's ability to extend rewards for increased use of a platform or time spent online. It would also allow creation of a program that would give researchers access to data from companies, enabling additional research on children's technology use and effects on well‐being. And lastly, companies would be required to conduct yearly audits on the risk of their platforms to minors (Washington Post, tech policy, 2022). In short, the legislature mandates a “duty to care” (Npr.org, 2022)

Application of Augmented Reality Technology in Children's Picture Books Based on Educational Psychology.

To cultivate children’s imagination, observation, thinking ability, and aesthetic consciousness, the questionnaire survey is adopted to analyze the design strategies and principles of children’s picture books based on augmented reality (AR). Primarily, the related concepts and theories are expounded for the research content. Children in preschool aged 4–5 years are invited as primary participants in this work, and the psychological characteristics of the invited children are analyzed in depth. Then, a study is carried out on the existing AR children’s picture books. The problems existing in the design of AR children’s picture books are found, and then, related solutions are put forward based on the results of the questionnaire survey. Besides, a design is made on the strategies and interactive design principles of AR children’s picture books on mobile terminals that are more in line with the needs of children. The results show that 41.07% of parents do not understand AR technology, and 37.5% of preschool children indicate that they do not operate mobile devices independently. However, they need the assistance of parents to use this kind of picture book. A total of 44.64% of parents believe that the main problem of AR picture books in the current market is the lack of interesting interaction. Given the above problems, five principles are proposed for the design of AR children’s picture books based on mobile terminals, namely, easy operation principle, interesting principle, guiding principle, timely feedback principle, and safety principle. A set of universally applicable design methods are proposed for AR children’s picture books based on mobile terminals, which provides certain theoretical guidance for the development of related types of products.

Occupational Therapy Interventions Using New Technologies in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review

New technologies (NT) are increasingly used in Occupational Therapy (OT) interventions in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We conducted a scoping review to describe OT interventions investigated in scientific literature which use NT in children and adolescents with ASD. Two authors independently searched the scientific databases PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and Web of Science, carried out a peer-review screening of articles and extracted data. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. OT interventions lasted between 1 week and 12 months, consisted of between 1 session per day and 5 sessions per week, were carried out exclusively by an occupational therapist, and the most used NT was the computer (n = 12). The duration of the interventions and assessment measures used varied greatly between studies.

Consulting Application of Building Block Dynamic Repair Technology in Children’s Social Phobia

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Parental mediation in pandemic: Predictors and relationship with children's digital skills and time spent online in Ireland

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing reliance on digital technology to carry out social, entertainment, work and school activities increased, which may have affected the ways in which parents mediated their children's digital technology use. Given the prominent role that digital technology will have in the future, it is important to investigate parent and child characteristics which impacted parental mediation of children's digital technology use. Therefore, the present study aimed at analysing the frequency of parental mediation strategies (i.e. active and restrictive) during lockdown, their determinants, and how the two strategies affected children's digital skills and time spent online. Data were collected from 461 parent and 461 child participants. Results showed that almost half of parents (46%) practiced parental mediation with the same frequency, while the 42.6% applied it more often. Active mediation was predicted by parental worries about online risks, while restrictive mediation was predicted by time spent online by children, parental worries about online risks, parental negative attitudes towards digital technology and parents' digital skills. Children developed more digital skills when their parents applied higher levels of both active and restrictive mediation, and they spent the lowest amount of time online when their parents employed higher levels of restrictive and lower levels of active mediation. Practical implications for families and children's wellbeing are discussed.

Framework of Mobile Game Design as an Assistive Technology for Children with Motor Disabilities

Computer games have emerged in the past decade as potential media beyond entertainment. Despite its popularity, game accessibility remains a major concern of various researchers. Children population with motor disabilities is a potential target for developing entertainment or therapeutic support games due to their interest to play. This paper presents: (1) a framework for mobile games for children with motor disability using simple hand postures and (2) Xgboost decision tree as a hand posture recognizer (98.48 percent training accuracy and 96.76 percent testing accuracy) as a prototype of hand posture-based commands as assistive technology to interact with games.

Exploring Mothers' Experience of a Linguistic Feedback Technology for Children at Risk of Poor Language Development: Qualitative Pilot Study.

BackgroundThe early language environment is important for language development and a child’s life-course trajectory. Risk factors associated with poor language development outcomes in children include maternal anxiety and depression, low educational attainment, substance misuse, and low socioeconomic status. Language Environment Analysis (LENA) is a wearable technology designed to promote caregivers’ engagement in supporting their children’s language development. LENA provides quantitative linguistic feedback, which has been shown to improve caregiver language output, thus enhancing a child’s language environment. There is limited research on the uptake of this technology by families with developmentally at-risk children.ObjectiveThis qualitative study aims to explore the conditions under which mothers with children at risk of poor developmental outcomes are willing to adopt the use of LENA to monitor and improve caregiver language output.MethodsUsing a qualitative interpretive design, semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 8 mothers. Participants were recruited purposively to select the maximal variation of socioeconomic and ethnodemographic backgrounds. The transcribed interview data were analyzed thematically and interpretatively. Themes were mapped abductively to an extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, which included contextual factors for LENA acceptance.ResultsFactors that influenced the intention to use LENA included both technology-specific acceptance factors and contextual factors. Technology acceptance themes included reassurance, feeling overwhelmed, and trust. These themes were mapped to performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence. Contextual themes included emergent success and the intrusion of past difficulties. These were mapped to parenting self-efficacy and perceived risk. The theme of building on success described behavioral intention. Mothers were more likely to adopt LENA when the technology was viewed as acceptable, and this was influenced by parenting self-efficacy and perceived risk.ConclusionsLENA is a technology that is acceptable to mothers with children who are at risk of poor language development outcomes. Further studies are needed to establish LENA’s effectiveness as an adjunct to strategies to enrich a child’s early language environment.

Interactive Storytelling through LEDs and Paper Circuits: Tapping into Materials and Technology in Children’s Literature Education

How can interactive technology enhance children’s literature? How can new materials and technology be incorporated into courses on children’s literature at the university level feeding upon the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)? What is the best way to embed new materials such as paper circuits into a children’s narrative? This article offers a review of an experiment conducted at a liberal arts college where students were provided the theoretical and practice-based knowledge for designing children’s picturebooks, then asked to introduce circuit technology to their picturebook design. The upper-level course admitted students from all disciplines, such as computer science, psychology, literature, medicine, and media and visual arts, which resulted in lively exchanges in a group of people from diverse academic backgrounds. Regardless of their strengths, students participated in the hands-on workshop supported by a designer and the course instructor to learn about electric circuits, copper tape, and LEDs, and seek ways to adapt them into the page structure and the narrative sequence. They explored how to fuse light to text and image to tell a story and facilitate engagement in a children’s book. This study builds upon the Maker Movement and borrows technology from HCI, fusing the two movements into children’s books. As such, students were asked to assess the potential uses of HCI technology in art and design, book arts and seek ways to apply those technologies to enrich children’s engagement during reading. Students revealed that this request motivated them to think creatively as they explored ways to transform children’s literature. Thus, the course brought theory and practice together with electric circuits to offer a novel way to contemplate children’s literature.

Pediatric drug-induced sleep endoscopy: An updated review of the literature.

The field of drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) has grown considerably over the last 10∼15 years, to now include its use in pediatric patients. In this review article, we outline our approach to the use of this technology in Children with Airway Obstruction, most specifically in the management of children with airway obstruction and known or suspected adenotonsillar enlargement.

Eyes Open, Ears On: Supporting Hearing Technology Use in Children with Hearing Loss

Eyes Open, Ears On: Supporting Hearing Technology Use in Children with Hearing Loss

Benefits and Challenges of Current Closed-Loop Technologies in Children and Young People With Type 1 Diabetes.

Recent advances in diabetes technology have led to the development of closed-loop insulin delivery systems for the management of type 1 diabetes. Several such systems are now commercially available for children and young people. While all available systems have been shown to improve glycaemic control and quality of life in this population, qualitative data also highlights the challenges in using closed-loop systems, which vary among different pediatric age-groups. Very young children require systems that are able to cope with low insulin doses and significant glycaemic variability due to their high insulin sensitivity and unpredictable eating and exercise patterns. Adolescents' compliance is often related to size and number of devices, usability of the systems, need for calibrations, and their ability to interact with the system. Given the speed of innovations, understanding the capabilities and key similarities and differences of current systems can be challenging for healthcare professionals, caregivers and young people with type 1 diabetes alike. The aim of this review is to summarize the key evidence on currently available closed-loop systems for children and young people with type 1 diabetes, as well as commenting on user experience, where real-world data are available. We present findings on a system-basis, as well as identifying specific challenges in different pediatric age-groups and commenting on how current systems might address these. Finally, we identify areas for future research with regards to closed-loop technology tailored for pediatric use and how these might inform reimbursement and alleviate disease burden.

The show must go on! Strategies for making and makerspaces during pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic is challenging for Fab Labs and makerspaces where the use of digital fabrication machines and working with physical materials in collaboration with others are at the heart of the activities. We have been actively promoting children's technology education both by training local teachers and by working with children themselves. The restrictions have resulted in limiting the number of participants or moving to online working, or even closing the workspaces and cancelling the events. To continue our work, we needed to explore new solutions for the situation. We have provided online training for teachers, experimented with working in family groups and fully online, while access to the digital fabrication machines and children's engagement in online activities were the largest challenges we encountered. We report in this paper our experiences with different solutions as well as challenges we have faced, both as regards technology education of children and collecting research data related to that.