Children and Interactive Media - A compendium of current research and directions for the future

@techreport{citeulike:260143, abstract = {Information and communications technologies are assumed to have extraordinary potential to not only help young people learn, but also engender a true love of learning. But are our assumptions borne out by the facts? What kind of evidence do we already have about the power of digital media to influence children's health and well-being? What sort of new research do we need to better understand the role of these media in children's lives? Arguing that very little is currently known about the role of interactive media in children's lives, this report aims to gather and review existing research in an effort to further such knowledge.}, author = {Wartella, Ellen and O'Keefe, Barbara and Scantlin, Ronda }, citeulike-article-id = {260143}, comment = {(Summary - written in June 2004) This report to the Markle Foundation, published in 2000, has three main purposes: (1) to review what is known and not known about children and adolescent use of interactive media in out-of-school environments, (2) to describe the effects of this usage of cognitive, social, and health related development, and (3) to propose direction for future research. The literature reviewed in the report includes other foundation reports; academic papers and journal articles from a variety of disciplines, including psychology, education, and communications; and various articles and book chapters. However, most of the work is from a review of on-line databases, including PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Social Sciences Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, and ERIC. The abstracts were searched using the following keywords: advertising, children, computers, computer games, interactive, Internet, media, video games, and violence. Additionally, guidance was provided by a panel of experts held at a conference in November, 1999. The literature is weighted towards the late 1990s. The report focuses primarily on out-of-school environments. It is divided into four main sections: (1) media use and access, (2) cognitive development and learning, (3) social development, and (4) health and safety issues. This summary will concentrate on areas (2) and (3). With regards to (1), there is discussion of gender, age, and socio-economic status differences. Perhaps one of the most interesting areas of future work is in leveraging lower income households’ access to gaming platforms, especially as they become networked. According to the authors, one of the major holes in the literature was the lack of studies on media convergence. Rather, most of the work focused on one particular form of media. The authors recommend a better understanding of media use, focusing on characteristics such as content genre, synchronous/asynchronous interaction, messaging modality, and networked behavior. Most of the research on cognitive development and learning uses the model of media socialization. Learning is a social process and is grounded in particular social interactions. The report breaks this section into five main concepts: (1) situated knowledge, where learning is specific to one particular situation; (2) scaffolding, which focuses on an apprenticeship model of learning; (3), inquiry, where learning questions are generated by the active learner; (4), dialogue, the ways in which attention and mental activity are engaged and structure by the presence and presentations of others; and (5), framing, the relevant background information and knowledge of the learner. The report offers several conclusions about the role of media socialization in the determination of cognitive outcomes. With regards to representational skills, research shows that the skills children acquire are specific to the kinds of symbolic experience a particular medium offers. In terms of academic achievement, the authors note that the relationships between computer use and school performance are complex and unclear. There has been little research done on what types of at-home interactive media use contribute to school achievement. This section concludes with some recommendations. The authors recommend a classification system of the different types of interactive experiences children might have and the kinds of content they might encounter. However, they also note that the concept of interactivity needs to be better understood and deconstructed. They note that more needs to be understood about the relationship between various forms of interaction and cognitive consequences. The next major section of the report is on socialization, the process through which children acquire the behaviors, skills, motives, values, beliefs, and standards that are appropriate and desirable in their cultures. The authors focus on three main areas: (1) social context and collaboration, including the influence of parents, siblings, and peers; (2) social relationships, including the development of social networks across geographical distance, characteristics of personal relationships in the real and virtual worlds, and identity construction in virtual environments; and (3) violence and aggression, with a particular focus on games. The recommendations include more research on how networked online media use influences or affects kids’ isolation or social involvement. They recommend that more research be done on how unique aspects of interactive media, such as deeper identification with characters, active participation and control and rewards for social and anti-social behaviors, affect the potential influence these media types may have on social development. The final section is on areas of health and safety. The report reviews literature on both the positive and negative relationships between new media experiences and personal health. The authors recommend more research on how issues of health and safety can be further integrated into the design process. Across all of these areas, the report recommends linking the type of research done in industry. Additionally, they recommend a systematic program that incorporates multiple research methods, including small, targeted studies, observations, national surveys, and other field studies. }, keywords = {1digitalyouth, adolescence, agency, development, hci, identity, kids, learning, psychology, teens, youth}, month = {May}, organization = {The Markle Foundation}, posted-at = {2005-07-21 00:40:34}, priority = {0}, title = {Children and Interactive Media - A compendium of current research and directions for the future}, url = {http://www.markle.org/resources/reports\_and\_publications/research\_archives/imc\_reports.php}, year = {2000} }

TY - RPRT ID - citeulike:260143 L3 - citeulike-article-id:260143 TI - Children and Interactive Media - A compendium of current research and directions for the future OR - The Markle Foundation N2 - Information and communications technologies are assumed to have extraordinary potential to not only help young people learn, but also engender a true love of learning. But are our assumptions borne out by the facts? What kind of evidence do we already have about the power of digital media to influence children's health and well-being? What sort of new research do we need to better understand the role of these media in children's lives? Arguing that very little is currently known about the role of interactive media in children's lives, this report aims to gather and review existing research in an effort to further such knowledge. KW - 1digitalyouth KW - adolescence KW - agency KW - development KW - hci KW - identity KW - kids KW - learning KW - psychology KW - teens KW - youth N1 - (Summary - written in June 2004) This report to the Markle Foundation, published in 2000, has three main purposes: (1) to review what is known and not known about children and adolescent use of interactive media in out-of-school environments, (2) to describe the effects of this usage of cognitive, social, and health related development, and (3) to propose direction for future research. The literature reviewed in the report includes other foundation reports; academic papers and journal articles from a variety of disciplines, including psychology, education, and communications; and various articles and book chapters. However, most of the work is from a review of on-line databases, including PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Social Sciences Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, and ERIC. The abstracts were searched using the following keywords: advertising, children, computers, computer games, interactive, Internet, media, video games, and violence. Additionally, guidance was provided by a panel of experts held at a conference in November, 1999. The literature is weighted towards the late 1990s. The report focuses primarily on out-of-school environments. It is divided into four main sections: (1) media use and access, (2) cognitive development and learning, (3) social development, and (4) health and safety issues. This summary will concentrate on areas (2) and (3). With regards to (1), there is discussion of gender, age, and socio-economic status differences. Perhaps one of the most interesting areas of future work is in leveraging lower income households’ access to gaming platforms, especially as they become networked. According to the authors, one of the major holes in the literature was the lack of studies on media convergence. Rather, most of the work focused on one particular form of media. The authors recommend a better understanding of media use, focusing on characteristics such as content genre, synchronous/asynchronous interaction, messaging modality, and networked behavior. Most of the research on cognitive development and learning uses the model of media socialization. Learning is a social process and is grounded in particular social interactions. The report breaks this section into five main concepts: (1) situated knowledge, where learning is specific to one particular situation; (2) scaffolding, which focuses on an apprenticeship model of learning; (3), inquiry, where learning questions are generated by the active learner; (4), dialogue, the ways in which attention and mental activity are engaged and structure by the presence and presentations of others; and (5), framing, the relevant background information and knowledge of the learner. The report offers several conclusions about the role of media socialization in the determination of cognitive outcomes. With regards to representational skills, research shows that the skills children acquire are specific to the kinds of symbolic experience a particular medium offers. In terms of academic achievement, the authors note that the relationships between computer use and school performance are complex and unclear. There has been little research done on what types of at-home interactive media use contribute to school achievement. This section concludes with some recommendations. The authors recommend a classification system of the different types of interactive experiences children might have and the kinds of content they might encounter. However, they also note that the concept of interactivity needs to be better understood and deconstructed. They note that more needs to be understood about the relationship between various forms of interaction and cognitive consequences. The next major section of the report is on socialization, the process through which children acquire the behaviors, skills, motives, values, beliefs, and standards that are appropriate and desirable in their cultures. The authors focus on three main areas: (1) social context and collaboration, including the influence of parents, siblings, and peers; (2) social relationships, including the development of social networks across geographical distance, characteristics of personal relationships in the real and virtual worlds, and identity construction in virtual environments; and (3) violence and aggression, with a particular focus on games. The recommendations include more research on how networked online media use influences or affects kids’ isolation or social involvement. They recommend that more research be done on how unique aspects of interactive media, such as deeper identification with characters, active participation and control and rewards for social and anti-social behaviors, affect the potential influence these media types may have on social development. The final section is on areas of health and safety. The report reviews literature on both the positive and negative relationships between new media experiences and personal health. The authors recommend more research on how issues of health and safety can be further integrated into the design process. Across all of these areas, the report recommends linking the type of research done in industry. Additionally, they recommend a systematic program that incorporates multiple research methods, including small, targeted studies, observations, national surveys, and other field studies. AU - Wartella, Ellen AU - O'Keefe, Barbara AU - Scantlin, Ronda PY - 2000/05// UR - http://www.markle.org/resources/reports_and_publications/research_archives/imc_reports.php ER -