Into the MInds of Babes Ch. 10-12
"is Interactive Media Worthwhile - or at Lease Better Than TV?"
Chapter ten was insightful, but I think it all comes down to the common sense that you use when dieting: monitor (how much you eat/how much screen time you have), evaluate (are you eating healthy foods/are these good programs) and participate (do some physical exercise with a buddy/have a parent intervene or follow-up when appropriate.)
Here are some facts that I found intriguing:
-Warren Buckleitner is quoted several times throughout the chapter for his work with the "Children's Technology Review"
-"If you've got an under 2 1/2 year old, get a cat" -Warren (I could not agree more by the way, although I would pick a dog)
-Children can have a hard time understanding cause and effect, particularly if the response is not immediate and if the effect is not in a close proximity
-Game Designers will use "Click Attach" instead of "Click and Drag" for young users
-Research is just beginning on whether interactive media is showing positive, long term effects
-The benefits or drawbacks of interactive media rely on: CONTEXT, CONTENT and the INDIVIDUAL CHILD
-When children are constantly clicking around on a screen, a narrative that once existed may be interrupted
-Interactive programming is not always better than straight video, it depends on the DESIGN
-A problem with interactive media is that it is usually programmed to guide a child down a particular path, which does not allow them to explore and let loose
-Research has found (by our very own professor) that the more control you give a child, the more they respond
-"Alone time" has been shown to have positive effects in regard to ebooks. (Parents are not saying "click here" or "don't click there.")
-Vygotsky believed that children learn best in their "zone of proximal development." Where children have nearly mastered one skill ad are within stretching distance of something a little more advanced.
-"Proximal development" is used in the development of interactive media. Bill Shribman creates games with "self-leveling" which allows the game to calibrate the level based on the number of correct answers.
-Lisa Guernsey's resolutions on interactive media:
~never touch websites that are laden with advertisements
~select games that sense abilities and challenge
~avoid "inconsiderate hotspots" (which are bells and whistles that do nothing to promote a level of understanding
~give kids the mouse to steer
~being on the computer must jibe with her attempts to provide them with a healthy, fulfilling day