Young Children Playing and Learning in a Digital Age

Young Children Playing and Learning in a Digital Age explores the emergence of the digital age and young children's experiences with digital technologies at home and in educational environments. Drawing on theory and research-based evidence, this book makes an important contribution to understanding the contemporary experiences of young children in the digital age. It argues that a cultural and critically informed perspective allows educators, policy-makers and parents to make sense of children's digital experiences as they play and learn, enabling informed decision-making about future early years curriculum and practices at home and in early learning and care settings. An essential read for researchers, students, policy-makers and professionals working with children today, this book draws attention to the evolution of digital developments and the relationship between contemporary technologies, play and learning in the early years.

Christine Stephen recently retired as a Research Fellow at the University of Stirling, Scotland. Her research focuses on young children's learning and in particular on their everyday experiences as they engage with digital technologies. Susan Edwards is the Director of the Early Childhood Futures research group in the Learning Sciences Institute Australia, Australian Catholic University, Australia.

Foreword Acknowledgements CHAPTER ONE: TOWARDS A NEW KNOWLEDGE PERSPECTIVE Part I: The Evolution of the Digital Age CHAPTER TWO: A HISTORY OF KNOWLEDGE TRANSFORMATIONS AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION CHAPTER THREE: A COMMUNICATION EVOLUTION - THE INTERNET, WORLD WIDE WEB AND PARTICIPATORY MEDIA Part II: Play and Learning CHAPTER FOUR: LEARNING AND TECHNOLOGIES CHAPTER FIVE: DIGITAL PLAY Part III: Children and Technologies CHAPTER SIX: DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY USE AND UPTAKE BY YOUNG CHILDREN CHAPTER SEVEN: MORAL PANIC - SOCIAL AND CULTURAL VALUES CHAPTER EIGHT: CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND TECHNOLOGIES CHAPTER NINE: TOWARDS A CULTURAL AND CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE ON PLAYING AND LEARNING IN THE DIGITAL AGE