Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Putting the Education Back in Educational Apps: How Content and Context Interact to Promote Learning

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Media Exposure During Infancy and Early Childhood

Abstract

Technology is forever changing the landscape of children’s education in and out of school. But much of what masquerades for “educational” in the digital world, is not. In this chapter, we discuss evidence-based principles that can help parents, researchers, and teachers discover apps with real educational value. With the science of learning as a base, we ask whether apps promote children’s active (minds-on) and engaged (not distracted) learning with material that is meaningful and supported in socially interactive contexts. Apps that are built on these principles promote playful, scaffolded, and exploratory learning.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Alfieri, L., Brooks, P. J., Aldrich, N. J., & Tenenbaum, H. R. (2011). Does discovery-based instruction enhance learning? Journal of Educational Psychology, 103, 1–18. doi:10.1037/a0021017.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alvarez, A. L., & Booth, A. E. (2014). Motivated by meaning: Testing the effect of knowledge-infused rewards on preschoolers’ persistence. Child Development, 85, 783–791. doi:10.1111/cdev.12151.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, D. R., Bryant, J., Wilder, A., Santomero, A., Williams, M., & Crawley, A. M. (2000). Researching Blue’s Clues: Viewing behavior and impact. Media Psychology, 2, 179–194. doi:10.1207/S1532785XMEP0202_4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, D. R., & Hanson, K. G. (2016). Screen media and parent–child interactions. In R. Barr & D. N. Linebarger (Eds.), Media exposure during infancy and early childhood: The effects of content and context on learning and development. New York: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-45102-2_11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, D. R., & Pempek, T. A. (2005). Television and very young children. American Behavioral Scientist, 48, 505–522. doi:10.1177/0002764204271506.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Apple. (2016). Learning with iPad [website]. Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/education/products/#learning-with-ipad.

  • Ausubel, D. (1968). Educational psychology: A cognitive view. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barr, R. (2010). Transfer of learning between 2D and 3D sources during infancy: Informing theory and practice. Developmental review, 30, 128–154. doi:10.1016/j.dr.2010.03.001.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barr, R., Shuck, L., Salerno, K., Atkinson, E., & Linebarger, D. L. (2010). Music interferes with learning from television during infancy. Infant and Child Development, 331, 313–331. doi:10.1002/icd.666.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barr, R., & Wyss, N. (2008). Reenactment of televised content by 2-year olds: Toddlers use language learned from television to solve a difficult imitation problem. Infant Behavior & Development, 31, 696–703. doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2008.04.006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barr, R., Wyss, N., & Somanader, M. (2009). The influence of electronic sound effects on learning from televised and live models. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 103, 1–16. doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2009.03.001.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Benassi, V., Overson, C. E., & Hakala, C. (Eds.). (2014). Applying science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum. Retrieved from http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/asle2014/index.php.

  • Bonawitz, E., Shafto, P., Gweon, H., Goodman, N. D., Spelke, E., & Schulz, L. (2011). The double-edged sword of pedagogy: Instruction limits spontaneous exploration and discovery. Cognition, 120, 322–330. doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2010.10.001.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Booth, A. E., & Waxman, S. R. (2002). Object names and object functions serve as cues to categories for infants. Developmental Psychology, 38, 948–957. doi:10.1037//0012-1649.38.6.948.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borun, M., Chambers, M., & Cleghorn, A. (1996). Families are learning in science museums. Curator: The Museum Journal, 39, 123–138. doi:10.1111/j.2151-6952.1996.tb01084.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bransford, J. B., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.). (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make it stick: The science of successful learning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Calvert, S. L., & Richards, M. N. (2014). Children’s parasocial relationships with media characters. In A. Jordan & D. Romer (Eds.), Media and the well being of children and adolescents (pp. 187–200). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chi, M. T. H. (2009). Active-Constructive-Interactive: A conceptual framework for differentiating learning activities. Topics in Cognitive Science, 1, 73–105. doi:10.1111/j.1756-8765.2008.01005.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chiong, C., & DeLoache, J. S. (2012). Learning the ABCs: What kinds of picture books facilitate young children’s learning? Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 13, 225–241. doi:10.1177/1468798411430091.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choudhury, N., & Gorman, K. S. (2000). The relationship between sustained attention and cognitive performance in 17–24-month old toddlers. Infant and Child Development, 146, 127–146. doi:10.1002/1522-7219(200009)9:3<127::AID-ICD225>3.0.CO;2-5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • City of New York, Office of the Mayor. (2014). Mayor de Blasio details tech investments in city schools to close achievement gap and better prepare all students for the workforce [press release]. Retrieved from http://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/241-14/mayor-de-blasio-details-tech-investments-city-schools-close-achievement-gap-better#/0.

  • Common Sense Media. (2013). Zero to eight: Children’s media use in America, a common sense media research study. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/zero-to-eight-childrens-media-use-in-america-2013.

  • Corporation for Public Broadcasting. (2011). Findings from ready to learn 2005–2010. Washington, DC: Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Retrieved from http://www.cpb.org/rtl/FindingsFromReadyToLearn2005-2010.pdf.

  • Coyne, M. D., McCoach, D. B., & Kapp, S. (2007). Vocabulary intervention for kindergarten students: Comparing extended instruction to embedded instruction and incidental exposure. Learning Disability Quarterly, 30, 74–88. doi:10.2307/30035543.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Darling-Hammond, L., & Adamson, F. (Eds.). (2014). Beyond the bubble test: How performance assessments support 21st century learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeCaro, M. S., & Rittle-Johnson, B. (2012). Exploring mathematics problems prepares children to learn from instruction. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 113, 552–568. doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2012.06.009.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DeLoache, J. S., Chiong, C., Sherman, K., Islam, N., Vanderborght, M., Troseth, G. L., et al. (2010). Do babies learn from baby media? Psychological Science, 21, 1570–1574. doi:10.1177/0956797610384145.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Demers, L. B., Hanson, K. G., Kirkorian, H. L., Pempek, T. A., & Anderson, D. R. (2013). Infant gaze following during parent-infant coviewing of baby videos. Child Development, 84, 591–603. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01868.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dickinson, D. K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., Nicolopoulou, A., & Collins, M. F. (2013, April 19). The Read-Play-Learn intervention and research design. Paper presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development in Seattle, WA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dietz, S., & Henrich, C. (2014). Texting as a distraction to learning in college students. Computers in Human Behavior, 36, 163–167. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.045.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillon, S. (2009, April 29). ‘No Child’ law is not closing a racial gap. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/education/29scores.html.

  • Dixon, W. E., Salley, B. J., & Clements, A. D. (2006). Temperament, distraction, and learning in toddlerhood. Infant Behavior & Development, 29, 342–357. doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2006.01.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunst, C. J., Gorman, E., & Hamby, D. W. (2010). Effects of adult verbal and vocal contingent responsiveness on increases in infant vocalizations. Center for Early Literacy, 3, 1–11. Retrieved from http://www.earlyliteracylearning.org/cellreviews/cellreviews_v3_n1.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisch, S. M., & McCann, S. K. (1993). Making broadcast television participate: Eliciting mathematical behavior through Square One TV. Educational Technology Research and Development, 41, 103–109. doi:10.1007/BF02297360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, A. V., Godwin, K. E., & Seltman, H. (2014). Visual environment, attention allocation, and learning in young children: When too much of a good thing may be bad. Psychological Science, 25, 1362–1370. doi:10.1177/0956797614533801.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, K. R., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Newcombe, N., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2013). Taking shape: Supporting preschoolers’ acquisition of geometric knowledge through guided play. Child Development, 84, 1872–1878. doi:10.1111/cdev.12091.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74, 59–109. doi:10.3102/00346543074001059.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, M. H., & Schwade, J. A. (2008). Social feedback to infants’ babbling facilitates rapid phonological learning. Psychological Science, 19, 515–523. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02117.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2016). Becoming brilliant: What science tells us about raising successful children. Washington, DC: APA Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Gray, P. (2013). Free to learn: Why unleashing the instinct to play will make our children happier, more self reliant and better students for life. New York, NY: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gros-Louis, J., West, M. J., & King, A. P. (2014). Maternal responsiveness and the development of directed vocalizing in social interactions. Infancy, 19, 385–408. doi:10.1111/infa.12054.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guernsey, L. (2014). New America: Education Policy Program. Envisioning a digital age architecture [Policy brief]. Retrieved from http://newamerica.net/publications/policy/envisioning_a_digital_age_architecture_for_early_education.

  • Haden, C. A. (2002). Talking about science in museums. Child Development, 4, 62–67. doi:10.1111/j.1750-8606.2009.00119.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han, M., Moore, N., Vukelich, C., & Buell, M. (2010). Does play make a difference? How play intervention affects the vocabulary learning of at-risk preschoolers. American Journal of Play, 3, 82–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hargrave, A., & Sénéchal, M. (2000). A book reading intervention with preschool children who have limited vocabularies: The benefits of regular reading and dialogic reading. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 90, 75–90. doi:10.1016/S0885-2006(99)00038-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hinyard, L. J., & Kreuter, M. W. (2007). Using narrative communication as a tool for health behavior change: A conceptual, theoretical, and empirical overview. Health Education & Behavior, 34, 777–792. doi:10.1177/1090198106291963.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2011). The great balancing act: Optimizing core curricula through playful learning. In E. Zigler, W. Gilliam, & S. Barnett (Eds.), The preschool education debates (pp. 110–116). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., Berk, L. E., & Singer, D. G. (2009). A mandate for playful learning in school: Presenting the evidence. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirsh-Pasek, K., Zosh, J. M., Golinkoff, R., Gray, J., Robb, M., & Kaufman, J. (2015). Harnessing the science of learning to promote real educational apps. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16, 3–34. doi:10.1177/1529100615569721.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins, E. J., Dore, R. A., & Lillard, A. S. (2015). Do children learn from pretense? Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 130, 1–18. doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2014.09.004.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, J., & Nelson, K. (1983). Effects of script structure on children’s story recall. Developmental Psychology, 19, 625–635. doi:10.1037//0012-1649.19.4.625.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kannass, K. N., & Colombo, J. (2007). The effects of continuous and intermittent distractors on cognitive performance and attention in preschoolers. Journal of Cognition and Development, 8, 63–77. doi:10.1080/15248370709336993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kannass, K. N., Colombo, J., & Wyss, N. (2010). Now, pay attention! The effects of instruction on children’s attention. Journal of Cognition and Development, 11, 1–18. doi:10.1080/15248372.2010.516418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kilaru, A. S., Perrone, J., Auriemma, C. L., Shofer, F. S., Barg, F. K., & Meisel, Z. F. (2014). Evidence-based narratives to improve recall of opioid prescribing guidelines: A randomized experiment. Academic Emergency Medicine, 21, 244–249. doi:10.1111/acem.12326.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Klahr, D., & Nigam, M. (2004). The equivalence of learning paths in early science instruction: Effect of direct instruction and discovery learning. Psychological Science, 15, 661–667. doi:10.1111/j.0956-7976.2004.00737.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kotler, J. A., Schiffman, J. M., & Hanson, K. G. (2012). The influence of media characters on children’s food choices. Journal of Health Communication, 17, 886–898. doi:10.1080/10810730.2011.650822.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krcmar, M., & Cingel, D. P. (2014). Parent–child joint reading in traditional and electronic formats. Media Psychology, 17, 262–281. doi:10.1080/15213269.2013.840243.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krcmar, M., Grela, B., & Lin, K. (2007). Can toddlers learn vocabulary from television? An experimental approach. Media Psychology, 10, 41–63. doi:10.108/15213260701300931.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuhl, P. K., Tsao, F.-M., & Liu, H.-M. (2003). Foreign-language experience in infancy: Effects of short-term exposure and social interaction on phonetic learning. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 100, 9096–9101. doi:10.1073/pnas.1532872100.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Lauricella, A. R., Barr, R., & Calvert, S. L. (2014). Parent–child interactions during traditional and computer storybook reading for children’s comprehension: Implications for electronic storybook design. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 2, 17–25. doi:10.1016/j.ijcci.2014.07.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lauricella, A. R., Gola, A. A. H., & Calvert, S. L. (2011). Toddlers’ learning from socially meaningful video characters. Media Psychology, 14, 216–232. doi:10.1080/15213269.2011.573465.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Libertus, K., & Needham, A. (2010). Teach to reach: The effects of active vs. passive reaching experiences on action and perception. Vision Research, 50, 2750–2757. doi:10.1016/j.visres.2010.09.001.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Linebarger, D. N., Brey, E., Fenstermacher, S., & Barr, R. (2016). What makes preschool educational television educational? A content analysis of literacy, language-promoting, and prosocial preschool programming. In R. Barr & D. N. Linebarger (Eds.), Media exposure during infancy and early childhood: The effects of content and context on learning and development. New York: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-45102-2_7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Linebarger, D. L., & Walker, D. (2005). Infants’ and toddlers’ television viewing and language outcomes. American Behavioral Scientist, 48, 624–645. doi:10.1177/0002764204271505.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, A., Razza, R., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2012). Sustained attention at age 5 predicts attention-related problems at age 9. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 36, 413–419. doi:10.1177/0165025412450527.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Mayer, R. E. (2014). Research-based principles for designing multimedia instruction. In V. A. Benassi, C. E. Overson & C. M. Hakala (Eds.), Applying science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum. Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/asle2014/index.php.

  • McClure, E., & Barr, R. (2016). Building family relationships from a distance: Supporting connections with babies and toddlers using video and video chat. In R. Barr & D. N. Linebarger (Eds.), Media exposure during infancy and early childhood: The effects of content and context on learning and development. New York: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-45102-2_15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagy, W. E., Herman, P. A., & Anderson, R. C. (1985). Learning words from context. Reading Research Quarterly, 20, 233–253. doi:10.2307/747758.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neuman, S. B., Kaefer, T., Pinkham, A., & Strouse, G. (2014). Can babies learn to read? A randomized trial of baby media. Journal of Educational Psychology, 106, 815–830. doi:10.1037/a0035937.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neville, H. J., Stevens, C., Pakulak, E., Bell, T. A., Fanning, J., Klein, S., et al. (2013). Family-based training program improves brain function, cognition, and behavior in lower socioeconomic status preschoolers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 110, 12138–12143. doi:10.1073/pnas.1304437110.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Novak, J. D. (2002). Meaningful learning: The essential factor for conceptual change in limited or inappropriate propositional hierarchies leading to empowerment of learners. Science Education, 86, 548–571. doi:10.1002/sce.10032.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2012). Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Results from 2012: United States. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/pisa/keyfindings/PISA-2012-results-US.pdf.

  • Parish-Morris, J., Mahajan, N., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., & Collins, M. F. (2013). Once upon a time: Parent-child dialogue and storybook reading in the electronic era. Mind, Brain, and Education, 7, 200–211. doi:10.1111/mbe.12028.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pellegrino, J. W. (2012). From cognitive principles to instructional practices: The devil is often in the details. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 1, 260–262. doi:10.1016/j.jarmac.2012.10.005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pellegrino, J. W., & Hilton, M. L. (Eds.). (2013). Education for life and work: Developing transferable knowledge and skills in the 21st century. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piotrowski, J. T., Linebarger, D. L., & Jennings, N. A. (2009). Assessing the impact of Between the Lions and literacy manipulatives on the literacy skills of young children. Philadelphia, PA: Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramani, G. B., & Siegler, R. S. (2008). Promoting broad and stable improvements in low-income children’s numerical knowledge through playing number board games. Child Development, 79, 375–394. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01131.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ravitch, D. (2010). The life and death of the great American school system: How testing and choice are undermining education. New York, NY: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reed, J., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (submitted for publication). Learning on hold: Cell phones sidetrack parent-child interactions.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reiser, R. A., Tessmer, M. A., & Phelps, P. C. (1984). Adult-child interaction in children’s learning from “Sesame Street”. Educational Communication and Technology, 32, 217–223. doi:10.1007/BF02768893.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reiser, R. A., Williamson, N., & Suzuki, K. (1988). Using “Sesame Street” to facilitate children’s recognition of letters and numbers. Educational Communication and Technology, 36, 15–21. doi:10.1007/BF02770013.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rice, M. L., Huston, A. C., Truglio, R., & Wright, J. C. (1990). Words from “Sesame Street”: Learning vocabulary while viewing. Developmental Psychology, 26, 421–428. doi:10.1037//0012-1649.26.3.421.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richards, M. N., & Calvert, S. L. (2016). Media characters, parasocial relationships, and the social aspects of children’s learning across media platforms. In R. Barr & D. N. Linebarger (Eds.), Media exposure during infancy and early childhood: The effects of content and context on learning and development. New York: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-45102-2_9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richert, R. A., Shawber, A. B., Hoffman, R. E., & Taylor, M. (2009). Learning from fantasy and real characters in preschool and kindergarten. Journal of Cognition and Development, 10, 41–66. doi:10.1080/15248370902966594.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rideout, M. A., Foehr, U. G., & Roberts, D. F. (2010). A Kaiser Family Foundation Study. Menlo Park, CA: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Generation M2: Media in the lives of 8- to 18-year-olds, Retrieved from https://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/8010.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roediger, H. L. (2014, July 18). How tests make us smarter. The New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2014/07/20/opinion/sunday/how-tests-make-us-smarter.html.

  • Roseberry, S., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Parish-Morris, J., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2009). Live action: Can young children learn verbs from video? Child Development, 80, 1360–1375. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01338.x.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Roseberry, S., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2014). Skype me! Socially contingent interactions help toddlers learn language. Child Development, 85, 956–970. doi:10.1111/cdev.12166.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sana, F., Weston, T., & Cepeda, N. J. (2013). Laptop multitasking hinders classroom learning for both users and nearby peers. Computers & Education, 62, 24–31. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2012.10.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sawyer, R. K. (Ed.). (2006). The Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, M., Pempek, T., Kirkorian, H. L., Lund, A. F., & Anderson, D. R. (2008). The effects of background television on the toy play behavior of very young children. Child Development, 79, 1137–1151. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01180.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, K. (2015, March). Comparisons of parent-child interactions while reading interactive and traditional books. In K. Schmitt (chair) Parent-child interactions with books and other media. Paper symposium presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Philadelphia, PA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwamborn, A., Mayer, R. E., Thillmann, H., Leopold, C., & Leutner, D. (2010). Drawing as a generative activity and drawing as a prognostic activity. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102, 872–879. doi:10.1037/a0019640.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scofield, J., & Williams, A. (2009). Do 2-year-olds disambiguate and extend words learned from video? First Language, 29, 228–240. doi:10.1177/0142723708101681.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sénéchal, M., Thomas, E., & Monker, J. (1995). Individual differences in 4-year-old children’s acquisition of vocabulary during storybook reading. Journal of Educational Psychology, 87, 218–229. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.87.2.218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sesen, B. A., & Tarhan, L. (2010). Promoting active learning in high school chemistry: Learning achievement and attitude. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2, 2625–2630. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shuell, T. J. (1990). Phases of meaningful learning. Review of Educational Research, 60, 531–547. doi:10.3102/00346543060004531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siegler, R. S., & Ramani, G. B. (2009). Playing linear number board games—but not circular ones—improves low-income preschoolers’ numerical understanding. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101, 545–560. doi:10.1037/a0014239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sigel, I. E. (1987). Does hothousing rob children of their childhood? Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 2, 211–225. doi:10.1016/0885-2006(87)90031-7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simensky, L. (2016). Character development in practice: How producers craft engaging characters to drive content delivery: Commentary on chapter 9. In R. Barr & D. N. Linebarger (Eds.), Media exposure during infancy and early childhood: The effects of content and context on learning and development. New York: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-45102-2_10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sommerville, J. A., Woodward, A. L., & Needham, A. (2005). Action experience alters 3-month-old infants’ perception of others’ actions. Cognition, 96, 1–11. doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2004.07.004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strand-Cary, M., & Klahr, D. (2008). Developing elementary science skills: Instructional effectiveness and path independence. Cognitive Development, 23, 488–511. doi:10.1016/j.cogdev.2008.09.005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strommen, E. F. (2000). Interactive toy characters as interfaces for children. In Information appliances and beyond: Interactive design for consumer products (pp. 257–298). New York, NY: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strouse, G. A., O’Doherty, K., & Troseth, G. L. (2013). Effective coviewing: Preschoolers’ learning from video after a dialogic questioning intervention. Developmental Psychology, 49, 2368–2382. doi:10.1037/a0032463.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., Bornstein, M. H., Kahana-Kalman, R., Baumwell, L., & Cyphers, L. (1998). Predicting variation in the timing of linguistic milestones in the second year: An events-history approach. Journal of Child Language, 25, 675–700. doi:10.1017/S0305000998003572.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., Bornstein, M. H., & Baumwell, L. (2001). Maternal responsiveness and children’s achievement of language milestones. Child Development, 72, 748–767. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00313.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., Kuchirko, Y., & Song, L. (2014). Why is infant language learning facilitated by parental responsiveness? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 23, 121–126. doi:10.1177/0963721414522813.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tare, M., Chiong, C., Ganea, P., & DeLoache, J. (2010). Less is more: How manipulative features affect children’s learning from picture books. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 31, 395–400. doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2010.06.005.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Troseth, G., Saylor, M., & Archer, A. (2006). Young children’s use of video as a source of socially relevant information. Child Development, 77, 786–799. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00903.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Walls, C., & Steptoe, S. (2006, December 10). How to bring our schools out of the 20th century. Time Magazine. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1568480,00.html.

  • Watson, J. M., & Strayer, D. L. (2010). Supertaskers: Profiles in extraordinary multitasking ability. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 17, 479–485. doi:10.3758/PBR.17.4.479.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weisberg, D. S. (2015). Pretend play. WIREs Cognitive Science, 6, 249–261. doi:10.1002/wcs.1341.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weisberg, D. S., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., & McCandliss, B. D. (2014). Mise en place: Setting the stage for thought and action. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 18, 276–278. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2014.02.012.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weisberg, D. S., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2013). Embracing complexity: Rethinking the relation between play and learning: Comment on Lillard et al. (2013). Psychological Bulletin, 139, 35–39. doi: 10.1037/a0030077.

  • Weisberg, D. S., Ilgaz, H., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R., Nicolopoulou, A., & Dickinson, D. K. (2015). Shovels and swords: How realistic and fantastical themes affect children’s word learning. Cognitive Development, 35, 1–14. doi:10.1016/j.cogdev.2014.11.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, J. C., & Huston, A. C. (1983). A matter of form: Potentials of television for young viewers. American Psychologist, 38, 835–843.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Z. H., & Linn, M. C. (2011). Can generating representations enhance learning with dynamic visualizations? Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 48, 1177–1198. doi:10.1002/tea.20443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zosh, J. M., Brinster, M., & Halberda, J. (2013). Optimal contrast: Competition between two referents improves word learning. Applied Developmental Science, 17, 20–28. doi:10.1080/10888691.2013.748420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zosh, J. M., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. (2016). Guided play. In D. L. Couchenour & K. Chrisman (Eds.), Encyclopedia of contemporary early childhood education (pp. 645–646). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zosh, J. M., Reed, J., Golinkoff, R., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2014). Play and its role in language development. In P. Brooks, V. Kempe, & G. J. Golson (Eds.), Encyclopedia of language development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Reference.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zosh, J. M., Verdine, B., Fillipowitz, A., Golinkoff, R. M., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Newcombe, N. (2015). Talking shape: Parental language with electronic vs. traditional shape sorters. Mind, Brain, and Education, 9, 136–144. doi:10.1111/mbe.12082.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work benefited greatly from conversations and collaborations with James H. Gray, Michael B. Robb, and Jordy Kaufman.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pennsylvania State University, Brandywine, 25 Yearsley Mill Rd., Brandywine, 25 Yearsley Mill Rd, PA, 19063, USA

    Jennifer M. Zosh

  2. Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    Sarah Roseberry Lytle

  3. University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA

    Roberta Michnick Golinkoff

  4. Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA

    Kathy Hirsh-Pasek

  5. The Brookings Institution, Washington, DC, 20036, USA

    Kathy Hirsh-Pasek

Authors
  1. Jennifer M. Zosh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sarah Roseberry Lytle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Roberta Michnick Golinkoff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jennifer M. Zosh .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Rachel Barr

  2. Department of Human Development, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

    Deborah Nichols Linebarger

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Zosh, J.M., Lytle, S.R., Golinkoff, R.M., Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2017). Putting the Education Back in Educational Apps: How Content and Context Interact to Promote Learning. In: Barr, R., Linebarger, D. (eds) Media Exposure During Infancy and Early Childhood. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45102-2_17

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation