Integrating the Computer Into an Elementary Educational Setting: A Developmental Stage Model

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1995
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Haverford College. Department of Psychology
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Award
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eng
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Haverford users only
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Abstract
Sixty-six children from pre-kindergarten through grade 6 at a small Quaker suburban elementary school were selected by permission to participate in a multiphasic study of computer literacy. The three-part test consisted of a Background Questionnaire to establish S's computer experience outside of the school's Computer Learning Center (CLC), a Literacy Form to target specific skills using Macintosh picture- and word-processing software, and a cognitive game section involving basic computer skill, memory, and strategy. The major objective of the study was to determine in what order and at what developmental level computer skills are acquired and reveal other factors which influence a child's achievement of computer literacy. Correlating results from the three parts of the test revealed that the best predictors of performance on the Literacy Form are S's grade level and frequency of computer use outside the CLC. As expected, motor skills are acquired first, then basic computer skills such as menu and window use, which must precede acquisition of complex skills. In this population, a plateau of performance occurred after the fourth grade, suggesting that S's had attained a level of basic literacy. Additionally, scores on items such as the child's favorite subject and independent vs. social computing style suggested that these other factors may play a role in the child's computer development.
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