A systematic review of the impact of mobile apps on young children and learning.

1. Mobile applications, learning and young children:
What does the literature say?
Dr Christothea Herodotou
Lecturer,
Open University, UK

2. The story so far…
• Systematic review
• 2010-2017
• Tablets/iPads
• Learning impact (social,
emotional, cognitive)
• 5 years old or younger
• Empirical research
(Experimental, descriptive)
• English language
• Grey lit was excluded

3. Research Questions
1: What evidence exists (positive, negative, or neutral)
about the impact of tablets (or iPads or smartphones)
on young children’s (5 years old and younger) learning
and development (social, emotional, or cognitive)?
2: What conditions explain the impact of tablets (as
identified in RQ1 on children's learning and
development?

4. Studies in the analysis
• 19 studies - 12 published in 2016
• Age 2 - 5 years old.
• 14 - experimental, quasi‐experimental, mixed‐method studies
• 5 - descriptive and correlation studies
• 8 studies
• 8 studies STEM mainly mathematics
• 3 studies generic skills (problem‐solving, collaboration, fine
motor skills' development)

5. RQ1: Effects on learning (1/2)
enhanced vocabulary skills (Teepe et al., 2016; Walter‐laager et al., 2016),
reading and writing skills (Beschorner & Hutchison, 2013; Masataka, 2014;
Neumann, 2014; Neumann, 2016),
enhanced math or science knowledge and skills (Alade et al.,
2016; Mattoon et al., 2015; Miller et al., 2012; Schacter & Jo, 2016; Wang et al., 2016; Watts et al.,
2016),
earlier fine motor development (correlational study; Bedford et al., 2016),
enhanced problem‐solving skills (Huber, Krist, & Wilkening, 2003),
general improvements in literacy, numeracy, social
interaction, and growth in confidence (case study; Clarke & Abbott, 2016).
Positive effects (n=14); Mixed findings (n=4); Negative effects (n=1)

6. Mixed findings:
emergent writing skills
science knowledge and skills - older children
(Herodotou, 2017; Patchan & Puranik, 2016; Schroeder & Kirkorian, 2016).
Negative findings:
 Reading ability in joint parent–child interactions
(Krcmar & Cingel, 2014).
RQ1: Effects on learning (2/2)

7. RQ2: Conditions facilitating learning
1. Application features: interactivity; narration and
highlight functions; open‐ended tasks; variety of
representations; levels of difficulty.
2. Adults: greater vocabulary growth, yet negative
outcomes in reading due to evaluative comments about
the medium
3. Age: greater benefits for older children in near transfer
tasks
4. Similarity: learning in near transfer conditions, yet not
far transfer
5. One‐device‐per child: cognitive benefits in diverse
domains especially for struggling students and girls

8. Future directions…
•Understand how app design, social conditions, individual characteristics relate to
surface and deep forms of learning.
Capture social and emotional effects
Capture effects on children younger than 2 years old
Implement longitudinal studies - identify long‐term effects, overcome
novelty effects
•Engage with large samples (e.g., multilevel modelling analysis and group
comparisons)
•Compare with existing teaching approaches in early years
•Focus on low-SES to minimize previous attainment gaps

9. Thank you
christothea.herodotou@open.ac.uk
@herodotouc
16/4/18 AERA Symposium