Abstract
Since the 1980s there have been a number of studies that investigate the use of computers in homes. Many of these focused on the adults or adolescents in the family. Few studies have focused on children, particularly those between the ages of five and twelve. If children of these ages were included in a study they were usually situated within a study of the family and its dynamics, and often their experiences were viewed through the eyes of the adults in the family. The study described in this paper is unique in that the children's perceptions, beliefs and practices were the major focus and the children themselves were the informants. The study investigated children's computer experiences within their homes and their perceptions and beliefs about a range of issues associated with these experiences. The focus in this paper is on the range of computer activities in which children engaged. The major finding was that children's activities, whether game playing, other leisure-related activities or work-related activities, involved 'playful' interactions with the computer which led to exploratory approaches to learning about both the computer and the task itself. © 1999 IFIP, published by Kluwer Academic Publishers
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.REFERENCES
Anacarrow, J. (1986) Use of computers in the home study. Centre for Statistics, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S Department of Education. Washington DC.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (1996) Household Use of Information Technology. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.
Cunningham, H. (1994) Gender and computer games. Media Education Journal, 17, (Winter), 13–15.
Cupitt, M. and Stockbridge, S. (1996) Families and Electronic Entertainment. Australian Broadcasting Authority and the Office of Film and Literature Classification, Sydney.
Downes, T. (1996) The computer as a toy and tool in the home: implications for schools and teachers. Education and Information Technologies, 1, 191–201.
Downes, T. (1997) A matter of equity: computers in Australian homes. Australian Educational Computing, 12(2), 7–13.
Downes, T., Moont, S. and Reddacliff, C. (1995) Stage 1 preliminary report of children's use of electronic technologies in the home. University of Western Sydney, Macarthur, PO Box 555, Campbelltown, NSW 2560.
Downes, T., Moont, S. and Reddacliff, C. (1996) Stage 2 preliminary report of children's use of electronic technologies in the home. University of Western Sydney, Macarthur, PO Box 555, Campbelltown, NSW 2560.
Downes, T. and Reddacliff, C. (1997) Stage 3 preliminary report of children's use of electronic technologies in the home. University of Western Sydney, Macarthur, PO Box 555, Campbelltown, NSW 2560.
Durkin, K. (1995) Computer Games. Their Effects on Young People. A Review. Office of Film and Literature Classification, Sydney.
Ferrari, M., Klinzing, D., Paris, C., Morris, S. and Eyman, A. (1985) Home computers: implications for children and families. In Personal Computers and the Family. M. Sussman (Ed.) Haworth Press, New York.
Funk, J. B. (1992) Video games: benign or maligant. Journal of Development and Behavioural Paediatrics, 13(1), 53–4.
Giacquinta, J. B., Bauer, J. and Levin, J. E. (1993) Beyond Technology's Promise. An Examination of Children's Educational Computing at Home. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Green, B. and Bigum, C. (1993) Aliens in the classroom. Australian Journal of Education, 37(2), 119–41.
Haddon, L. (1992) Explaining ICT consumption: The case of the home computer. In Consuming Technologies: Media and Information in Domestic Spaces. R. Silverstone and E. Hirsch (Eds.). Routledge, London. pp. 82–96.
Heppell, S. (1996) Multimedia and learning. Normal children, normal lives; that's the revolution. http://www.ultralab.anglia.ac.uk/pages/ultralab/A_Good_Read/Normalchildren.html. June 1998.
Kubey, R. and Larson, R. (1990) The use and experience of the new video media among children and young adolescents. Communications Research, 17(1), 107–30.
Marcinkiewicz, H. R. (1993–94) Computers and teachers: factors influencing computer use in the classroom. Journal of Research in Computing in Education, 26(2), 220–37.
Smith, R., Curtin, P. and Newman, L. (1995) Kids in the kitchen. The educational implications of computer and computer games use by children. A paper presented at the Australian Association for Reseach in Educational Annual Conference, Hobart.
Times Mirror Centre for the People and the Press. (1994) Technology in the American Household. Times Mirror Centre for the People and the Press, New York.
Turkle, S. (1984) The Second Self. Computers and the Human Spirit. Granada, London.
Wheelock, J. (1992) Personal computers, gender and an institutional molel of the household. Consuming Technologies: Media and Information in Domestic Spaces. R. Silverstone and E. Hirsch (Eds.). Routledge, London. pp. 97–112.
Wober, J. M. and Shehina, F. (1994) Age and involvement with computers and their games. The Psychologist, 7, 553–4.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Downes, T. Playing with Computing Technologies in the Home. Education and Information Technologies 4, 65–79 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009607432286
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009607432286