Structural Inequalities in Play, Creativity, and Learning With Digital Technologies

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

The symposium responds to the 2021 call for presentations by outlining how the findings from an international project between the LEGO Foundation and the Universities of Sheffield (England) and Cape Town (South Africa) on learning through digital play showed the consistency of qualities and experience of play across both digital and non-digital contexts, but also revealed deep structural inequalities in the play environments of both groups of 3-11-year olds. Nevertheless, despite the socio-economic, linguistic, ethnic and racial inequalities, the play ecologies of children in resource-constrained environments show their creativity within the digital/non-digital environment. The symposium includes presentations of the quantitative and qualitative findings of the study and an interactive element in which participants can discuss the findings and issues raised.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Learning Environments

Chair

• Candace Ross Kuby, University of Missouri - Columbia

Papers

• Learning and Creativity in Digital Play: An Overview - Bo Stjerne Thomsen, LEGO Foundation

• Parents' Perceptions of Children, Technology, and Play in a South African Racially Unequal Community - Dick Ngambi, University of Cape Town

• Racial Inequalities and Creativity in Children's Digital Play in South Africa - Karin Saskia Murris, University of Oulu

• Adult Mediation of Children's Engagements With Digital Technologies: Play, Learning, and Inequalities - Fiona Scott, The University of Sheffield

Discussant

• Kristiina P. Kumpulainen, University of Helsinki