The Opportunities of Creative Apps in Middle Childhood

• In Event: Content, Context, and Consequences of "Educational" Apps in the Lives of Children

Abstract

Today’s educational app landscape largely targets early childhood. The absence of apps targeting older children is surprising since these children are frequent tablet users. Equally interesting, educational app research has focused primarily on school-readiness apps (e.g., literacy) for young children, and yet creative apps are among the most popular - particularly in middle childhood. Considering that middle childhood is characterized by a rapid growth in creative thinking, it is reasonable to ask whether creative apps can support this skill. Using an experimental design, we investigated how Dutch children 8-10 years of age (n = 94) respond to creative apps. Guided by the moderate discrepancy hypothesis and flow theory, we hypothesized that apps which are moderately discrepant from children’s developmental level are more engaging and effective than highly discrepant apps. We also investigated the role of individual differences in this process. Results highlight the opportunities of creative apps in middle childhood.

Authors

• Jessica Taylor Piotrowski, U of Amsterdam

• Laurian Meester, U of Amsterdam