title: A diversity of digital smartness: A case study of children's uses of information and communication technology in an early childhood education setting

authors: Archard, Sara

subjects: early childhood education (ECE),

abstract: Information and Communication Technology is regarded as playing an ever-increasing role in the lives of people, which includes young children. The role of ICT in early childhood educational services in Aotearoa New Zealand is still being argued by teachers despite policy expectations that endorse and support its integration into practice. This chapter draws upon a small qualitative case study involving young children and their uses of ICT in one early childhood setting. It identifies and examines the diversity of ways that children, and other people involved in their lives, might use ICT as a means of initiating, facilitating and supporting learning. We define this as digital smartness. A socio-cultural perspective is used to recognise and examine this notion of children’s digital smartness. ICT and learning is examined in terms of the social and cultural contexts of the young children with particular focus on the influences of family/whānau and the early childhood education setting. We examine how the digital smartness of children can be understood and affirmed in early childhood settings. We identify the Bourdieuian construct of habitus as a valid perspective to informing and meeting obligations of a more coherent teacher pedagogy of ICT. We contend that certain factors need to be in place to welcome the diversity of children’s digital habitus into early childhood education settings that affirm the digital smartness of children learning and living in the 21st century.

text: A diversity of digital smartness: A case study of children's uses of information and communication technology in an early childhood education setting Information and Communication Technology is regarded as playing an ever-increasing role in the lives of people, which includes young children. The role of ICT in early childhood educational services in Aotearoa New Zealand is still being argued by teachers despite policy expectations that endorse and support its integration into practice. This chapter draws upon a small qualitative case study involving young children and their uses of ICT in one early childhood setting. It identifies and examines the diversity of ways that children, and other people involved in their lives, might use ICT as a means of initiating, facilitating and supporting learning. We define this as digital smartness. A socio-cultural perspective is used to recognise and examine this notion of children’s digital smartness. ICT and learning is examined in terms of the social and cultural contexts of the young children with particular focus on the influences of family/whānau and the early childhood education setting. We examine how the digital smartness of children can be understood and affirmed in early childhood settings. We identify the Bourdieuian construct of habitus as a valid perspective to informing and meeting obligations of a more coherent teacher pedagogy of ICT. We contend that certain factors need to be in place to welcome the diversity of children’s digital habitus into early childhood education settings that affirm the digital smartness of children learning and living in the 21st century.

year: 2015

title: Using a categorisation structure to understand interaction in children’s books

authors: Timpany, Claire

subjects: books

abstract: Children’s books can vary greatly in the type of and depth of interaction that is required from the reader. The types of interaction demanded by different types of books can be explored using contrasting paradigms. Previously Timpany & Vanderschantz (2012) proposed a categorisation of interactive children’s books that used two continuums that took into consideration Physical Enhancement and Content Sequencing. This paper looks at those categorisations made by Timpany & Vanderschantz (2012) and considers how the multitude of formats addresses either the physical or intellectual aspects of children’s reading and how this then may be used to engage the reader. To do this, a database of 132 books was audited to assess the interactivity of these books against those categorisation systems. The range of books surveyed is discussed in terms of what methods are used to create the interaction within each of the interactivity levels and across types of books. Findings from this audit demonstrate interesting interactions between age, physical enhancement versus content sequencing, and the relationship of these to mechanisms for interactivity such as paper engineering, illustration and story structure. The majority of the books in the sample have no interactive qualities on one of the two-categorisation scales. Physically enhanced books were marginally more highly represented on the scale at higher levels of interactivity. Counter intuitively, the physically interactive pop up books were seen to fall predominantly in lower categories (1 or 2) for physical enhancement, while books requiring image search, an intellectual activity, were also predominantly in the lower categories (1 or 2) for content sequencing.

text: Using a categorisation structure to understand interaction in children’s books Children’s books can vary greatly in the type of and depth of interaction that is required from the reader. The types of interaction demanded by different types of books can be explored using contrasting paradigms. Previously Timpany & Vanderschantz (2012) proposed a categorisation of interactive children’s books that used two continuums that took into consideration Physical Enhancement and Content Sequencing. This paper looks at those categorisations made by Timpany & Vanderschantz (2012) and considers how the multitude of formats addresses either the physical or intellectual aspects of children’s reading and how this then may be used to engage the reader. To do this, a database of 132 books was audited to assess the interactivity of these books against those categorisation systems. The range of books surveyed is discussed in terms of what methods are used to create the interaction within each of the interactivity levels and across types of books. Findings from this audit demonstrate interesting interactions between age, physical enhancement versus content sequencing, and the relationship of these to mechanisms for interactivity such as paper engineering, illustration and story structure. The majority of the books in the sample have no interactive qualities on one of the two-categorisation scales. Physically enhanced books were marginally more highly represented on the scale at higher levels of interactivity. Counter intuitively, the physically interactive pop up books were seen to fall predominantly in lower categories (1 or 2) for physical enhancement, while books requiring image search, an intellectual activity, were also predominantly in the lower categories (1 or 2) for content sequencing.

year: 2013

title: A walking stick in one hand and a chainsaw in the other: Patients’ perspectives of living with multimorbidity

authors: Signal, Louise

abstract: AIMS: Multimorbidity is common, yet there are major gaps in research, particularly among younger and indigenous populations. This research aimed to understand patients’ perspectives of living with multimorbidity. 

METHODS: A qualitative study of 61 people living with multimorbidity, 27 of whom were Māori and a third aged under 65, from urban and rural regions in New Zealand. Six focus groups and 14 interviews were conducted, recorded, transcribed and analysed. 
RESULTS: For many participants, living with multimorbidity disrupted their ‘normal’ lives, posing challenges in everyday activities such as eating and toileting, working and managing medications. Dealing with the health system posed challenges such as accessing appointments and having enough time in consultations. Cultural competency, good communication and continuity of care from healthcare providers were all valued. Participants had many recommendations to improve management, including a professional single point of contact to coordinate all specialist care. 
CONCLUSIONS: Living with multimorbidity is often challenging requiring people to manage their conditions while continuing to live their lives. This research suggests changes are needed in the health system in New Zealand and elsewhere to better manage multimorbidity thus improving patient’s lives and reducing costs to the health sector and wider society.

text: A walking stick in one hand and a chainsaw in the other: Patients’ perspectives of living with multimorbidity AIMS: Multimorbidity is common, yet there are major gaps in research, particularly among younger and indigenous populations. This research aimed to understand patients’ perspectives of living with multimorbidity. 

METHODS: A qualitative study of 61 people living with multimorbidity, 27 of whom were Māori and a third aged under 65, from urban and rural regions in New Zealand. Six focus groups and 14 interviews were conducted, recorded, transcribed and analysed. 
RESULTS: For many participants, living with multimorbidity disrupted their ‘normal’ lives, posing challenges in everyday activities such as eating and toileting, working and managing medications. Dealing with the health system posed challenges such as accessing appointments and having enough time in consultations. Cultural competency, good communication and continuity of care from healthcare providers were all valued. Participants had many recommendations to improve management, including a professional single point of contact to coordinate all specialist care. 
CONCLUSIONS: Living with multimorbidity is often challenging requiring people to manage their conditions while continuing to live their lives. This research suggests changes are needed in the health system in New Zealand and elsewhere to better manage multimorbidity thus improving patient’s lives and reducing costs to the health sector and wider society.

year: 2017