The increased acquisition of touch-screen technologies, such as tablet computers, in both homes
and schools raises important questions about their role for very young children’s learning and
development. Their inherent touch-based interaction offers new opportunities for mark making
practices, which are linked to literacy ...»»»»
The increased acquisition of touch-screen technologies, such as tablet computers, in both homes
and schools raises important questions about their role for very young children’s learning and
development. Their inherent touch-based interaction offers new opportunities for mark making
practices, which are linked to literacy development, through the emergent process of using marks
as symbolic representation. This paper reports a comparative study of touch-based interaction
using a tablet computer versus traditional physical paint and paper. Children aged 2-3 years
engaged in a free finger painting activity and colouring in activity in both paper and digital
environments. Video data of their interactions was used to develop a coding scheme for analyzing
touch-based interaction, providing insight into how the use of fingers and hands differed in each
environment, the different types and qualities of touch that were engendered, and the composition
of the final paintings produced. Findings show that while the tablet computer limited the number
of fingers used for interaction, its material affordances supported speed and continuity, which led
to more mark making, and different 'scales' of mark making extending the range of mark making
practices. At the same time it limited the sensory experience of physical paint and resulted in
more uniform final compositions. The findings are discussed in terms of shaping young children’s
mark making, the implications of the use of touch screen technologies in literacy development for
educational practitioners and technology design, and key future research directions.^^^^
