In The Field
Professional development
World Café at Early Start held to help early childhood sector to navigate tech
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Freya Lucas
Nov 15, 2024
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Researchers from the University of Wollongong (UOW) will join experts in early childhood education at a World Café at Early Start later today with the intention of reaching a consensus about how digital technologies can be used to enhance and support teaching practices.
The panel, hosted by UOW researchers from the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, will discuss what constitutes quality in adult-child-technology interactions in the preschool classroom and then how to integrate digital technology in children’s learning activities and experiences, in a research-driven, best-practice way.The event will also see the launch of DigIQ Professional Learning materials, a free suite of evidence-based professional learning resources that will be available to early childhood educators across Australia and housed on the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child website.
Professor Lisa Kervin, Chief Investigator and Educated Co-Lead in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child and Director of Early Start Research at UOW, said children are now immersed in the world of technology from a very early age.
“Digital technologies are a reality in many young children’s lives, yet many adults – including educators - are unsure about the best practices for supporting children’s learning during digital experiences. It is essential that we draw upon the expertise educators have about quality practice and consider ways that digital technologies may support and transform learning and play opportunities,” Professor Kervin said.
“We’re excited to use a World Café methodology. It allows us to bring together the collective expertise and experiences of early childhood experts to confirm and challenge what we’ve learned from our sustained focus over years.”
“These conversations will inform future agendas and help shape the recommendations we offer for policy makers in the sector.”
The focus on what constitutes meaningful interactions between adults, such as educators, and children during digital experiences was born from a Discovery Project funded by the Australian Research Council.
Co-led by Professor Kervin and Professor Steven Howard, from Early Start Research, the project began in 2019 and has drawn on the input of educators, children and their families from 60 early childhood services across NSW, Victoria and the ACT.
The World Café will be supported by researchers, including postgraduate students, who are also engaged in research focused on digital technologies in early childhood contexts.
Following the panel, Professor Kervin and Professor Howard will launch the DigIQ Professional Learning package, which they developed and designed. The comprehensive package of four modules comprises podcasts, videos, articles, blog posts, reflections, and practice examples.
DigIQ Professional Learning is accessible to all early childhood educators and will be housed on the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child’s website.
Professor Howard said the DigIQ Professional Learning package is a valuable, evidence-based resource that will support educators to integrate the research into their daily practice.
“Version 2.0 of the Early Years Learning Framework has 37 references to digital indicators and practices,” he said.
“This is far more emphasis on digital technologies than the early childhood sector has experienced before. We address these issues across our modules and clarify them further with examples from practice that we have curated from our data. This includes moments for reflection to help educators think about what the research means for ongoing practice.”
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