Reading with hotspots

TLDR: Dutch preschoolers' haptic use, verbal responding, attention, and story comprehension are examined when hotspots are either activated or turned off, and results suggest including hotspot control features in children's digital books.

About: This article is published in Computers in Human Behavior.The article was published on 2017-05-01 and is currently open access. It has received 28 citations till now.

Frequently asked questions

Q1. What have the authors contributed in "Reading with hotspots: how young children respond to touchscreen stories" ?

Using an experimental design, in this pilot study, the authors examine Dutch preschoolers ' ( age 2e5, n 1⁄4 78 ) haptic use ( how much and when they use hotspots ), verbal responding ( i. e., narrative relevant and irrelevant comments ), attention, and story comprehension when hotspots are either activated or turned off. In 2011, for example, 52 % of parents reported that their young children use one of the newer forms of mobile media such as a smartphone, a video iPod, or a tablet device ( Common Sense Media, 2011 ), a number that has increased to 75 % in themost recent report ( Common Sense Media, 2013 ). Yet, many tablet-based children 's books include hotspots and, despite this wide availability, little research has looked at how children respond to stories presented on a tablet computer when hotspots are present. To address this gap, in this pilot study the authors ask how children behave and respond to a story read to them by a tablet computer when that story either contains or does not contain hotspots. Using an experimental design, the authors examine preschoolers ' ( age 2e5 ) haptic use ( how much and when they use hotspots ), verbal responding ( i. e., narrative relevant and irrelevant comments ), attention, and story comprehension when hotspots are either activated or turned off. To address this gap, in the present study, the authors examine children 's haptic responding, verbal responding, attention, and story comprehension. First, the authors ask how the inclusion of hotspots may influence frequency and timing of hotspot haptic interaction since such descriptive patterns can provide relevant information as to how young children engage with these features: RQ1. Following this, the authors investigate whether the inclusion of hotspots in touchscreen stories may influence verbal responses, attention, and story comprehension. Similarly, in the present study, it is possible that the inclusion of hotspots may tax children 's cognitive load and subsequently results in fewer comments associated with the narrative of the story and instead an increase in narrative-irrelevant comments. American samples suggests that children 's access to mobile technology may be approaching saturation ( i. e., 96. 6 % of children under 4 reportedly have used mobile devices at home ; Kabali et al., 2015 ). Fisch ( 2004 ) argues that the structure of media content can either reduce the amount of processing resources necessary for comprehension, or conversely, increase the amount of resources necessary and potentially overload the cognitive system. In terms of verbal responses, there is some precedent to suggest that the inclusion of hotspots in touchscreen stories may influence the type of verbal comments ( i. e., narrative-relevant comments ; narrative irrelevant comments ) that occur during reading. Whereas narrative-relevant comments are seen as potential aids for processing stories, narrative irrelevant are more likely to distract processing ( Haden, Reese, & Fivush, 1996 ; van Kleeck, 2003 ). 

Q2. What is the current position of the American Academy of Pediatrics on the appropriateness of touchscreens?

at the time of this writing, the American Academy of Pediatrics is currently revisiting its stance on the appropriateness of touchscreens for very young children as pediatricians are beginning to note that touchscreen technology may be more analogous to construction toys like blocks than other more passive activities (e.g., television viewing) thanks to its reactivity, interactivity, tailorability, progressive nature, and ability to facilitate social connections (Christakis, 2014). 

Q3. What is the frequently cited theory?

Although several theories have been posited to explain children's processing of media, one of the more frequently cited theories is the capacity model. 

Q4. What did the researcher do before the experiment began?

Before the experiment began, the researcher made sure the child was at ease and requested that the parent sit off to the side, out of view of the child and not interact with either the child or the researcher unless the child became distressed. 

Q5. What did the researchers do after receiving approval from the institution's Institutional Review Board?

After receiving approval from the sponsoring institution's Institutional Review Board, a cross-sectional parent survey and between-subjects experiment was conducted. 

Q6. What is the effect of hotspots on children's cognitive load?

in the present study, it is possible that the inclusion of hotspots may tax children's cognitive load and subsequently results in fewer comments associated with the narrative of the story and instead an increase in narrative-irrelevant comments. 

Q7. What is the effect of hotspots on children's attention to the screen?

Results from these studies have shown, for example, that hotspots which highlight links between letters and their sounds tend to improve children's phonological awareness (Chera & Wood, 2003) and that story comprehension is improved when hotspots focus on the plot (Korat& Shamir, 2007; de Jong& Bus, 2004). 

Q8. How many taps per page did the assistants code?

In addition to number of taps per page, assistants also coded if children generally tapped each page in one of 4ways: 1) while the pagewas being read, 2) after the reading of a page was completed, 3) both during and after the reading, or 4) did not tap on the page at all. 

Q9. What did the authors find out about the inclusion of hotspots in a touchscreen story?

the authors considered how the inclusion of hotspots in a touchscreen story influenced young children's verbal and non-verbal responding as well as their attention and story comprehension. 

Q10. What is the impact of hotspots on children's reading?

In terms of verbal responses, there is some precedent to suggest that the inclusion of hotspots in touchscreen stories may influence the type of verbal comments (i.e., narrative-relevant comments; narrative irrelevant comments) that occur during reading.