Tatear e desvendar: um estudo com crianças pequenas e dispositivos móveis

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship of 4-5 years old children with mobile devices (tablets), taken as elements of culture and instruments of communication and expression. It takes into account that, to a greater or lesser extent, children of the twenty-first century have some kind of contact with digital information and communication technologies (DICT) and that in children's educational landscape some people advocate its use as an educational resource and other condemn the presence of DICT in young children education. However, this discussion seems to be centered on an adult-view, according to which it is the adults who decide when allow the exploitation of DICT by children without, however, considering the interests, needs and potential of little children. From a child's vision as protagonist, this research is a reflection on the ways children handle tablets in DICT. In this context, it is possible to raise the following research question: how children interact with technological devices, especially tablet? This issue motivates the realization of this research, designed in order to investigate the digital literacy process of 4-5 years old children. Such a general purpose unfolds in the following specific objectives: a) to analyze the processes of interaction among peers b) map the play culture considering the tablet use. Methodologically, the work takes brings a qualitative study with intervention research, based on Sociology of Childhood contributions and studies on digital literacy. The research was developed by working with small groups of children from a peripheral public early childhood institution in Maceio city. Children were given tablets in order to verify uses and strategies built by children when handling mobile technology. It was used video recording and field diary for data collection in order to combine image, audio and written record to capture children´s attitudes, expressions and interactions with each other and with DICT. The research findings point to the fact that little children build rich and diverse experience with the digital universe since necessary conditions are provided so that they can explore the tablets with creativity and autonomy. Therefore, it is possible to conclude a revealing movement that children do have an experience repertoire with DICT and their abilities have been disregarded in different contexts by educators, which deprives them from enriching experiences.