Chapter 3: Young Children’s Technology Experiences in Multiple Contexts: Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Reconsidered

Information and communication technology (ICT) has an increasing influence in young children’s lives and is changing how they interact with their peers, parents, and teachers (Tapscott, 1997), with subsequent consequences for children’s learning and development (Calvert, Rideout, Woolard, Barr, & Strouse, 2005; Wang & Hoot, 2006). To help us understand the evolving ecology of children’s learning and development in the twenty-first century, in this chapter we reinterpret the ecological theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Bronfenbrenner & Evans, 2000) and apply it to make sense of children’s emerging practices with technology in multiple contexts, including virtual worlds. We first discuss four principles of the ecological theory that are most relevant to children’s ICT experiences: (1) the child as an active agent engaging in meaning making of their worlds, (2) importance of understanding children’s experiences in multiple contexts, (3) dynamic and fluid interactions among the systems and Contexts, and (4) temporal considerations of the ecology. We then apply these four principles to examine three important issues related to young children’s ICT experiences: (1) developmentally appropriate ICT practices; (2) skills needed for students, teachers, and parents in the changing environments; and (3) provision of positive support and guidance in multiple contexts.