LinCS

1. The Linnaeus Centre for Research on Learning, Interaction, and Mediated Communication in Contemporary Society LinCS Digital childhoods and socio-cognitive development: A Vygotskian perspective Roger Säljö University of Gothenburg, Sweden . Presentation at the 7th International Conference Early Childhood Care and Education, Moscow

2. The purpose of pre-school (and other forms of) education … • … is to contribute to the reproduction of knowledge, skills and identities of individuals and groups relevant for a society • … to stimulate and develop the talents of children • … and to prepare them for a life as active citizens

3. In traditional societies this implies …. • Reproducing a stable, and often rather limited, stock of knowledge • In such societies the experiences and knowledge of adults and of established generations are sufficient and relevant for new generations • There is a limited division of labour and a narrow range of vocations/professions, stable production systems, transparent institutional structures

4. Some basics of the Vygotskian framework for studying child development • The sociohistorical and cultural embeddedness of learning and development • Children grow up in social environments where they appropriate/ internalize ideas and modes of social action and enact their knowledge through the use of cultural tools (physical and intellectual/mental)

5. In times of rapidly changing and dynamically evolving societies … • The situation is different, past skills may not be enough for the future • Factors that are currently reshaping many societies: • Globalization • Digitalization • Dramatic knowledge expansion • Increasingly complex social institutions • Diversity in population • …….

6. Metaphors about contemporary society • Knowledge society • Information society • Media society • Digital society • Post-industrial society • Network society • …..

7. Digitization as one of the most transformative powers of social life

9. So we have to ask ourselves, what do these changes imply for education, instruction and the learning of children? • Are they significant? • Or, should education and instruction go on as they have?

10. Interacting with inscriptions and symbols

11. Benchmarking of Internet use (.SE) • … points in time at which 50 per cent of youngpeoplehavebeenactive on the Internet on theirown (.SE, 2011)

12. Benchmarking of Internet use (.SE) • In 2000, 50 per cent of 14-year oldswereactive on the Internet on theirown • In 2004, 50 per cent of 9-year oldswereactive on theirown • In 2011, 50 per cent of 3-year oldswereactive on theirown • In 2014, over 50 per cent of 2-year olds, 75 per cent of the 3-year olds and well over 90 per cent of the 7-year oldswereactive on the Internet on theirown • In 2015, 67 per cent of 2-year oldswereactive on the Internet on theirown, 32 per cent everyday • In 2017, 79 per cent of 2-year oldswereactive on the Internet on theirown. For 3-5 yearolds, the figure is 90 per cent and for 6-year olds it is 98.

13. Children’s uses of the Internet

15. Digital media and new conditions of life of young children.

16. Technological innovations and the sharing of information/knowledge • The portability and mobility of digital devices, they are in our pockets and purses b) Connectivity and constant online presence c) The smartphone and the tablet d) The touch screen e) Apps

17. So, how does this development connect to Vygotskian ideas? • We can see new learning trajectories emerging from these kinds of data/observations

18. Learning trajectory in terms of activities • Entry level (2-) watch tv, video clips, simple games, educational apps • New activities (6-) send pictures, write text messages, chatt fora, first contacts with social media • New activities (11-) 80 per cent active on social networking sites

19. Consequences of digitization? • Schools have lost control over how many elements of the cultural memory are reproduced • Increasing reliance on external ”thinking” tools as cognitive suppport in everything we do • New access points to the cultural memory • Changing learning trajectories • Integrate uses of earlier symbol systems/inscrip-tions (letters, numbers, texts) but transform them • Children come to school with established habits of interacting with symbolic technologies

20. Consequences of this development: • We have to realise that we, to an increasing extent, live digital lives • There is nothing that the educational system can do about this development; our task is one of articulating what learning and development will be like in this kind of society • Children come to school with established habits of interacting with symbolic technologies • How do we prepare children for citizenship in a digital society?

21. The instrumental method in psychology • A lecture from 1930 where Vygotsky discusses the analogy between psychological (mental) tools and technical tools. • The ”concept of an instrumental act”

22. So, how does this development connect to Vygotskian ideas of instrumental acts? • Culturaltoolsprovideopportunities for learningindividually and collectivelythrough games and otherresources, early exposure tosymbolictools and symbol manipulation

23. So, how does this development connect to Vygotskian ideas of instrumental acts? • Potentials for creative and aesthetic development and experimentation

24. So, how does this development connect to Vygotskian ideas of instrumental acts? • Zones of proximal development in collaboration with friends/adults/teachers and mediated by digital resources

25. Given this development of changes in communicative and cognitive practices • We see important challenges for pre-school education and educators (and society as a whole): • Increasing focus on supporting children in developing literacy, numeracy and other skills that relate to symbol manipulation. The age for initial learning many of these skills moves down from primary school to pre-school. • Doing this while keeping the tradition of pre-schools of using play (rather than instruction) as the leading activity, learning must be integrated into playful settings (games, aesthetic practices) between children and between pre-school teachers and children.

26. Given this development of changes in the communicative ecology of children • … but children must not only learn to use such tools; they must also learn about them and their role in life such as learning • about the ethics of how to behave in virtual settings, how to live virtual lives • about the consequences of what they say and do in virtual settings for others • about the dangers and challenges • and develop a democratic and critical mindset relevant for a digitized society and a participatory democracy

27. Thank you for your attention! www.lincs.gu.se