Comparing tablets (touchscreen devices) and PCs in preschool children' education: testing spatial relationship using geometric symbols on traffic signs (full text in pdf)
Aleksandar Trifunović 1, a
Svetlana Čičević 1, b
Dragan Lazarević 1, c
Slobodan Mitrović 1, d
Magdalena Dragović 2, e
1 University of Belgrade, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, Belgrade, Serbia
2 University of Belgrade, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Belgrade, Serbia
a a.trifunovic@sf.bg.ac.rs
b s.cicevic@sf.bg.ac.rs
c d.lazarevic@ sf.bg.ac.rs
d s.mitrovic@sf.bg.ac.rs
e dim@grf.bg.ac.rs
Abstract Touchscreen devices have dramatically increased the accessibility and usage of technology, causing
escalating usage, especially by very young children. Although the effects of screen time have been shown to
produce serious (negatively effects on executive functioning, attention problems, school difficulties, sleep and
eating disorders, and obesity) and even life-threatening consequences (due to radiation emission), technology
can be beneficial if it is carefully used. Child-centered technology is especially designed to be as entertaining
and captivating as possible. In order to examine how touchscreen devices, influence the acquisition of some
important spatial concepts and provide exciting opportunities for learning new abilities, an experimental
research was conducted aimed to determine whether the type of device used (computers or tablets) in the
natural kindergarten environment influences young children performances. For the purpose of this work,
geometrical symbols on traffic signs were used to test spatial relationships – left/right, and longer/shorter
relations. The test was carried out on a sample of 30 pre-school children. The results show significant
differences between the two-testing media for identifying the longer vs. shorter relationships in favor of Tablet
PC. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the kinesthetic characteristics of tablets, the novelty
factor and the opportunity to learn through playing, provide a positive approach to the early childhood
education. Besides, the interactive environment created in a kindergarten by using tablets contributes to
introduce new teaching methods which are expected to amplify the pedagogical capacity, changing the way of
spatial concepts acquisition, as well as, children traffic education take place within.
Keywords: Touchscreen devices; testing, education, preschool children, traffic signs.