Designing digital objects for learning: lessons from Froebel and Montessori

Designers of interactive toys face many challenges when integrating digital technologies into the educational manipulatives they design. Drawing on the distinctive approaches of Friedrich Froebel and Maria Montessori – philosophers of education and pioneering toy designers – this paper proposes to qualify and distinguish between their unique design principles as manifested in traditional as well as digital learning objects and educational manipulatives. Application of these core design principles will enable modern day toy designers, particularly those operating in the interactive domain, to meet their educational objectives and maximise the learning potential in children's interactive learning experiences.