A Field Study of the Use of Cognitive-Developmental Principles in Microcomputer Design for Young Children

This paper reports on an ACCESS NETWORK project regarding interface design methodology. The research examined whether software for preschool and kindergarten children, which was designed in accordance with certain cognitive-developmental principles, would result in better learning compared to software teaching the same content but not incorporating such principles. The features of the software designed in accord with cognitive-developmental principles included, for instance, cues for coordination between monitor and keyboard and instructional material presented in a meaningful context via graphics. The key findings were that both preschool and kindergarten children working with software designed in accord with cognitive-developmental principles had significantly higher mean percentage correct responses than a group of kindergarten children working with software not incorporating such principles. When a voice synthesizer was added to the software designed in accord with cognitive principles, performance was inferior compared to that for the same software, no-voice version. The voice synthesizer appeared to make the programs too slowly paced and frustrating for some of the children. The findings provide suggestive evidence for some of the features that should be included in the design of software for the young child.