Module 9: Adapting digital practices by age (childhood, adolescence)
Aim of the module
This module aims to provide educators with practical strategies to adapt digital practices to the developmental needs of children and adolescents. Drawing on concrete experiences from project partners, it demonstrates how to use technologies to enrich learning while promoting a balanced and inclusive use of digital tools.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this module, learners will acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to implement age-appropriate digital practices and create enriching and safe digital environments for children and adolescents. The learning outcomes of this module are as follows:
Knowledge:
K1. Understanding developmental needs by age:
- Knowledge of the cognitive, emotional, and social characteristics specific to children and adolescents.
- Understanding how these characteristics influence digital interactions and learning preferences.
K2. Benefits and challenges of digital tools by age group:
- Knowledge of age-appropriate digital tools and their potential to foster creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.
- Awareness of common risks, such as screen time management and online safety issues, and their impact on development.
K3. Strategies for family involvement in digital practices:
- Knowledge of effective strategies to engage families in the development of balanced digital habits.
- Understanding how collaboration with parents can reinforce safe and meaningful digital use at home.
Skills:
S1. Tailoring digital practices by age:
- Ability to design and implement digital activities that align with the developmental needs of children and adolescents.
- Skills to adapt tools and content to foster engagement and learning at each stage.
S2. Managing screen time and online risks:
- Ability to set clear guidelines for balanced screen time and incorporate offline activities.
- Proficiency in identifying and addressing risks such as cyberbullying, misinformation, and inappropriate content.
S3. Creating inclusive and collaborative digital environments:
- Skills to integrate students with specific needs using adaptive technologies.
- Ability to facilitate intergenerational activities and foster collaboration among peers and families
List of Topics
This unit provides an overview of the key developmental milestones for children and adolescents and their implications for digital practices. By understanding the cognitive, emotional, and social needs of each age group, educators can design digital activities that are both engaging and supportive. It highlights the differences between childhood and adolescence, emphasising the importance of tailoring digital tools and strategies to meet these needs.
This unit offers the wide range of digital tools that are available for educators, from playful coding platforms for children to collaborative digital media projects for teens. It provides guidance on selecting tools that align with the developmental stage and learning objectives, while also showcasing real-world examples of successful implementation. Educators will learn how to integrate these tools into their teaching practices effectively.
This unit focuses on the challenges associated with screen time and online risks, including cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and misinformation. Educators will gain strategies for promoting healthy screen habits, fostering critical thinking in digital spaces, and addressing potential dangers. It also emphasises the role of families in creating a balanced digital lifestyle for children and adolescents.
This unit emphasises the importance of fostering collaboration and inclusivity through digital tools. It covers methods for engaging students with diverse needs and abilities, as well as creating intergenerational learning opportunities involving families. By focusing on inclusivity, educators can ensure that all students benefit from digital practices, regardless of their background or challenges.
Objective, Key Concepts, Skills to Develop
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Analyse each case study by identifying specific approaches for children and adolescents.
- Adapt these approaches to your own educational contexts and available resources.
- Collaborate with families to establish balanced digital practices.
Guide for Learning
This module can be enriched through daily discussions on the importance of age-appropriate digital practices for children and adolescents. Educators should encourage learners to:
- Reflect on the developmental needs of young people and how these influence their interactions with digital tools.
- Identify practical ways to implement digital activities tailored to different age groups in their educational settings.
- Facilitate collective reflections among learners on the challenges and opportunities of digital practices, emphasising critical thinking about online content and behaviours.
- Involve families in the learning process to promote balanced and safe digital habits both at school and at home.
- Explore interactive educational tools and share insights on effective methods to engage children and adolescents in meaningful digital learning experiences.
By encouraging collaborative and critical discussions, educators can empower learners to continuously improve their digital teaching practices and adapt to the evolving digital landscape.
Case story and age-appropriate digital practices
Educlab in Coutances: Playful Exploration and Multimedia
- Childhood (3-10 years):
- Use of Bee-Bot robots to introduce children to coding in a playful manner. These robots help develop problem-solving and reasoning skills while offering an interactive, hands-on experience.
- Implementation of digital drawing workshops where children use tablets to express their creativity, enhancing both artistic skills and comfort with digital interfaces.
- Adolescence (11-18 years):
- Creation of stop-motion films: Teens design scenarios, manipulate digital tools to animate their ideas, and develop storytelling and video editing skills.
- Production of audio-visual content in multimedia studios: Teens learn sound recording, editing, and online broadcasting, preparing them for creative and technical careers.
- NumériKids: Creative Activities and Digital Fabrication
- Childhood (8-12 years):
- Digital escape games: Students design immersive games with digital puzzles, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Introduction to digital sewing: Using computer-controlled machines to combine technology and craftsmanship.
- Adolescence (13-16 years):
- Advanced digital fabrication projects, such as designing personalised objects with 3D printers.
- Video editing workshops where teens create videos on social or environmental themes.
- Web Radio for Adolescents: Communication and Collaboration
- Adolescence (11-18 years):
- Hosting web radio shows to discuss cultural or current topics. Teens learn to structure ideas, use audio broadcasting tools, and collaborate as a team.
- Creation of thematic podcasts, combining research, interviews, and audio editing.
- Retro Gaming Nights and Virtual Reality Activities
Childhood (7-10 years):
Sessions exploring retro video games with simple and educational mechanics.
Introduction to educational virtual reality for immersive experiences, such as museum visits or scientific simulations.
Adolescence (11-18 years):
Use of advanced VR simulators for educational or recreational activities.
- Parental Awareness of Digital Practices
- Childhood and Adolescence (all ages):
- Conferences on sleep and screen use, explaining the effects of screen exposure on sleep cycles.
- Screen-free weeks to promote alternative activities (board games, creative workshops).
Topic 1 – Understanding developmental needs by age and selecting age-appropriate digital tools
Childhood (3–10 years)
Children in this age group thrive in environments that emphasise hands-on, playful experiences. Research indicates that engaging children through interactive technologies fosters essential skills like creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration (Papert, 1993). Interactive tools such as programmable robots and educational apps are highly effective in capturing their attention and sparking curiosity. Activities should be structured to balance exploration and guided learning, allowing children to experiment while maintaining their focus.
Key characteristics:
Young children typically focus for short periods, making it important to design activities that are concise and varied (Anderson & Pempek, 2005).
Hands-on and visually stimulating experiences are more engaging and help reinforce learning (Montessori, 1967).
Activities that involve manipulation and exploration of space support their cognitive growth (Piaget, 1952).
Effective Digital Practices:
Use devices like Bee-Bot robots to introduce programming concepts in a playful way, enhancing both motor coordination and spatial awareness. Studies show that robotics fosters cognitive and social development in early childhood (Bers et al., 2014).
Employ storytelling apps or drawing platforms to nurture creativity and comprehension. For example, tools like Book Creator allow children to integrate images, text, and sound into personalised narratives.
Example:
A digital storytelling project where children use a tablet to create their own story, combining images, sounds, and short written descriptions. This type of activity enhances literacy skills while fostering imagination and problem-solving.
Adolescence (11–18 years)
Teenagers experience significant cognitive growth, developing critical thinking and abstract reasoning skills. They are drawn to projects that reflect their personal interests and social values, making collaborative and interest-driven digital projects particularly effective. However, adolescents are also more susceptible to online risks such as misinformation and cyberbullying, necessitating careful guidance and supervision (Livingstone & Smith, 2014).
Key Characteristics:
Teens value independence and benefit from projects that allow them to take ownership of their learning (Vygotsky, 1978).
Collaborative work and topics tied to their passions foster deeper engagement (Ryan & Deci, 2000).
Adolescents are more likely to encounter challenges like misinformation, making media literacy critical (Livingstone, 2008).
Effective Digital Practices
Organise activities where teens discuss social or environmental issues, encouraging critical thinking and reflective dialogue. Research has shown that creative media projects build critical analysis skills and empathy (Hobbs, 2010).
Facilitate team-based activities where adolescents explore and present on topics of interest, integrating technology tools like Canva or Google Slides for professional-quality outputs.
Example:
Hosting a blogging workshop where teens research and write articles on topics like local culture or environmental challenges. These projects not only build research and writing skills but also empower them to express their views on meaningful issues.
Topic 2: Promoting healthy screen use and managing online risks
Practical strategies for digital activities adapted to childhood
Children learn best when they can freely explore within a structured setting. Interactive digital tools, such as games or whiteboards, capture attention while providing educational value.
Balance screen time with hands-on or group activities to prevent cognitive fatigue and encourage physical movement.
Use digital tools to develop social skills by assigning specific roles in group projects, fostering collaboration and teamwork
Examples
- Use interactive whiteboards to create group activities where children solve puzzles or complete tasks together.
- After a digital drawing session, transition to a traditional colouring workshop to offer varied engagement types.
- Facilitate a stop-motion animation project where children work in teams, each handling tasks like storyboarding, character design, and technical setup.
Practical strategies for digital activities adapted to adolescence
Encourage teenagers to evaluate and analyse information critically through structured activities that address real-world issues.
Support teenagers’ independence by offering projects that align with their interests and require sustained effort and collaboration.
Provide tools and platforms for teenagers to express their creativity and explore areas of personal interest.
Leverage collaborative platforms like Trello or Padlet to teach teenagers project management.
Establish clear guidelines for screen use and incorporate breaks. Engage families in reinforcing these habits at home.
Educate teenagers on the dangers of social media, such as cyberbullying and sharing personal information, through interactive and engaging methods.
Foster an environment where students can openly discuss the benefits and limitations of digital tools.
Examples
- Conduct workshops where students identify misinformation in news articles and discuss strategies for verifying sources.
- Guide students in creating a multimedia project, such as a documentary on a local issue, combining video editing, interviews, and narration.
- Host a music video production workshop, allowing teens to write scripts, film, and edit their work.
- Create a digital escape room project where students use coding tools like Scratch to design puzzles and challenges.
- Provide a handout for parents with practical tips for managing screen time during evenings and weekends.
- Develop an interactive game where participants identify risky online behaviours and propose solutions.
- Organise a debate on the influence of social media algorithms on user behaviour, focusing on platforms like TikTok or Instagram.
Common motives behind media manipulation include:
Topic 3: Enhancing collaboration and inclusivity in digital environments
Developing inclusive and participatory learning
Adapt technologies to accommodate diverse learning abilities, ensuring inclusive participation
Use speech synthesis software or customised tablets to engage students with learning difficulties.
Involve families in digital learning activities to strengthen community bonds and share knowledge.
Host a virtual reality evening where children, teenagers, and parents explore immersive experiences, such as virtual museum tours or interactive simulations.
Practical exercises
For children (3–10 years):
- Digital nature exploration:
- Objective: Teach children about biodiversity using digital tools.
- Activity: Use an app like Seek by iNaturalist where children take photos of plants or insects, and the app identifies the species.
- Outcome: Encourage curiosity about nature while developing digital literacy.
- Interactive storytelling:
- Objective: Foster creativity and collaboration.
- Activity: Children create a collaborative digital story using Google Slides or PowerPoint, each contributing one slide to a shared narrative.
- Outcome: Enhance teamwork and storytelling skills.
- Digital puzzle creation:
- Objective: Strengthen problem-solving and design thinking.
- Activity: Children design their own puzzles using apps like Jigsaw Puzzle Creator and challenge peers to solve them.
Outcome: Combine creativity with logical reasoning.
For adolescents (11–18 years):
- Online debate on ethical Issues:
- Objective: Develop critical thinking and communication skills.
- Activity: Organise an online debate on topics like “The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health,” using platforms like Padlet for collaborative brainstorming.
- Outcome: Teach teens to articulate arguments and assess different perspectives.
- Coding a simple game:
- Objective: Introduce programming basics.
- Activity: Use platforms like Scratch to guide teens through creating a simple interactive game.
- Outcome: Build coding skills and promote logical thinking.
- Photojournalism project:
- Objective: Combine creativity with technical skills.
- Activity: Assign teens to document a day in their community using digital cameras or smartphones, then edit and present their stories.
- Outcome: Teach visual storytelling and multimedia editing.
- Digital advocacy campaign:
- Objective: Encourage civic engagement and digital literacy.
- Activity: Teens create a social media campaign on a topic they are passionate about, such as climate change or online safety.
Outcome: Develop skills in digital content creation and ethical online practices.
Common motives behind media manipulation include:
Activity
Objective: To help children and teenagers understand the benefits of age-appropriate digital practices and to equip educators with practical techniques for fostering engagement and critical thinking.
Duration: 2 hours
Materials needed: Computers or tablets with internet access, projectors and screens, crafting materials for offline activities.
Steps for children (3–10 years):
- Introduction to Interactive Tools (15 minutes):
- Demonstration: Show how tools like Bee-Bot robot’s work.
- Exploration: Allow children to interact with the tools to understand their functionality.
- Hands-On Activity: Story Creation (30 minutes):
- Digital storytelling: Children use tablets to create stories by combining images, sounds, and text.
- Sharing session: Each child presents their story to the group.
- Offline Collaboration (30 minutes): Craft activity: Transition from digital to physical storytelling by creating storyboards or illustrations.
Steps for adolescents (11–18 years)
- Critical thinking workshop (15 minutes)
- Discussion: Introduce the importance of evaluating digital content.
- Examples: Show examples of misinformation and discuss strategies to verify sources.
- Group research and debate (45 minutes)
- Research activity: Divide the group into teams to research topics like environmental issues or local culture.
- Debate: Each group presents their findings and engages in a discussion to compare results.
- Creative project development (30 minutes)
- Multimedia project: Guide teens to create short videos or podcasts using tools like Canva or Audacity.
- Presentation: Allow teams to present their projects and gather peer feedback.
- Conclusion for all groups (15 minutes):
- Recap the importance of adapting digital practices to developmental needs.
- Discuss how these skills can be applied in everyday life and learning environments.
Useful Resources
Offers tools and tips for age-appropriate digital engagement.
Provides interactive coding games for younger children.
A user-friendly platform for audio editing and podcast creation.
By tailoring digital practices to the developmental stages of children and teenagers, educators can maximise engagement, foster creativity, and ensure safe and meaningful interactions with technology.
Module Summary
This module explores how to adapt digital practices to the developmental needs of children and teenagers. It emphasises the importance of selecting age-appropriate tools to enhance learning, creativity, and collaboration. For young children (ages 3–10), interactive and tactile experiences such as storytelling apps and programmable robots are shown to foster essential skills like problem-solving and imagination. For adolescents (ages 11–18), digital activities should encourage autonomy, critical thinking, and social engagement through tools like podcasts, collaborative research, and blogging projects.
The module also addresses key challenges like managing screen time and mitigating online risks. It provides practical strategies for maintaining a healthy digital balance and encouraging safe behaviour online. Additionally, it highlights the need for inclusivity in digital learning, promoting participation of students with special needs and intergenerational collaboration. Through various examples and hands-on activities, educators are equipped with tools to foster responsible, engaging, and developmentally appropriate digital practices for different age groups.
Module 9: Quiz
Glossary of terms
A concept describing the commodification of human attention in digital environments, particularly relevant for managing children’s screen time and maintaining their focus during educational activities (Davenport & Beck, 2001).
The ability to recover from challenges encountered in the digital world, such as cyberbullying or misinformation. This is crucial for adolescents navigating complex online ecosystems (Livingstone et al., 2017).
Cognitive processes including planning, attention, and problem-solving, which are developed through structured digital activities like storytelling apps and programming tasks (Diamond, 2013).
The application of game-design elements in non-game contexts, such as education, to increase engagement and motivation. Effective for both childhood and adolescent learning (Deterding et al., 2011).
Collaborative learning activities involving multiple age groups, such as family-based digital workshops, to foster shared understanding and skill development (Kaplan, 2002).
The ability to critically analyse and create content in various media forms, essential for helping adolescents evaluate online sources and combat misinformation (Buckingham, 2003).
Changes in brain function and structure that occur during childhood and adolescence, influencing how digital tools should be tailored to developmental stages (Casey et al., 2008).
Educational settings that use digital tools to adapt content and pace to individual learner needs, enhancing engagement and outcomes (U.S. Department of Education, 2010).
Positive online interactions that promote respect, empathy, and collaboration, particularly valuable in adolescent projects like podcasts and blogs (Reeves et al., 2020).
A process where learners take control of their education through goal setting, monitoring, and reflection, often supported by digital tools like project management platforms (Zimmerman, 2002).
Bibliography and references
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Project number: 2023-1-NO01-KA220-ADU-
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