ICT Computer Play and Childrens Development of Skills in Science

Kleopatra Nikolopoulou

Play is a powerful mediator for learning throughout a person’s life, while ICT (Information and Communication Technologies or digital tools or computers) packages are often presented in a playful manner. This paper aims to explore the link between ICT and play, as well as the contribution of ICT-play on children’s development of different skills in science. It initially presents common features-characteristics of children’s traditional play and ICT-computer play. Such characteristics include the active involvement of the children, self-motivation, decision making, experimentation with new and different situations and the players’ high levels of engagement. Within the context of science education, ICT-computer play and children’s development of various skills are discussed. Examples of such skills include, technical-computer skills, numeracy skills, problem solving skills, abstract thinking, higher order cognitive skills, creativity, imagination and attention concentration. As children learn through play, some objectives could be more informal, so as to facilitate the development of skills within science lessons.