ICT and theories of learning and pedagogy

Depending on the theory or perspective, the appropriate use of ICT practice can be understood differently (Ministry of Education, 2004).

Behaviourism

In the context of behaviourism, learning occurs with contiguity which is the association of two events. The repetition of stimuli affects behaviour, and when responses to stimuli happen in positive ways, teachers can utilize these ways of learning new behaviour to help their children. ICT can be very useful in this regard to support children’s learning, as computer programmes can provide immediate feedback to respond to the children, which makes them engage in the topic with a high level of interest. Computer-assisted instruction can assist children “to develop automaticity of skills as intellectual partners, provoking more advanced thinking , to provide authentic learning experiences, and for social interaction around the learning”  (Duchesne et al, 2013, p.442). Whereas this way of teaching children through utilizing ICT has been found to be effective for learning the alphabet, phonic skills, counting and early number concepts, integrating developmentally appropriate ICT into practice suggests that children should be in control of using programmes to learn, rather than being controlled by programmed learning (Siraj-Blatchford & Whitebread, 2003).

Cognitive view

According to Ferguson, (cited in Edwards, 2009) constructivism provides a “basis for understanding how people incorporate new knowledge into existing knowledge and then make sense of that knowledge” (p.9). Both Piaget and Vygotsky emphasize the importance of social interaction, and this offers an environment in which children can interact with computers and users throughout the world using an online environment. Within the constructivist view of children’s learning, ICT is regarded as a way to scaffold and support the learning through interactive systems or information-processing. “ICTs provide a range of resources for students to use in problem solving, thinking, reflecting and collaborating with others within physical classroom and across the globe in virtual learning context” (Duchesne et al, 2013, p. 443). They are especially useful for teachers to understand the progress and process of children’s cognitive development.

Steiner

The Steiner approach strongly discourages any use of ICT in the early years of learning, because Steiner focuses on the importance of a holistic developmental approach including a harmonic mix of body, mind, soul, and sprit. In this wise, Steiner sees ICT integration in the early years as placing “unbalanced emphasis on intellectual-cognitive learning” (House, 2012, p.109), and developmentally inappropriate which may cause harmful influences for young children. The Steiner approach views complex ICT as unnecessary for young children’s learning as they need to be more focused on first-hand experiences. Steiner asserts that “young children need to communicate and learn deeply without the mediation of complex technology. This unplugged experience is seen as crucial for children to develop an uncluttered self-image as well as the most valuable form of self-efficiency” (Educational Foundations, 2011, p.3).