Children's use of iPads in outdoor environmental education programs
Students showed more interest in nature than in mobile devices during an outdoor environmental education experience
Various forms of technologies are currently being used in a variety of educational programs for children. When used in environmental education programs, the challenge is to integrate technology in a way that enhances students’ learning and avoids detracting from engagement with nature. Researchers addressing this concern conducted a study investigating how the use of digital technology impacts children’s learning experiences during outdoor environmental education programs.
The study was conducted with fifth grade students participating in a pre-existing River Connection program in Wisconsin. The students were given iPads and instructed to enter the number and type of macroinvertebrates they collected from the Milwaukee River. As the students worked, the first author took extensive field notes with special attention to the students’ attitudes and behaviors with respect to the iPad, and comprehension of the unit’s information, as they used their iPads.
The researchers then used the field notes to establish a framework of themes and sub-themes. They identified seven main themes: reaction to mobile device, group interactions, nature prevails, digital natives vs. digital immigrants, introduction of mobile devices, mobile devices in the hands of children, and instruments for learning.
Results indicated that while students were initially excited about using the iPads, their interest in the mobile devices did not prove to be greater than their interest in nature. The macroinvertebrates captured the students’ attention more often and over longer periods of time than the iPads they were using. The researchers suggest these findings could be used as baseline knowledge on how children interact with nature when given mobile devices in outdoor environmental education programs. This study, then, could provide the foundation for further research on how digital technology can be integrated in environmental education programs for children.
Citation
Kacoroski, J., Liddicoat, K.R., Kerlin, S., (2016). Children's use of iPads in outdoor environmental education programs. Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 15(4),
