‘Computers? I love them!’: Young children's concepts and attitudes about computers

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Abstract
Four‐year‐old children were interviewed to assess their concepts and attitudes regarding computers. Even without firsthand experience, most children in a sample of 37 recognized a computer and had a basic idea of its functions. Children showed no fear or awe of computers and tended to view people as superior to computers. A subsample of 15 children was reinterviewed several months after direct involvement with computers in a developmentally‐oriented classroom. These children's responses showed a more diversified concept of computer uses, and an increased sense of personal control over the computer. The findings are discussed in terms of appropriate goals and activities for early computer experiences.

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