Technology to Support Children's Collaborative Interactions: Close Encounters of the Shared Kind - Paperback

by Nicola Yuill (Author)

This book explores how technology can foster interaction between children and their peers, teachers and other adults. It presents the Co-EnACT framework to explain how technology can support children to collaborate, so helping them to learn and engage enjoyably with the world, in both work and play. The focus is on children, rather than young people, but the principles of supporting interaction apply throughout all life stages. Chapters on classrooms and on autism explain principles behind using technology in ways that support, rather than obstruct, social interaction in diverse populations. Collaborative interaction involves both verbal and non-verbal behaviour and this book presents evidence from closely analysing children's behaviour in natural settings. Examples from cutting-edge technology illustrate principles applicable to more widely-available technology.

The book will be of interest to psychologists, educators, researchers in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), particularly those designing with children in mind, and practitioners working with children who want to deepen their understanding of using technology for collaboration.

Back Jacket

"Nicola Yuill writes with clarity and expertise, pulling together knowledge from psychology, Human-Computer Interaction and practical work with children. This book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand digital technology as a tool for children's interaction."
--Dr Rosalind Merrick, Speech and Language Therapist

This book explores how technology can foster interaction between children and their peers, teachers and other adults. It covers in particular how technology can support children collaborate, so helping them to learn and engage positively with the world, in both work and play. It focuses on children, rather than young people, though the principles of supporting interaction mostly apply throughout all life stages. Chapters on classrooms and on autism explain principles behind using technology in ways that support, rather than obstruct, social interaction in diverse populations. Collaborative interaction involves both verbal and non-verbal behaviour and this book presents evidence from closely analysing children's behaviour in natural settings. Examples from cutting-edge technology illustrate principles applying to more widely-available technology.
The book will be of interest to psychologists, educators, those involved in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), particularly those designing with children in mind, and many different practitioners working with children, who want to deepen their understanding of using technology for collaboration.

Nicola Yuill is Professor of Developmental Psychology and director of the Children & Technology Lab (ChatLab) in the School of Psychology, University of Sussex, UK. She is co-director of the Autism Community Research Network Sussex (ACoRNS) and has published research into the topics of children's collaboration through technology, children's social cognition, autism and technology, social behaviour and children's text comprehension.

Author Biography

Nicola Yuill is Professor of Developmental Psychology and director of the Children & Technology Lab (ChatLab) in the School of Psychology, University of Sussex, UK. She is co-director of the Autism Community Research Network Sussex (ACoRNS) and has published research into the topics of children's collaboration through technology, children's social cognition, autism and technology, social behaviour and children's text comprehension.