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Parents as learning partners in the development of technological fluency

January 1, 2009 | Informal/Formal Connections
This paper presents research on parent support of the development of new media skills and technological fluency. Parents' roles in their children's learning were identified based on interviews with eight middle school students and their parents. All eight students were highly experienced with technology activities. Seven distinct parental roles that supported learning were identified and defined: Teacher, Collaborator, Learning Broker, Resource Provider, Nontechnical Consultant, Employer, and Learner. The parents in this sample varied in their level of technological knowledge, though in every family at least one parent worked in the computer industry as an engineer or designer. The paper presents the approach used to identify these roles, the coding system used, and examples of each role across the cases. The diversity and density of roles played by parents for individual students are also quantified. Findings indicate that for these eight learners parents play significant roles in supporting creative technologically mediated activities. The findings highlight the importance of understanding family-based learning relationships when considering pathways to early expertise with new media.

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  • 2013 11 22 Screen Shot 2013 11 22 at 8
    Author
    Stanford University
  • Caitlin Kennedy Martin
    Author
    Stanford University
  • REVISE logo
    Author
    Sesame Worksop
  • Rachel Fithian
    Author
    Stanford University
  • Citation

    Publication Name: International Journal of Learning and Media
    Volume: 1
    Number: 2
    Page Number: 55
    Resource Type: Peer-reviewed article
    Discipline: Education and learning science | Technology
    Audience: Parents/Caregivers | Middle School Children (11-13) | Educators/Teachers | Museum/ISE Professionals
    Environment Type: Informal/Formal Connections | K-12 Programs

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