The Relationship Between Software Design and Children's Engagement

This study was an attempt to measure the effects of praise and reinforcement on children in a computer learning setting. A sorting game was designed to simulate 2 interaction styles. One style, called high computer control, provided frequent praise and coaching. The other, called high child control, had narration and praise toggled off. A population of 38 preschoolers was videotaped in each condition. Measures of mouse clicks, problems solved, and accuracy were considered, along with qualitative observations such as body language. Children completed 3 times more problems, with twice as many correct answers in the high child control condition, indicating that control mechanisms, such as reinforcements or instructions, can significantly influence the quality and quantity of child activity in a computer learning setting.