ERIC Number: EJ1076464
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Mar
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0735-6331
EISSN: N/A
iPads at School? A Quantitative Comparison of Elementary Schoolchildren's Pen-on-Paper versus Finger-on-Screen Drawing Skills
Picard, Delphine; Martin, Perrine; Tsao, Raphaele
Journal of Educational Computing Research, v50 n2 p203-212 Mar 2014
A growing number of schools are embracing new mobile technologies, such as iPads, with little (or no) prior empirical proof of their usability. We investigated whether iPads, which allow children to write and draw with their fingers without the need of a pen, are relevant devices for drawing activities at elementary school. A within-participants design was used to compare routine drawings produced by 46 elementary schoolchildren with pen on paper (standard condition) and fingertip on screen (iPad condition). Results revealed a significant effect of drawing condition on graphic scores, with lower scores in the iPad condition than in the standard condition. The finding that finger drawings were slightly poorer than pen drawings can be ascribed to the shift from distal to more proximal control of the drawing movements.
Descriptors: Handheld Devices, Educational Technology, Technology Uses in Education, Freehand Drawing, Elementary School Students, Comparative Analysis, Telecommunications, Foreign Countries, Coding, Statistical Analysis, Hypothesis Testing
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: France
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A