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The automated within Anim-Action experience may also be partly responsible for this
finding, with the system providing prompt cues to guide a child's interaction. This
automation may result in children not needing to ask for help. It also appears that the
immersive nature of the digital experience results in a reduction in cooperative
interaction. At the same time, it may be these automated and immersive qualities that
have led to an increase in independent problem solving and motor planning. This tension
between autonomy and immersion, on one hand, and social connectedness on the other,
needs to be acknowledged in the development of new digital experiences for learning.
The results indicate that Anim-action is effective in supporting cognitive and
physical engagement. Children's ability to work autonomously and not ask for help can
be seen as positive. However, it needs to be acknowledged that the current study
indicates that the experience was not as effective in facilitating social behavior. For
children with developmental disability, where interaction is primarily with teachers and
support staff, social interaction is a key aspect of early intervention programs. It would
appear that the design of a digital system needs to be carefully considered in light of our
findings to ensure that mechanisms are built in that better support collaborative
behavior. It may also be that such digital experiences are most effective when they focus
on one aspect of children's development and not another with experiences that attempt
to simultaneously achieve all possible development goals ultimately being less
successful. Future research will also explore the extent to which this pattern of results
extends to other Stomp experiences and comparable non-digital activities.
Acknowledgements.
We would like to thank all of the staff and children at Nursery
Road State Special School, Queensland who participated in this study.
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