A Social Computer Lab: Social Development in the Context of Educational Technology

Abstract

As technology continues to advance and become a greater part of our daily lives, teachers are using more technology in classrooms where students are developing socially as well as academically. Though the academic benefits of educational technology have been researched extensively, there is a lack of research on its influences on social development. Studying the social environment of a computer lab will help us understand how educational technology is influencing students' social development. The current research is an observational study of student-to-student interactions in a kindergarten computer lab. Accounts of interactions, noted as either Non-Goal Directed or Goal Directed, out numbered instances of Not Interacting. Because student-to-student interactions, and therefore social development, take place in the context of educational technology, more research needs to be conducted on how technology influences students' social development.