Four-Year-Old's Online Versus Face-to-Face Word Learning via eBooks

Paola Escudero; Gloria Pino Escobar; Charlotte G Casey; Kristyn Sommer

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.610975

Four-Year-Old's Online Versus Face-to-Face Word Learning via eBooks

Front Psychol. 2021 Mar 12:12:610975. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.610975. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Paola Escudero^{1

2}, Gloria Pino Escobar^{1

2}, Charlotte G Casey^{1

2}, Kristyn Sommer^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Bankstown, NSW, Australia.
² Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

Abstract

Developmental research typically relies on face-to-face testing at laboratories, childcare centers, museums or playgroups. Current social distancing measures have led to a halt in research. Although face-to-face interaction is considered essential for research involving young children, current technology provides viable alternatives. This paper introduces an accessible, replicable and easy to follow method to conduct online developmental research with young children employing a word-learning task as an exemplar, including a detailed workflow and step-by-step guide to using easily accessible programs and platforms. Four-year-old children's (N = 56) performance on a word-learning task delivered online vs. face-to-face is provided as a method validation. Children's performance on the word-learning task was predominantly consistent across delivery modes, with only slight variation in performance between modes. The implications of these similar results across face-to-face and online methods are discussed alongside avenues for further research. Importantly, this paper presents an emerging methodological approach for the online administration of developmental science both within and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, adding a new tool to current and future developmental scientist's toolkits.

Keywords: Zoom; eBook; language acquisition; online developmental science; online methods; online testing; preschool children; word learning.