The effects of using computer graphics on preschool children

This study was designed to investigate the ability of young children to use a particular computer graphics program Colorpaint and its effects on their artwork. It was conducted in two parts : the pilot study in which five children participated and the main study which involved two children. Four predictions were made. Prediction one stated that of the total number of children's interactions with the program, more would be in the category of independent use than in the category of teacher-assisted use. The second prediction was that children would use goal-oriented behavior in aesthetic decision-making and problem-solving when using the program. Prediction three stated artwork, done with computer media would be rated higher in each of the categories of "Variety within Shapes", "Variety between Shapes", "Complexity", and "Texture" than would images made with other media. The fourth prediction was that computer-generated artwork, would be rated lower in the category of "Image Autonomy" than the artwork done in other media. For both parts of the study, anecdotal data in the form of field notes, transcribed conversations, and videotapes were kept and analysed to provide insight into the children's behavior when using the computer. During the main study the children's interactions with the computer program were recorded on a checklist indicating whether they were able to use the program independently or if they needed help. Artwork made by the subjects in the main study using the computer and other media were saved for analysis and were rated by three independent judges. The judges used five criteria derived from the literature on children's art to rate each image on a five point Likert scale. Results indicated that prediction one, which stated that more interactions with the computer would be in the category of independent use, was supported as there were more independent interactions than teacher-assisted interactions with the computer for each subject. Prediction two, which indicated that children would use goal-oriented behavior in aesthetic decision-making and problem-solving when using the computer, was supported by the descriptive data collected. Prediction three, that the computer images would be rated higher in each of the categories of Variety within Shapes, Variety between Shapes, Complexity, and Texture, was supported in the two categories Variety between Shapes and Variety within Shapes. The fourth outcome predicted was that the computer artwork would be rated lower in the category Image Autonomy than artwork done in other media. This outcome was supported by the results of the analysis of the artwork.Education, Faculty ofCurriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department ofGraduat