5/16/2012 - New Paper Looks to Technology to Bolster Dual-Generation Educational Skills

The Foundation for Child Development (FCD) published a paper in April 2012 by Ariel Kalil of the Harris School for Public Policies Studies at the University of Chicago. The paper, A Dual-Generation Strategy: Using Technology to Support Learning for Children and for Families, finds that technological advances provide new opportunities for improved literacy and educational development of low-income parents. Taking lessons from a study of learning and income disparities in Los Angeles, Kalil notes that "maternal literacy skills are the single most important factor in closing the achievement gap between children in affluent and low-income neighborhoods." Improving the literacy and educational skills of the parents is linked to improved quality of the home environment which can help children to succeed in school.

The technology-based learning approach provides parents with access, flexibility, and greater cost efficiencies. The new technologies the report highlights include:

Programs on smart phones, portable game consoles, ebook readers, and interactive toys
Advances in speech recognition and text-to-speech technology
Intelligent tutoring systems that provide personalized instruction, model the interventions of an expert tutor, and improve over time
Cloud computing, which can expand the computational resources that a low-cost device can access
Digital libraries of engaging, age-appropriate materialA Dual-Generation Strategy: Using Technology to Support Learning for Children and for Families.
Elements of game design that increase attentive time on task

The FCD paper and the related presentation are available at the links below:
Paper: A Dual-Generation Strategy: Using Technology to Support Learning for Children and for Families
Presentation: The Digital Promise: Harnessing Technology and Innovation in Two-Generation Education Investment Strategies

A Dual-Generation Strategy: Using Technology to Support

Learning for Children and for Families