Computer Graphics as a Medium for Enhancing Reflective Thinking in Young Children

This chapter discusses how the physical aspects of each media constrain and elicit what children chose to symbolize in their play. The concepts of self-object distance, aflfordance, and reflectivity can generate new uses of computer graphics to stimulate thinking in young children. The chapter identifies how interactive video encourages children to pause and reflect. A three dimensional medium makes an interesting contrast with the video medium for several reasons. The video icon moves across a screen several feet away from the hand actions that produces the movement. Because a video icon can be moved anywhere on the CRT children were constantly creating arrangements that not only violated gravity but also violated the usual. In fact a majority of a child’s symbolic acts are over-learned rituals or merely an instrumental response to obtain some immediate objective. The self record and objective replay is yet another means of increasing self–object distance.