Smart Toys in Early Childhood and Primary Education: A Systematic Review of Technological and Educational Affordances

Abstract

The present paper presents a systematic review of the last 30 years that concerns records on Smart Toys and focuses on toys regarding early childhood and primary education children (3–12 years old). This paper aims to analyse and categorise smart toys (50 articles) in terms of their technological and educational affordances. The results show that the toys are designed based on four main technological affordances and their combinations. The educational affordances of smart toys are studied in terms of different use modes and their learning objectives aimed to identify specific objectives in different subjects and objectives based on transversal competencies such as problem solving, spatial thinking, computational thinking, collaboration and symbolic thinking. Finally, with the multiple correspondence analysis, the correlations between smart toys’ individual technological and educational affordances are grouped with the evolution of affordances related to their development date. In conclusion, in recent years, smart toys concern special sciences (programming) and some 21st-century skills (STEM and computational thinking). In contrast, in the first 20 years, the interest focused more on transverse skills, such as collaboration, emotional thinking, symbolic thinking, story-telling and problem solving.

Views of Parents on Using Technology-Enhanced Toys in the Free Play of Children Aged One to Four Years

“…For example, the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Home playset offers many affordances that could stimulate infant motor and communication skills during both independent and collaborative play with parents. However, while technology-enhanced toys are increasingly popular, there remains a dearth of research on the usage patterns and potential effects of these toys on the development of very young children [23].…”

Study Trends and Core Content Trends of Research on Enhancing Computational Thinking: An Incorporated Bibliometric and Content Analysis Based on the Scopus Database

“…The analysis of content within publications based on the co-occurrence network highlights several primary trends across different clusters. In cluster 1, research primarily focuses on CT and GBL, encompassing areas such as teaching and learning tools, teaching and learning activities, teaching approach, GBL assessment framework, and attitudes like engagement, motivation, learning interest, confidence, encouragement [86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95][96][97][98][99]. Cluster 2 delves into CT, GBL, computer science, and assessment frameworks, particularly emphasizing strategies for teaching CT [99,100].…”

Perancangan Alat Peraga Berbasis Physics Toys Pada Materi Efek Doppler Menggunakan RTC dan Arduino

“…Menurut [5] adanya unsur permainan dalam alat peraga Fisika dapat meningkatkan minat siswa dalam belajar, meningkatkan pemahaman konsep terkait materi yang diajarkan, dan pembelajaran lebih menarik serta menyenangkan bagi peserta didik. Beberapa contoh alat peraga berbasis permainan gasing dan perahu otok-otok (tuc-tuc boat) [6], yoyo atau twirly whirly yang dicetak menggunakan prin 3D [7], [8] yang mengkaji tentang smart toys dalam proses pembelajaran di sekolah.…”