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Early Childhood Educational Software: Specific Features and Issues of Localization

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Abstract

The computer has now become a recognized tool in the education of young children and when used appropriately can reinforce their learning experiences. This paper reviews specific features (relating to pedagogic design, software content and user-interface design) of early childhood educational software and discusses issues in favor of its localization. Specific features in favor of its localization include the dominance of pictures, animation and sound, the culture-independent content and the neutrality of graphical, interface and story-line features. Children’s software worth being adapted to fit another country’s curriculum needs to be developmentally appropriate. The quality of the software will need to be combined with other factors, such as the role of the teacher, in order to contribute to young children’s learning and development.

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  1. Department of Early Childhood Education, Univeristy of Athens, Athens, Navarinou 13A, 10680, Greece

    Kleopatra Nikolopoulou

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  1. Kleopatra Nikolopoulou
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Correspondence to Kleopatra Nikolopoulou.

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Nikolopoulou, K. Early Childhood Educational Software: Specific Features and Issues of Localization. Early Childhood Educ J 35, 173–179 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-007-0168-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-007-0168-5

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