Digital Child Project

Gyeongin National Unversity of Education is one of the 33 universities that are partners of the Centre of Excellence in Digital Child, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.

Professor Hyeon-Seon Jeong, Director of CMLR participate in this digital child project as a Partner Investigator.

The details of this unique research project can be found in the following website.

"New Research Centre to Focus on Digital Kids"

More information about the project from Professor Susan Danby, the Director of the Centre of Excellence in Digital Child is as follows:

Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child

What is an ARC Centre of Excellence?

An ARC Centre of Excellence consists of high-quality national and international researchers, working in collaboration with universities, government, industry and key stakeholders, to support outstanding research in a national area of priority – our children and their wellbeing .

What is the vision of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child?

Our Centre’s vision is for Australian children to be healthy, educated and connected. This Centre will integrate child health, education, and digital and social connectedness, innovating across disciplines to meet Australia’s ongoing challenges of supporting young children growing up in a rapidly changing digital age. The Centre’s world-leading team will investigate children’s digital experiences through three interconnected research programs supported by a longitudinal family cohort study and children’s technology laboratories. The Centre will deliver high quality outcomes that will inform government and non-government policy, and technology innovation. It will develop programs and guidelines for children, families, educators and technology developers.

What are the Centre’s aims?

· Build new understandings about the digital influences on the physical and psychological wellbeing and development of children to inform recommendations and guidelines (Healthy Child);

· Develop models, frameworks and good practices of digital learning that build children’s educational opportunities, fostering inclusiveness and equitable outcomes (Educated Child);

· Create understandings of digital technology use and produce technology innovations for young children that (a) shape positive relationships with peers, family, community, and commercial entities, and (b) respect children’s privacy, rights, and citizenship (Connected Child).

Centre Innovations

A longitudinal cohort of a representative sample of Australian families . This multi-year study of 3000 Australian families will include survey data that will capture the diversity of children’s experiences, background and everyday experiences. Changes over time will be identified through multiple data capture moments across different contexts and ongoing data linkages. The Centre will identify and explore problems in which to nest focused studies, integrative studies, and theoretical/conceptual work.

Children’s Technology Laboratories. The laboratories will be diverse in focus and design, and provide an interface for researcher collaboration with (i) children (ii) industry partners (e.g. technology companies) (iii) parents and caregivers (iv) those working in professional capacities with children (e.g. educators, health support practitioners, technology designers).

The Centre’s Children’s Technology Labs include the existing QUT Children’s Technology Space and UOW Children’s Technology Space (separate to the UOW Discovery Space). These are ideal sites to undertake outreach to the broader community through family, education and community workshops and activities.

What are the intended benefits and impact of the Centre activities?

The Centre aims to be recognised as a reliable evidence-based source for parents, educators and others to ‘go to’ for the most recent understandings about young children and digital technologies. It will have a world-first longitudinal study of Australian families and their digital lives from birth to 8 years. New knowledge will inform technology innovation and public policy, providing practical guidance for families, educators, and technology creators. Strengthened international networks, and public-facing initiatives such as web-based and open access resources and professional training, will lead national and international agendas in minimizing children's digital risks and maximising positive digital engagement. Economic benefits will arise through translation and commercialisation of digital innovation, and partnerships with industry.

How can I find out more about the Centre?

The Centre website will include web-based blogs written by national and international experts, resource links, and social media activity. The Centre will have a policy of posting online openly available reports and publications that describe outcomes from the programs of research.

Who are the Centre’s Australian university partners?

Queensland University of Technology, Curtin University, Deakin University, Edith Cowan University, The University of Queensland, The University of Wollongong.

How can new researchers and new partners become involved with the Centre?

The Centre is currently in establishment phase, and will not be fully operational until mid 2020. If you would like to know more about the Centre, please contact the Centre Director , Professor Susan Danby (s.danby@qut.edu.au; +61 7 31383547) or one of the key researchers below.

Who are the Centre’s key researchers?

Professor Susan Danby (QUT), ARC Future Fellow (2012-2016), director of the Centre, has extensive leadership experience, and is an expert on children’s digital lives, family and classroom interaction, and qualitative methods. She brings strong industry collaborations in early childhood and health. https://staff.qut.edu.au/staff/s.danby

Professor Sue Bennett (UOW), deputy director of the Centre, is an internationally recognised expert in the field of technology in education. Her integrated approach investigates students’ experiences with technology and learning design practices. https://scholars.uow.edu.au/display/sue_bennett

Professor Lelia Green (ECU) is a pioneer in this field of children’s digital lives, their online safety and the potential benefits of digital engagement. She investigates children’s use of digital media to engage with family, friends and their wider sociocultural context. https://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/arts-and-humanities/staff/profiles/professors/professor- lelia-green

Professor Lisa Kervin (UOW) is an expert in language and literacy in children’s digital lives and leads research on digital play and literacy practices, curriculum and pedagogy. https://scholars.uow.edu.au/display/lisa_kervin

Professor Julian Sefton-Green (Deakin) works closely with international partners on child and digital technology projects investigating learning in non-formal learning institutions and in everyday social activities. https://www.deakin.edu.au/about-deakin/people/julian-sefton-green

Associate Professor Simon Smith (UQ) is Principal Research Fellow in the Institute for Social Sciences Research and brings his expertise in neuropsychology to studies of young children’s sleep and screen time activity. https://issr.uq.edu.au/profile/824/simon-smith

Professor Leon Straker (Curtin), previous NHMRC Senior Fellow, is a world leader in the physical health implications of children’s digital technology interactions. His research explores the musculoskeletal, cardiometabolic and psychological impacts of technology use on young people. https://staffportal.curtin.edu.au/staff/profile/view/L.Straker/

Professor Karen Thorpe (UQ) is a research leader in early childhood development. She has expertise in working with government and non-government agencies, and community groups in regional/remote Australia and with Indigenous Australians. https://issr.uq.edu.au/profile/740/karen- thorpe

Associate Professor Sonia White (QUT) is a Principal Research Fellow, ARC DECRA, uses behavioural and cognitive neuroscience methods to examine children’s learning strategies, and designs early diagnostic and effective intervention programs for children.

https://staff.qut.edu.au/staff/sl.white

Professor Peta Wyeth (QUT) provides strategic oversight of the technology innovation agenda. At the forefront of research on technology design for children, her research is translational, and she has significant success in the commercialisation of technology.

https://staff.qut.edu.au/staff/peta.wyeth