Mobile Technology for Children

Children are one of the largest new user groups of mobile technology -- from phones to micro-laptops to electronic toys. These products are both lauded and criticized, especially when it comes to their role in education and learning. The need has never been greater to understand how these technologies are being designed and to evaluate their impact worldwide. Mobile Technology for Children brings together contributions from leaders in industry, non-profit organizations, and academia to offer practical solutions for the design and the future of mobile technology for children.

"Allison Druin, who I consider the seminal HCI researcher in children and emerging technologies — has brought together other experts from the key perspectives on children and mobile technologies, and through these experts the reader has a chance to glimpse our future as these children are creating it."—Arnie Lund, User Experience Director, Microsoft"I see this book as a fundamental source of ideas and inspirations for those in academia and business who research, design, and build mobile devices for children. Bravo to Allison and her contributors."—Chauncey Wilson, Senior User Researcher, Autodesk, Inc., Adjunct Instructor, HFID program at Bentley College"The book inspires the reader to investigate the opportunities and challenges of applying mobile technologies to advance children’s learning. The book is international in its outlook and raises the issues of supporting children’s education in the developed and developing countries. It highlights that mobile technologies should be designed to suit the contexts, culture and requirements of children in their contexts… [T]he book is novel, engaging, and the only resource that brings together research and researchers in the area of mobile technologies for children. It will be a useful resource for HCI academics and researchers, and will also help to inform policy makers involved in education for children."—BCS’s Interfaces Magazine