KIM STUDY
The use of the internet and PCs become more and more important in todays ´ school life. Thus, teachers should be aware of certain methods and possible risks in order to act as rolemodels. They need based trainings to ensure a founded competence with computers. Nevertheless, children themselves are introduced to the internet and the use of computers already at a relativley young age. Nowadays they grow up with high-tech machines and thus, they know how computers work basically.
_The so-called KIM study (Kinder+Medien, Computer+Internet) deals
with such developments. The study can be regarded as a long-term project
in order to monitor possible developments of the use of new media among
children adequately. In 2010 the latest results of the KIM Study have been published. About 1200 German children between the age 6 and 13 took part. The study started in 1999 when computers became increasingly dominant in private households.
The KIM study tries to find out how often children use the internet, when and why they use it and whether they use it for school or as a learning software or for other reasons. Furthermore, the study examines the media devices the children have access to, children´s media use in terms of free time activities and the topics they are interested in.
57 % of current German school children use the internet, but rarely. 43% of them are members of social communities and use the internet regularly. The list of children´s most favorite internet websites is also head by a social network. Unfortunately the study discovered that children reveal personal data quite often. 29 % of those who use the internet regularly even publish private photos or films online. This is a problem that definitely needs to be focused on in order to avoid serious dangers. In the additional task "Internet safety" I concentrated on it and try to find solutions.
The children who were asked spend on average 24 minutes online daily. Three quarter of the parents think that children should be introduced to the internet already at a young age and that they should enlarge and deepen their knowledge at school.
Another significant development is children´s internet affinity. It was striking that 41 % of the older children could not think of NOT using the internet anymore, but 6 % of the six to eight years old children could think of renounce using the internet yet, which means that as older the children get and as more knowledge and routine they have, spending their spare time with new media increases rapidly.
The KIM study tries to find out how often children use the internet, when and why they use it and whether they use it for school or as a learning software or for other reasons. Furthermore, the study examines the media devices the children have access to, children´s media use in terms of free time activities and the topics they are interested in.
57 % of current German school children use the internet, but rarely. 43% of them are members of social communities and use the internet regularly. The list of children´s most favorite internet websites is also head by a social network. Unfortunately the study discovered that children reveal personal data quite often. 29 % of those who use the internet regularly even publish private photos or films online. This is a problem that definitely needs to be focused on in order to avoid serious dangers. In the additional task "Internet safety" I concentrated on it and try to find solutions.
The children who were asked spend on average 24 minutes online daily. Three quarter of the parents think that children should be introduced to the internet already at a young age and that they should enlarge and deepen their knowledge at school.
Another significant development is children´s internet affinity. It was striking that 41 % of the older children could not think of NOT using the internet anymore, but 6 % of the six to eight years old children could think of renounce using the internet yet, which means that as older the children get and as more knowledge and routine they have, spending their spare time with new media increases rapidly.
Reflection
These short extract already shows that children are getting more and more familiar with media and that teachers could expect a basic media knowledge from grade five on, which also means that our students would not have any difficulties with internet research projects or other homework that require the use of a computer or internet. Another advantage is that those pupils who do not have an own computer can work together with class members who own one.
For me as a future teacher media related developments among young children are a great perspective in order to prepare my pupils on their future lives which definitely will deal with new media. Regarding the results it is more than necessary to include new media in school lessons. By using new media teachers can easily attract pupil´s interest and motivation, since most of them a personally interested in computers. It is a good way to motivate students by personal interest and why not using it in order to give lessons pupils and teachers enjoy.
For me as a future teacher media related developments among young children are a great perspective in order to prepare my pupils on their future lives which definitely will deal with new media. Regarding the results it is more than necessary to include new media in school lessons. By using new media teachers can easily attract pupil´s interest and motivation, since most of them a personally interested in computers. It is a good way to motivate students by personal interest and why not using it in order to give lessons pupils and teachers enjoy.