Training of media sign literacy in preschool children

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Gerhild Nieding, since 3/2021; Professor Dr. Peter Ohler, since 11/2021
• Subject Area: Developmental and Educational Psychology
• Term: from 2018 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 408273961

Media sign literacy (MSL) is the dominant aspect of media literacy acquired before children enter school. It encompasses understanding the different sign elements, relations, and systems used in different (children's) media, along with their similarities, differences, and idiosyncrasies. Our previous work showed that MSL among four-year-olds is a significant predictor for acquiring academic skills, such as reading, writing, and mathematical competencies at the end of the first grade. The main goal of the proposed project is to develop and implement a computer-based training program forMSL in four- to five-year-olds, which shall be used in pre-schools at low personnel expenses. The program consists of modules that we found to be relevant in our previous work. A further goal is to experimentally evaluate the efficiency of our program with N = 400 children. In a pre-post-follow-up test-design, children trained with the program are compared with children in three control groups. The first control group passes a classical media literacy training that focuses on media production and media technology, which will be administered by a teacher. With this control group, we test ourhypothesis that the newly developed computer-based training program, in which a teacher is only present to assist if necessary, is more efficient while and requires less personnel. The second control group receives a training for inductive reasoning by Klauer (1989, 1991) in the online version of Lenhard, Lenhard, and Klauer (2011). This training aims to foster inductive reasoning, and it can enhance fluid intelligence on a long-term basis. It is a challenging competitor of our MSL training because several studies show that intelligence is also a good predictor for acquiring academic skills. The third control group receives both the MSL and the inductive reasoning training. The fourth control group receives no training. We will assess MSL, reading and writing skills and their precursors, mathematical skills and their precursors, intelligence, working memory, and social skills, which are the dependent variables, immediately after the training is completed, as well as 6 and 18 months after the training. At an additional measurement point focused on learning from media, we will test whether the participants of the four different groups differ in their ability to acquire knowledge from media.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Ehemalige Antragstellerinnen: Dr. Anna Katharina Diergarten, until 2/2021; Dr. Sabine Völkel, until 11/2021