Freehand drawing activity: a comparison between tablet-finger vs paper&crayon throughout time

ABSTRACT

The apps for drawing are present in our children’s life. Nevertheless, little is known about the impact of mobile technology on the freehand drawing educational activity. There are few works which are contextualised within short periods of time, with teachers who are not theirs and, in some cases, outside the children’s classroom. In this paper, we are focussed on the use of technology on freehand drawing activity. Thus, we have compared the graphics produced by 4- and 5-year-old children with paper&crayon in comparison with those with tablet-finger. Children made the drawings during a planned free-drawing activity, in their ordinary classrooms, with their teachers and during five sessions. Assessment of drawings has evidenced tablet feasibility for making graphics. Nevertheless, with the passing of time, quality of graphics (tablet-finger vs paper&crayons), are nearly matched, demonstrating the low impact level technology has on this activity. In addition, if drawings are analysed specifically according to ages, results have shown that both groups have to develop adaptation strategies of visual perceptual skills and fine motor skills for the touch screen in order to obtain the same quality in the drawings made on both support types.

KEYWORDS:

• E-learning
• mobile application
• children

Acknowledgements

We thank the teachers and caregivers of the educational institutions for their support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Spanish Decree 1630/2006, 29th. December, establishing the minimum syllabus for the second level of Early Childhood Education.

Additional information

Funding

This work has been partially funded by the Spanish Department of Science, Innovation and Universities: project RTI2018-099235-B-I00. We have also received funds from the Principality of Asturias, through its Science, Technology and Innovation Plan (FC-GRUPIN-IDI/2018/000199) and University of Oviedo (GR-2011-0040).