Come Draw and Tell: exploring young children’s expressive creative in digital and non-digital forms

Dr Xiaofei Qi, Durham University

Abstract

Creativity takes many forms. Young children communicate their thoughts, emotions, and ideas through artistic activities such as drawing and storytelling. However, the widespread use of digital devices among young children is transforming how they experience the world and, consequently, how they express themselves creatively. The present study investigates how children aged 4 to 8 years (n = 110) express themselves through drawing and storytelling across two formats: a digital Draw & Tell application and the traditional “draw and tell” activity using paper and pencils or crayons. The study examines two main dimensions: (1) content features, including figural (visual) and verbal elements, and (2) procedural features, referring to behavioural aspects of how children engage in the activity. Through this comparative approach, the study seeks to identify characteristics that may be unique to digital or traditional formats, contributing to a deeper understanding of how digital media influences creative expression in early childhood.

Bio

Dr Xiaofei Qi is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Durham University. Her research focuses on early childhood education and development, digital learning, and educational assessment, and includes both longitudinal and experimental study designs. She contributes to a wide range of academic and professional programmes and supervises postgraduate research students within the School of Education. In recent years, her research has primarily been funded by external grants to evaluate early years continuing professional development (CPD) programmes in the UK and internationally. In addition, she has utilised small grants and internal resources to conduct smaller-scale studies. The study she is presenting today is one such project.

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