Development and Empirical Assessment of an Intervention on the Internet's Structure and Functioning for Third and Fourth Graders

With the rapid spread of Internet-capable mobile devices, the use of the Internet by young children both in private and school contexts has increased immensely. To ensure their online safety and responsible use, it is essential to provide these children with an age-appropriate technical understanding of the Internet. In this pilot study, we explore the mental models of 8- to 10-year-olds regarding the Internet and investigate how these models can be effectively refined to a more mature and scientifically accurate level through a newly developed educational intervention. This intervention comprised two 90-minute lessons and was attended by 25 third- and fourth-graders. The study investigated pre-conceptions children of this age group have about the structure and functioning of the Internet, examined the feasibility of the intervention materials, and whether and to what extent the intervention can effectively change misconceptions about the Internet. Our findings revealed that many children held partly vague, often flawed, or incomplete preconceptions, which lacked consistency and clarity. These misconceptions could be traced back to experience-based knowledge resources. However, preliminary results showing medium and strong effects of the intervention suggest that it is possible to effectively correct misconceptions about the Internet through targeted interventions for children aged 8 to 10.