The Effects of Computer Games on the Development of Physical Motor Skills and Social Interaction in Preschool Children (Preprint)

BACKGROUND With the increasing integration of information technology into the daily lives and educational environments of young children, the impact of digital games on early childhood development has emerged as a critical issue in the field of early childhood education. OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate the effects of computer game base instructional activities on the physical motor skills and social interaction development of preschool children. METHODS A quasi-experimental design was employed in this study. The participants consisted of 61 children aged four to six from a private preschool in central Taiwan. The subjects were assigned to either an experimental group (n=41) or a control group (n=20) based on their class affiliation. The experimental group received a four-week intervention consisting of one-hour weekly sessions of computer game instruction, which utilized two computer games. The control group maintained the regular curriculum. The research instruments included the "social development assessment tool," the "physical motor development scale," and the "learning interest questionnaire," supplemented by qualitative observation records. RESULTS In terms of physical motor development, children in the experimental group demonstrated significant progress across eight indicators of motor skill development, with outcomes superior to those of the control group. Regarding social interaction development, the experimental group showed a significant improvement in "stable and sustained attention exceeding 10 minutes." In terms of learning interest, the children exhibited a high level of engagement with the computer game intervention. Furthermore, qualitative observations of children with developmental delays revealed that the computer game intervention enhanced their interpersonal interaction, emotional regulation, verbal expression, and interest in learning. CONCLUSIONS Computer game based instructional activities effectively promote physical motor and social interaction development in preschool children while strengthening their sustained attention. Such activities serve as an effective instructional medium for both motivational stimulation and skill training.