Misc. Links re: kids, design, apps, learning

“In experiments at six public universities, students assigned randomly to statistics courses that relied heavily on “machine-guided learning” software — with reduced face time with instructors — did just as well, in less time, as their counterparts in traditional, instructor-centric versions of the courses.” — they’re using “robots” in the headline to describe software teaching systems

3 Ways To Design Toys That Boost Kids’ Creativity | Co.Design: business + innovation + design

Article by founder of launchpad toys, Stanford-pedigree company that built Toontastic, a puppeteering / storytelling app for iPad

What’s the Best Way to Encourage Kids? | MindShift

some thoughts from Mindshift about motivation in learning

infants need JUUUUST the right amount of complex stimuli to retain their attention. not too little, not too much i.e.The Goldilocks Effect – YouTube

“Researchers at the University of Rochester have uncovered a new finding about how babies understand and investigate the environment around them. Dubbed the “Goldilocks effect”, their research shows that infants in the study are not interested in things that are too simple or too complex, but just right.”