How Did Children Learn in an Online Course During Lockdown?: A Piagetian Approximation

Abstract

As the Covid pandemic forced educational institutions to close their doors and transit to an online mode, little is known of how children learnt under such conditions. This article reports on the learning behaviors displayed by 377 children aged 5–12 in a technology-mediated course on science and arts. Using an ex post facto design, we employed a multivariate analysis to unveil hidden factors in the learning processes of participants. Results show traces of theoretical constructs linked to the stages of development supported by Piaget which are presented in descending order of predominance. In the Science module, Practical Knowledge and Verbal reasoning stand out above others while in the Arts module, Abstract Reasoning and Creativity surpass other features of the same category. From a practical stance, these findings may have implications on future course designs where it is desirable to develop other abilities related to science and arts.