The Digital Wellness Lab is a nonprofit research institution seeking to understand and promote positive and healthy digital media experiences for young people, from birth through young adulthood. The website includes research, resources and a blog.
Type of Material:
Collection
Recommended Uses:
Discuss each topic in the digirtal wellness guide in class or at home, and have youth practice the recommendations as homework.
Technical Requirements:
Works in Windows browsers
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Users will:
Recognize and explore evidence-based information to guide digital wellness
Utilize digital wellness methods in relation to children's digital usage
Embed digital wellness into healthcare strategies
Target Student Population:
Grade School, Middle School, High School, College General Ed, College Lower Division, Professional, Pre-K, Parents
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Basic ICT literacy; awareness of children's digital use will be helpful
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
This Digital Wellness Lab clearly utilizes its mission and vision throughout the entire website. There are 3 major areas of study, including Mental and Emotional Wellbeing, Prosocial Development, and Problematic Media Use. These three themes provide the foundation for the lab's research and the development of strategies and initiatives. Pulse surveys, Research briefs, and long-form research are utilized for real-time and long-term studies. The research and resources were developed by Harvard University and Boston Children's Hospital. As such, the materials are authoritative, current, and relevant. This includes in-house research and that of others whose research is directly connected to young people and their digital use. As a result of their research reports and white papers are aimed toward the tech industry, and at the same time, guides are provided for parents and families. Ultimately, the research is meant to positively influence the tech and media industry and at the same time inform clinicians in understanding "...the impacts of interactive media on child and teen health and behavior." Materials are self-contained and may be used in classes or at home. There is adequate information to guide adults as they help children; information is well integreated and summarized. Links work.
Concerns:
Some of the linked resources could be more fully attributed before clicking on them.
Only when users open the resources is it apparent that the direct targeted audience is parental.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
The learning objectives draw directly from IcT literacy standards. The guides state the assumed dervelopment of the youth being guided; a separate guide exists for preschool, grade school, and teens. Given the depth of the research, the website does an excellent job of conveying their research to both professionals and laypeople. Their work clearly demonstrates relationships between concepts and the young people they are focusing on. Concepts are easy to understand, with informative documents available for all levels of users. Concepts build upon each other progressively, and suggested activities are easy to deploy, resulting in efficient learning. Material use is applicationg for ICT literacy and particularly to daily life.
Concerns:
no concerns.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The interface is clear, consistent, and professional looking. With its numerous links, it is interactive. The website is easy to navigate independently; little technical skill is needed. Information is also available in Spanish. Users can contact the website and can subscribe to get their newsletter.
Concerns:
The website is not fully ADA-compliant.
Creative Commons:
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