A holistic framework to support ICT-based early childhood education processes

Modern societies have recently changed their point of view about childhood education. Nowadays, kindergarten teachers are not only responsible for children´s upbringing but they complement the educational role of families at home. In this new educational scenario, families and teachers present novel demands as real-time information about centers and its services, tools to track children progress or recommend new activities, new ways of communication, etc. Integration of ICT tools can offer a solution to those demands. Some electronic devices and software applications are being applied to this educational domain. However, they are used in isolation, lacking integration mechanisms that would improve their efficiency. This paper proposes a holistic framework that provides a set of ICT-based services designed taking into consideration the distinctive features of early care settings. We present the main design guidelines of a standard-based Reference Architecture that fosters interoperability and convergence between diverse technologies and heterogeneous systems. The deployment of such a system, based upon Standards and Specifications for Learning Technologies, facilitates the development and integration of ICT tools. It supports early childhood education processes, encourages parents involvement and fosters the cooperation between families and practitioners.