Evaluation of Artificial Intelligence-Based Early Intervention and Education Applications

Abstract

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate artificial intelligence (AI)-based early intervention and educational applications developed for children from the perspective of Child Development experts, in line with the parameters of the target population, area of use, technological infrastructure, advantages, limitations, and developmental appropriateness.

Method: The study was designed as an expert-based qualitative screening study. Data were collected by examining the official websites, product promotion pages, user information pages, and privacy policies of the applications. A total of 17 early intervention and educational applications were identified through a web-based search; among these, five applications that met the predetermined criteria were included in the study. The applications reviewed were Duolingo ABC, Khanmigo, DreamBox, Suufle, and TADİS. The evaluation process was carried out by four researchers who are experts in child development, and the consistency rate among expert responses was 86.11%.

Results: The applications were evaluated across seven main parameters. The findings indicated that Duolingo ABC, Khanmigo, and DreamBox primarily supported academic skills, individualized learning, and cognitive development through adaptive mechanisms, whereas TADİS and Suufle contributed to the language, communication, and social participation skills of children with autism spectrum disorder. However, limitations were identified in certain applications regarding technological transparency, cultural adaptation, data security, and independent scientific evidence of effectiveness.

Conclusion: The results showed that AI-based early intervention and educational applications for children offer significant opportunities for personalized learning, motivation, accessibility, language development, and support for social communication skills. However, these applications should be carefully evaluated with regard to ethics, data security, scientific evidence, and developmental appropriateness. In this respect, it is recommended that AI applications developed for children be addressed not only through technological innovation but also within a holistic framework grounded in pedagogical and developmental principles.

Keywords

• Artificial intelligence
• Developmental appropriateness
• Educational practices
• Early intervention

Yapay Zekâ Temelli Erken Müdahale ve Eğitim Uygulamalarının Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Bu araştırma; çocuklara yönelik geliştirilen Yapay Zekâ (YZ) temelli erken müdahale ve eğitim uygulamalarını; hedef kitle, kullanım alanı, teknolojik altyapı, avantajlar, sınırlılıklar ve gelişimsel uygunluk parametreleri doğrultusunda Çocuk Gelişimi uzmanları perspektifiyle değerlendirmek amacıyla yapılmıştır.

Yöntem: Araştırma, uzman görüşlerine dayalı nitel bir tarama araştırmasıdır. Veriler, uygulamaların resmî web sayfaları, ürün tanıtım sayfaları, kullanım açıklamaları ve gizlilik politikaları incelenerek toplanmıştır. Web tabanlı taramada toplam 17 adet erken müdahale ve eğitim uygulaması listelenmiş; bunlardan belirlenen ölçütleri karşılayan beş uygulama araştırmaya dahil edilmiştir. İncelemeye Duolingo ABC, Khanmigo, DreamBox, Suufle ve TADİS uygulamaları alınmıştır. Değerlendirme süreci çocuk gelişimi alanında uzman dört araştırmacı tarafından yürütülmüş; uzman yanıtlarının tutarlılığı %86,11 olarak hesaplanmıştır.

Bulgular: Araştırma bulgularına göre uygulamalar yedi ana parametre altında değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular; Duolingo ABC, Khanmigo ve DreamBox’ın daha çok akademik becerileri, bireyselleştirilmiş öğrenmeyi ve uyarlanabilir mekanizmalarıyla bilişsel gelişimi desteklediği; TADİS ve Suufle uygulamalarının ise otizm spektrum bozukluğu olan çocukların dil, iletişim ve sosyal katılım becerilerine katkı sağladığı belirlenmiştir. Bununla birlikte bazı uygulamalarda teknolojik şeffaflık, kültürel uyarlama, veri güvenliği ve bağımsız bilimsel etkililik kanıtları açısından sınırlılıklar saptanmıştır.

Sonuç: Araştırma sonucunda, çocuklara yönelik AI temelli ve erken müdahale ve eğitim uygulamalarının kişiselleştirilmiş öğrenme, motivasyon, erişilebilirlik, dil gelişimi ve sosyal iletişim becerilerinin desteklenmesi açısından önemli fırsatlar sunduğu; ancak etik, veri güvenliği, bilimsel kanıt ve gelişimsel uygunluk boyutlarında dikkatle değerlendirilmesi gerektiği saptanmıştır. Bu doğrultuda, çocuklara yönelik yapay zekâ uygulamalarının yalnızca teknolojik yenilik açısından değil, pedagojik ve gelişimsel ilkeler çerçevesinde bütüncül olarak ele alınması önerilmektedir.

Keywords

• Yapay zeka
• Gelişimsel uygunluk
• Eğitim uygulamaları
• Erken müdahale

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