Bringing the World into the Classroom: Early Explorations of Young Children’s Exposure to a Digital Globe

Emerging visualization technologies are transforming communication and learning about earth-related concepts, yet there is limited research on their integration in early childhood classrooms. Spherical displays, often implemented in informal education settings such as science centres, offer compelling and immersive visual representations of earth phenomena but their pedagogical potential for young learners remains underexplored. The aim of this study is to investigate how introducing a digital globe into a real childhood classroom influences children’s affective responses and perceived learning, and how an educator perceives the integration. A multi-method study design combined observations, pre-/post-surveys, and a stimulated-recall interview with the facilitating educator. Children aged 7–8 years participated in a 30-minute structured storytelling activity around a spherical display, complemented by guided discussion. Observations revealed high engagement and salient epistemic emotions such as curiosity and wonder, stimulated by vivid visualizations and interactive elements. Post-surveys indicated strong children’s interest and perceived learning about earth-related phenomena such as maps and day-night cycles. Children’s emerging visual and geographic literacies were evident, albeit together with certain misconceptions. The educator emphasised the globe’s versatility as a “colleague” as well as the central importance of facilitation for sustaining engagement. Practical considerations included optimal classroom group size and positioning the display for visibility. The study suggests that spherical displays when embedded in structured storytelling and active facilitation, can convert novelty into inquiry and scaffold early scientific learning and literacy. Future work will integrate the potential of conversational AI to extend meaningful educator-led interaction without replacing it.