21 - 24 July | Novotel Wollongong Northbeach
PRECONFERENCE EVENT
Monday, July 21 | University of Wollongong
4:30 - 6:30 PM
Science Space – Planetarium Show ‘Earth and Above: A Deep Time View of Australia’s Epic History’
DAY ONE · Morning
Tuesday, July 22 | Novotel
8:45 - 9:00 ARRIVAL
Illawarra Room
9:00 - 9:20 Session Chair: Lisa Kervin
WELCOME TO COUNTRY
Aunty Barbara Nicholson
9:20 - 10:30 Session Chair: Lisa Kervin
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
· Welcome – Dist. Prof. Susan Danby
· Opening – Prof Peter Kelly, Acting Executive Dean, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, UoW
· DCAM 2025 – Assoc. Prof Dylan Cliff
· Phase 2: Work Packages for Impact and Dissemination –Dist. Prof. Susan Danby and Prof Julian Sefton-Green
· Acknowledgement and thanks to departing Chief Investigators – Dist. Prof. Susan Danby
INNOVATIVE & STRATEGIC PRESENTATIONS
11:15 - 11.45
Persuasive Design
Dr Sumudu Mallawaarachchi
Game Jams
Dr Janelle MacKenzie
11:45 - 12:15
COLLABORATION TIME
10:30 - 11:15
MORNING TEA Illawarra Gallery
Session Chair: Dylan Cliff
DAY ONE · Afternoon
Tuesday, July 22 | Novotel
12:15 -2:15 LUNCH Illawarra Gallery
THE EVOLUTION OF PLAY: CHILDHOOD IN A CONNECTED WORLD
2:15 - 2:45
Keynote
Session Chair: Lisa Kervin
Professor Kristiina Kumpulainen, University of British Columbia
2:45 - 3:45
Panel Discussion
Professor Kristiina Kumpulainen, University of British Columbia
Louise Paatsch, Digital Child
Joe English, Early Start Discovery Space UoW
Dr Kate Highfield, University of Canberra
This panel explores how play both shapes and is shaped by children’s experiences in a connected world. What does it mean to play? Where do digital and physical experiences intersect? Is there a distinction between digital and non-digital play? And what do adults need to understand about what play looks like today? Panellists will share insights from digital, social, and cultural perspectives to collectively build understandings of play and explore new possibilities for playful participation in the digital age.
Available from 3:45 AFTERNOON TEA
Illawarra Gallery
DAY TWO · Morning
Wednesday, July 23 | Novotel
8:45 - 9:00 ARRIVAL Illawarra Room
RESEARCHING AI FOR AND WITH CHILDREN
9:00 - 9:30
Keynote
Gregory Metcalfe, Children's Parliament
Session Chair: Rebecca Ng
9:30 - 10:30
Panel Discussion
Gregory Metcalfe, Children's Parliament
Professor Tama Leaver, Digital Child
John Livingstone, UNICEF Australia
Ryan Elwell, ACT Government
Sarah Darcy, ACT Government
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly embedded in our lives. From smart home technologies to search engines, AI is everywhere, and children are growing up with it. The release of ChatGPT by OpenAI in 2022 brought to attention the endless possibilities and risks of AI for children, affecting areas from learning, socialising to creativity and agency. In this panel, we take a deep dive into the various perspectives around the challenges and opportunities of AI for children now and in the future. By the end of this session, we hope to develop a research agenda around AI and children within the Digital Child.
10:30 - 11:15 MORNING TEA Illawarra Gallery
11:15 - 12:15
AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN OF THE DIGITAL AGE UPDATE
ACODA team
12:15 - 12:45
COLLABORATION
TIME
DAY TWO · Afternoon
Wednesday, July 23 | Novotel
12:45 - 2:15 LUNCH
Illawarra Gallery
SCREENTIME GUIDANCE FOR CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND EDUCATORS: CAN EDUCATION AND HEALTH SEE EYE-TO-EYE?
Session Chair: Leon Straker
2:15 - 3:45
Panel Discussion
Sam Page, Early Childhood Australia
Associate Professor Taren Sanders, Australian Catholic University
Associate Professor Dylan Cliff, Digital Child
Dr Danica Hendry, Digital Child
To help navigate the hot topic of children’s screen use, various guidelines exist. This panel will dive into key questions and challenges – What are current guidelines and where do they come from? What is the evidence? What do parents and professional have to say about them? What is the future of guidelines? Similarities and differences in perspectives, audiences, processes and guidance will be considered, and opportunities for better alignment between screen guidance from Education and Health will be explored.
3:45 - 5:00
COLLABORATION
TIME
7:00 DCAM DINNER
Norfolk Room
Available from 3:45 AFTERNOON TEA
Illawarra Gallery
DAY THREE · Morning
Thursday, July 24 | Novotel
8:30 - 8:45 ARRIVAL Illawarra Room
A FUZZY LINE IN DIGITAL DESIGN –ENGAGEMENT VS. PERSUASION
8:45 - 9:15
Keynote
Professor Daniel Johnson, Digital Child
9:15 - 10:15
Panel Discussion
Professor Daniel Johnson, Digital Child
Laura Stone, ABC Kids
Dr Zac Fitz-Walter, Eat More Pixels
Dr Sumudu Mallawaarachchi, Digital Child
Session Chair: Steven Howard
This panel discussion will take up the issue of how to design for engagement and when (and how we know) digital design tips cross over from being enticing to encourage high-quality play to deceptive, manipulative patterns. Where is that line? How do we know? What are the competing considerations? How might we think about this? The purpose is to explore that landscape through a question-and-answer session with panellists from research, media, and industry.
10:15 - 11:00 MORNING TEA Illawarra Gallery
11:00 - 11:10
VIDEO PRESENTATION
Winter School highlights from Creative Methodologies
Session Chair: Dylan Cliff
11:10 - 11:40
PANEL DISCUSSION
Session Chair: Susan Danby
11:40 - 12:00
DIGITAL CHILD AWARDS 2025
Distinguished Professor Susan Danby
Session Chair: Dylan Cliff
12:00 - 12:15
CLOSING REMARKS WITH ANNOUNCEMENTS OF DCAM 2026
Distinguished Professor Susan Danby
Session Chair: Dylan Cliff
12:15 - 1:15 LUNCH Illawarra Gallery
We look forward to seeing you at DCAM 2026!