Do tangible interfaces enhance learning? Richard Haines
Overview Tangible interfaces are an increasingly popular area for design. Learning, in particular, has received great focus for tangible applications. Development is too fast Are these interfaces actually helping?
Six main perspectives Possible learning benefits Typical learning domains Exploratory and expressive activity Integration of representation Concreteness and sensory directness Effects of physicality
Possible learning benefits Lots of theories Some exploratory studies Collaborative learning Additional research required
Typical learning domains Narrative programming Molecular biology and chemistry Dynamic systems Many spatial areas Relative information
Exploratory and Expressive activity Categorizing tangible interfaces Exploratory activity The user learns by using the tangible interface Expressive activity The user demonstrates understanding by using the interface Tangible interfaces often have elements of both
Integration of representation Framework is needed to build off Very little research in tangible interface space Look to cognitive science?
Concreteness and sensory directness How do users learn to use the tangible interface? Is concrete representation always better? Some studies have found abstract has its benefits, as well. Putting limits on interface usage can provide benefits
Effects of physicality What happens when information is turned into physical form? How (and where) can tangible interfaces be best used? Novelty value
Conclusion Tangible interfaces in learning have great promise However, a more systematic approach is needed Identify the key elements in successful tangible interfaces Make sure the tangible interface is actually applicable Ask whether we should use a tangible interface, solely because we can.
Works Cited Paul Marshall Do tangible interfaces enhance learning?. In Proceedings of the 1st international conference on Tangible and embedded interaction (TEI '07). ACM, New York, NY, USA, DOI= /