1. Do tangible interfaces enhance learning? Richard Haines

2. 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?

3. Six main perspectives  Possible learning benefits  Typical learning domains  Exploratory and expressive activity  Integration of representation  Concreteness and sensory directness  Effects of physicality

4. Possible learning benefits  Lots of theories  Some exploratory studies  Collaborative learning  Additional research required http://i.vimeocdn.com/video/224231206_640.jpg

5. Typical learning domains  Narrative programming  Molecular biology and chemistry  Dynamic systems  Many spatial areas  Relative information

6. 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

7. Integration of representation  Framework is needed to build off  Very little research in tangible interface space  Look to cognitive science?

8. 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

9. Effects of physicality  What happens when information is turned into physical form?  How (and where) can tangible interfaces be best used?  Novelty value

10. 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.

11. Works Cited  Paul Marshall. 2007. Do tangible interfaces enhance learning?. In Proceedings of the 1st international conference on Tangible and embedded interaction (TEI '07). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 163-170. DOI=10.1145/1226969.1227004 http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1226969.1227004