IntroductionIn the last two decades, there have been massive investments in the development in the use of technology for learning in institutions. This has been motivated by the need to develop teaching and learning processes through the use of technology. A traditional teaching approach involves face AbstractTraditional classrooms involve the use of face-to-face interaction and a whiteboard or projector, but the inabilities to micro manage the environment between the teaching staff and the student calls for a need for a smart interactive learning environment. The aim of this work is to develop evidence and experiments for an architecture for a smart learning environment. This paper discusses the design and implementation of integrating haptic technologies into the architecture of a smart learning environment by designing components of service oriented software middleware that defines a common gesture framework. The study utilised a software test-bed to confirm the feasibility of the architectural design based on the proposed framework. The results indicated that the new structural design allows multiple haptic and gesture peripherals to share a common protocol, as well as, facilitate individual devices to work and exist as standalone entities within the ambient setting to enhance collaborative learning.

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