Towards a teacher-centric approach for multi-touch surfaces in classrooms

Abstract

The potential of tabletops to enable simultaneous interaction and face-to-face collaboration can provide novel learning opportunities. Despite significant research in the area of collaborative learning around tabletops, little attention has been paid to the integration of multi-touch surfaces into classroom layouts and how to employ this technology to facilitate teacher-learner dialogue and teacher-led activities across multi-touch surfaces. While most existing techniques focus on the collaboration between learners, this work aims to gain a better understanding of practical challenges that need to be considered when integrating multi-touch surfaces into classrooms. It presents a multi-touch interaction technique, called TablePortal, which enables teachers to manage and monitor collaborative learning on students' tables. Early observations of using the proposed technique within a novel classroom consisting of networked multi-touch surfaces are discussed. The aim was to explore the extent to which our design choices facilitate teacher-learner dialogue and assist the management of classroom activity.

Using IMUs to Identify Supervisors on Touch Devices

“…With the emergence of affordable tablet and tabletop computers, there has been an increased interest in deploying large numbers of single-and multi-user devices in classroom environments [2], [8], [13], [14], [16], [19], [20]. The support of teacher orchestration of the classroom has repeatedly been identified as a key challenge [2], [13], [19].…”

“…The support of teacher orchestration of the classroom has repeatedly been identified as a key challenge [2], [13], [19]. Teachers are often provided with remote monitoring and control tools and the ability to project the content of one of the devices to a large classroom display.…”

“…This approach may be facilitated by providing the teacher with a dedicated device [2], [16], [19], [20]. However, confining acts of orchestration to a single, static device [ 2] fails to recognize the real nature of teaching a class, which involves dynamic engagements with the whole group, sub-groups and individuals [27], [32].…”

“…However, confining acts of orchestration to a single, static device [ 2] fails to recognize the real nature of teaching a class, which involves dynamic engagements with the whole group, sub-groups and individuals [27], [32]. Alternative proposals include the provision of orchestration functionalities on a teacher's hand -held device such as a tablet [19], [20].…”

“…However, the same approach applies to the other settings and for other touch devices such as interactive boards, tabletops, laptops and other devices with interactive screens. In order to leverage the full benefits that tablets can offer in a classroom setting, a teacher or classroom assistant will often need to override the settings on a student's device and initiate machine-level or even classroom-level effects such as projecting the work of one student onto the class whiteboard or gaining temporary Internet a ccess [2], [8], [13], [14], [19]. Imagine the following scenario: a student has shown an interesting approach to solving a problem which the teacher wants to share with other students.…”