Experiences with the Mobile Interactive Learning Table: a custom table for education

Multi-touch technology on tabletop displays lets children interact with digital objects in collaborative and competitive ways. Multi-touch tables are not a part of classroom instruction because of high cost and lack of meaningful applications. This thesis explores possible solutions to building hardware and software that support the engagement of children. Outlined is a demonstration of our Mobile Interactive Learning Table (MILT), a custom hardware system that can be built for a cost well below current commercial implementations. Experiences with transporting the table to schools and similar settings are discussed, as well as proposed advantages to this do-it-yourself custom approach. Additionally, digital card games were created to encourage elementary and middle school student engagement in meaningful learning. Observations of children collaborating and competitively playing these games, and a comparison study comparing gameplay using different input devices were conducted.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Computer Science

Department dc:contributor.department

Computer Science

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2011

Author dc:creator

• Wilson, Gregory

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• McCrickard, D. Scott

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Pérez-Quiñones, Manuel A.
• Evans, Michael A.

• Human Computer Interaction
• Educational Technology
• Multi-touch
• Tabletop Display
• Games
• K-12

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

etd-12122011-155750

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/36090