Supporting offline activities on interactive surfaces

Abstract

This paper argues that inherent support for offline activities -activities that are not sensed by the system -is one of strongest benefits of tangible interaction over more traditional interface paradigms. By conducting two studies with single and paired users on a simple tangible tabletop scheduling application, this paper explores how tabletop interfaces could be designed to better support such offline activities. To focus its exploration, it looks at offline activities in terms of how they support cognitive work, such as aiding exploration of problem spaces or lowering task complexity. This paper concludes with insights relating to the form, size, and location for spaces that afford offline actions, and also the design of tangible tokens themselves.

A Meta-Analysis of Tangible Learning Studies from the TEI Conference

“…Some other valuable research areas, such as TUI for teachers, TUIs' social and emotional impacts on students, develop the meaning and metaphor of tangible interaction. A multimodal approach to examining 'embodiment' in tangible learning environments 2013 RA ✓ C [96] The digital dream lab: tabletop puzzle blocks for exploring programmatic concepts 2013 RA C [11] FireFlies: physical peripheral interaction design for the everyday routine of primary school teachers 2013 RA ✓ C [7] Comparing Motor-Cognitive Strategies for Spatial Problem Solving with Tangible and Multi-Touch Interfaces 2013 RA + [127] From big data to insights: opportunities and challenges for TEI in genomics 2013 RA + [34] On interface closeness and problem solving 2013 RA + [39] Supporting offline activities on interactive surfaces 2013 RA + [40] Physical…”

“…Moreover, the material texture was another factor that was considered for TUI design. Some studies [22,39,142] used 2D icons and labels or even 3D shapes [23,117] to distinguish different tangibles. However, Tactile Letters [42] explored the design space of materials by using different textures to help users distinguish different tangible letters for learning to read.…”