Interaction Techniques on Talk Patterns in Collaborative Peer Learning around Interactive Tables

Sriram Subramanian

University of Bristol

Wednesday, August 10^th 2011

Sala Acquario, FBK-irst, Povo

Foot, wall and tabletop surfaces are gaining in popularity as more and more environments integrate them as part of their interactive systems. The motivation for such interactive systems has always been their ability to promote collaboration and support walk-up-and-use interactions. Particularly in school settings tabletop systems are claimed to promote face-to-face group interaction, equal access to content and improved awareness for coordination and shared understanding. We put these ideas to test by examining the impact of particular tabletop interaction techniques on the patterns of conversation in collaborative learning. In this talk I will present the research findings from our lab in a study we carried out with school children from the Bristol region.