Tracking 3D puzzle pieces for collaborative learning environments

  • Authors:
  • Lori L. Scarlatos;Saira Qureshi;Shalva S. Landy

  • Affiliations:
  • Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY;Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY;CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY

  • Venue:
  • ACM SIGGRAPH 2002 conference abstracts and applications
  • Year:
  • 2002

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Abstract

Children naturally learn about their world by manipulating objects within it. Playing with blocks and puzzles helps to develop their understanding of spatial relationships and other mathematical concepts. Using physical objects also allows them to work and learn in groups. Yet sometimes they need outside intervention from an adult or knowledgeable guide to help them learn more and stay engaged longer. Unfortunately, instructors often have too many students to give each one adequate attention. Our work focuses on developing computer-based "guides on the side" that can "watch" as children play with physical puzzles, and offer help or suggestions as needed. Our approach is to use the physical puzzle pieces as parts of a tangible interface. With our system, children are free to explore and collaborate without a computer, yet they can benefit from the computer's instruction as they need it. We have successfully implemented and tested a 2D Tangram puzzle using this approach [Scarlatos 2002].