The effect of tangible interfaces on children's collaborative behaviour

The physical nature of the classroom means that children are continually divided into small groups. The present study examined collaboration on a story creation task using technologies believed to encourage and support collaborative behaviour. Four children used tangible technologies over three sessions. The technology consisted of a large visual display in which they could input content (using Personal Digital Assistants (Pda) and a scanner), record sounds (using RF-ID tags) and navigate around the environment using an arrangement of sensors called 'the magic carpet'. The children could then retell their story using bar-coded images and sounds. The three sessions were video recorded and analysed. Results indicate the importance of immediate feedback and visibility of action for effective collaboration to take place.