Designing tangibles for learning: An empirical investigation

无线和传感器技术的最新发展使计算能力嵌入到物体和环境中成为可能。这些对象和位置可以以多种不同的方式联网在一起，并且可以链接到各种形式的数字表示，例如屏幕显示上的图像或动画、声音、甚至对象本身的变化。例如，流程块是嵌入传感器技术的块。当这些积木连接在一起时，光信号会通过它们发送出去，帮助孩子们探索不同的流动模式。以这种方式将物理对象和现实世界环境与数字增强相结合，为学习者提供了以新的方式探索物理或科学现象的机会，使他们能够获得通常在物理世界中无法获得的信息。几项研究证明了这种“有形环境”的技术可能性，但人们对它们的特殊学习价值知之甚少。我们现在已经达到了这样一个点，对学习益处进行更系统的调查对于指导未来学习有形技术的开发和使用是至关重要的，特别是为了更清楚地了解将对象、环境和信息连接在一起的不同方式对学习者与科学思想的交互和理解的方式的影响。为了实现这一点，已经开发了一个研究框架，它识别有形人工制品和相关表现的设计特征，即将信息和科学现象的表现与对象和施加在这些对象上的操作相联系的不同方式。有形的人工制品和表现形式将被设计、开发和链接，以帮助学生学习生物主题，如遗传学，或物理主题，如力和运动。例如，在通过减数分裂了解遗传多样性时，染色体可以被表示为由不同材料创造的物体，例如，颜色编码的块或感觉更脆弱的物质，很容易连接和断开。当连接在一起时，连接的染色体的交叉或基因重组可以通过改变颜色编码的片段显示在人工制品本身中，或者作为相邻屏幕上的动画显示，或者确实两者兼而有之。学生可以从与客体-动作关系相关的不同表征中得出什么样的推论和结论？不同材料的“建造”活动或有形是否有助于推论/理解？一小群学生将使用这些有形物品，并被鼓励谈论他们在移动物体时认为正在发生的事情，看到或听到他们的行动产生的数字效果。实证研究的数据将被分析，以探索不同的设计变量对交互和认知的影响。调查结果将被用来制定初步指导方针，以指导设计有效地整合技术和表现形式，以发展切实的学习环境。然后将对一个示例环境进行评估，以评估其对学生学习的影响，并验证设计指南。这项研究将提供对有形物质和相关表征的学习益处的迫切需要的洞察，以及特定类型学习的人工制品和表征的有效整合。这将有助于制定有形学习技术的设计准则，以及如何将有形学习融入教学，以加强学习和有效的教学实践。

Recent developments in wireless and sensor technologies make it possible for computational power to be embedded in objects and the environment. These objects and locations can be networked together in a number of different ways, and can be linked to various forms of digital representation, such as an image or animation on a screen display, a sound, or even a change in the object itself. For example, Flow Blocks are blocks embedded with sensor technology. When the blocks are connected together light signals are sent through them, to help children to explore different models of flow. Combining physical objects and real world environments with digital enhancement in this way offers the opportunity for learners to explore physical or scientific phenomena in new ways, giving them access to information not normally available in the physical world. Several research studies demonstrate the technical possibilities of such 'tangible environments', but little is known about their particular value for learning. We have now reached a point where more systematic investigation of the learning benefits is essential for guiding future development and use of tangible technologies for learning, and in particular to understand more clearly the impact of different ways of linking together objects, environments and information, on the way that learners interact with and understand scientific ideas.To achieve this a research framework has been developed, which identifies design characteristics of tangible artefacts and related representations i.e., the different ways of linking information and representations of scientific phenomena to objects and actions placed upon those objects. Tangible artefacts and representations will be designed, developed and linked to help students learning about biology topics, such as genetics, or physics topics, such as forces and motion. For example, in understanding genetic diversity through meiosis, chromosomes could be represented as objects created from different materials e.g., colour-coded blocks or a substance that feels more fragile which easily connects and disconnects. When joined together crossovers, or genetic recombination, of the joined chromosomes could be shown, either in the artefacts themselves through changes of colour-coded segments, or as an animation on an adjacent screen, or indeed both. What kind of inferences and conclusions can students draw from the different kind of representations associated with the object-action relationship? Does the 'construction' activity or the tangibility of different materials facilitate inferences/ understanding? Small groups of students will work with the tangibles and be encouraged to talk about what they think is happening when they move objects around, see or hear digital effects produced by their actions. Data from empirical studies will be analysed to explore the impact of different design variables on interaction and cognition. Findings will be used to derive preliminary guidelines to inform the design of effective integration of technologies and representations to develop a tangible learning environment. An example environment will then be evaluated to assess its impact on student learning, and to verify the design guidelines. This research will provide much needed insight into the learning benefits of tangibles and associated representations, and the effective integration of artefacts and representations for particular kinds of learning. This will inform the development of design guidelines for tangible technologies for learning, and ways in which tangible learning can be integrated into teaching to enhance learning and effective pedagogical practice.