Design Brief: This is a design case defining a shift in teaching methodology. On exploring the different teaching methods adapted by teachers in Indian schools, lack of interactivity and increasing disinterest was exposed. In order to overcome this, the focus was to introduce a fun and interactive environment in schools while visualizing the 3D solid shapes during blackboard teaching sessions. The target audience was middle school children and the aim was to teach 3D shapes such as cube, cuboid and cylinder using TUI (Tangible user interface). The design constituted of tokens with fiducial markers, which were used as educational tools on interacting with the tabletop interface. The outcome of the design motivated students for viewing, sharing & presenting the concepts behind the 3D shapes.
Contextual Inquiry
Affinity Analysis
Brainstorming
Task Flow
The topic of exploration were following-
a) Learning how the 3D solids are formed and the exploded view of cube, cuboids and cylinder. On placing cube / cuboid/ cylinder, the respective video tutorial is played.
b) What does volume mean? How is it calculated for the respective 3D solids? Placing the sides of a cuboid one by one forms the cuboid on the screen. Similarly cube and cylinder is formed
c) What does surface area mean? How is it calculated for the solids? When the token: cube/cuboid/cylinder is rotated on the tabletop change in length & Breadth is seen which implies change in volume
d) Evaluation test to check how much have the participants understood. When the token with the question is placed on the tabletop the hint appears. On moving towards right hand side, two more hints appear one by one
a) Learning how the 3D solids are formed and the exploded view of cube, cuboids and cylinder. On placing cube / cuboid/ cylinder, the respective video tutorial is played.
b) What does volume mean? How is it calculated for the respective 3D solids? Placing the sides of a cuboid one by one forms the cuboid on the screen. Similarly cube and cylinder is formed
c) What does surface area mean? How is it calculated for the solids? When the token: cube/cuboid/cylinder is rotated on the tabletop change in length & Breadth is seen which implies change in volume
d) Evaluation test to check how much have the participants understood. When the token with the question is placed on the tabletop the hint appears. On moving towards right hand side, two more hints appear one by one
Physical Prototype
The research conducted with middle school students & teachers encouraged us to come up with a methodology, which involves interactive activities. Eventually, a set of tokens divided in a module of four was designed to teach properties of cube, cuboid and cylinder. The physical connection of the 2D study that they have been doing since years was implemented through this design. The design introduced fun in learning through physical interaction, scope of improvement is present and the content can be extended
To read in detail please refer below
Publication: Ukil. M., Sorathia. K., Re-defining learning experience for kids in IEEE Tech Symposium 2014
Link: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6808050/\reload=true&tp=&arnumber=6808050&queryText%3Dmoupiya%20ukil
Link: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6808050/\reload=true&tp=&arnumber=6808050&queryText%3Dmoupiya%20ukil
