‘Guys, guys, guys, do you think this is important?’: a case study of successful remote collaborative problem-solving in two primary schools using multitouch technology

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study explores the interactions of two groups of three pupils, based on primary schools two hundred miles apart in the United Kingdom, working on the same history problem. Using information on a multi-touch table and communicating via a video link, the groups worked together to solve the problem by reading, evaluating and sharing clues using a flick gesture to construct a shared explanation within a history-based activity. Audio and visual data were recorded in both schools capturing the dialogue, gestures and interactions by both groups. Findings suggest that pupils shared their ideas intra-group by resizing clues on the screen; they also shared ideas inter-group by flicking clues between the schools. The intra- and inter-group talk was analysed to explore the construction of knowledge within and between the groups. The affordances and constraints of the multi-touch table and flick gesture both scaffolded and shaped the construction of knowledge. Building on Hakkarainen’s trialogical approach to learning, we suggest a ‘quadralogical’ approach that builds on the existing model and highlights the potential for remote collaboration between geographically distanced classrooms.