Interaction interfaces in interactive geometry software: are we exploring new devices and possibilities?

Abstract

Many research findings indicate that Interactive Geometry IG software is an effective tool to support geometry learning. Nevertheless, the various forms of interacting with this kind of software have not been widely investigated. As a first step towards bridging this gap, we carried out a literature review regarding the multiple types of interactions offered by GUI of IG software. We searched five digital libraries and collected 998 papers covering more than ten years 2004-2014 of research in the field. As a result we verified that: 1 most of the studies focused on desktop interfaces based on keyboard and mouse; 2 few efforts have been carried out on the design of IG software for devices with multitouch interfaces. By categorising the contributions of papers according to their goal and research approach we hope to organise the valuable contributions of the community and give directions for further research to build better GUI for IG software.