The Use of Tangible User Interfaces in K12 Education Settings: A Systematic Mapping Study

Jose A Gallud,Habib M Fardoun,Maria D Lozano,Ricardo Tesoriero,Victor M R Penichet

doi:10.1109/access.2022.3154794

Jose A Gallud, Habib M Fardoun + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2022.3154794

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Abstract

Tangible User Interfaces have enriched and expanded the user experience when interacting with computers and smart devices. The monopoly of graphical user interfaces has been broken thanks to the emergence of new complementary technologies that allow for new ways of interacting with computer systems, such as tangible interaction, among others. Due to the scope and number of research articles addressing the Tangible User Interface that have been published, it can now be considered an interaction mechanism that is relatively mature and integrated within society. However, while the application of tangible interfaces in different areas is described as a success, there are only a limited number of research articles about their impact on education and learning systems. As a result, it is difficult to show the actual impact of Tangible User Interface technology in K12 education settings. This study tries to fill this gap by performing a systematic mapping study that shows the current state of research on the impact of this technology in these settings, analyzing the findings and identifying the main advances and limitations of this novel technology.

Highlights

T HE evolution of interactive systems has been driven by the proliferation of new devices and interaction mechanisms
WORK This systematic mapping study provides a structured understanding of the current state of Tangible User Interfaces in the K12 education stage
The contributions identified were analyzed with respect to: (1) current state of Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs); (1.1) the frequency of publication by year; (1.2) publication channels; (1.3) definitions of TUIs; (1.4) research method; (1.5) type of contribution; (1.6) education level and academic subject; (2) technologies to support TUIs; (3) impact on education; and (4) research opportunities

Summary

Introduction

T HE evolution of interactive systems has been driven by the proliferation of new devices and interaction mechanisms. Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) have gained a prominent position in this wide range of new devices and interaction mechanisms. Tangible User Interface (TUI) is a term originally proposed by Ishii and Ullmer in 1997 [2] with the aim of going beyond the traditional Graphical User Interface (GUI) and making computing truly ubiquitous and invisible, augmenting the real physical world by coupling digital information to everyday physical objects and environments. We present the definition and origin of Tangible User Interfaces, and we outline the adoption of this technology in education. The term Tangible User Interfaces (TUI) was firstly introduced in 1997 by Ishii and Ullmer in [2]. A tangible interface allows users to use their sense of touch to interact with computer systems. In just a couple of decades, the interest of the research community in this kind of interfaces has increased dramatically, as is shown by the number of publications containing this keyword

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