Facilitating Collaborative Learning Between Two Primary Schools Using Large Multi-Touch Devices

McNaughton, J.; Crick, T.; Joyce-Gibbons, A.; Beauchamp, G.; Young, N.; Tan, E.

Abstract

This paper presents a technical case study and the associated research software/hardware underpinning an educational research trial in which large touchscreen interfaces were used to facilitate collaborative interactions between primary school students at separate locations. As part of the trial, an application for supporting a collaborative classroom activity was created which allowed students at either location to transfer resources to the students at the other via a ‘flick’ gesture. The trial required several novel innovations to the existing SynergyNet software framework to enable it to support synchronous remote collaboration. The innovations enabled the first successful classroom collaboration activities between two separate locations within the United Kingdom using large touchscreen interfaces. This paper details the challenges encountered in implementing these innovations and their solutions.

Citation

McNaughton, J., Crick, T., Joyce-Gibbons, A., Beauchamp, G., Young, N., & Tan, E. (2017). Facilitating Collaborative Learning Between Two Primary Schools Using Large Multi-Touch Devices. Journal of Computers in Education, 4, 307–320. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40692-017-0081-x

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 4, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Mar 14, 2017
• Publication Date: 2017-09
• Deposit Date: Mar 21, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 22, 2017
• Journal: Journal of Computers in Education
• Print ISSN: 2197-9987
• Electronic ISSN: 2197-9995
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 4
• Pages: 307–320
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40692-017-0081-x
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1382455