Collaborative Learning on Multi-Touch Interfaces: Scaffolding Elementary School Students

Abstract

Multi-touch interfaces allow for direct and simultaneous input by several co-present learners. Additional scaffolding may or may not be needed to ease or problematize tasks that involve intuitive bodily experiences. In this study, a tablet app (“Proportion”) is supposed to enable two novices (about 10 years old) to collaboratively construct an understanding of proportional relations. In a 2×2 factorial design (n = 162), effects of facilitating strategy prompts (with / without) and problematizing verbalization prompts (with / without) regarding the variables task focus, emotions, quality of dialogue and learning gains have been investigated. While the strategy prompts did not have any significant influence, the verbalization prompts had versatile effects: On one hand, quality of talk was improved, on the other hand, task focus and emotions were negatively affected. Learning gains were limited to near transfer task types and comparable over conditions.