Paper-top interface for supporting note-taking and its preliminary experiment

Paper-top interface (PTI) is a fusion of paper and digital technology and proposes a new note-taking style in the digital age. We developed a PTI prototype system for supporting student note-taking in a classroom. The prototype system uses a visual-marker-based AR (Augmented Reality) technique and projects e-Learning materials onto the corresponding papers on a classroom desk. A student is allowed to not only view e-Learning materials under his/her eyes but also write on the papers (pages of his/per notebook) using pencils (and/or pens). The advantages of the PTI are easy annotation, quick navigation, flexible spatial layout, and intuitive interaction, which are necessary for effective and efficient note-taking. To know how the PTI influences note-taking and learning effect in comparison with other learning styles, we conducted a preliminary experiment where participants were divided into four groups: traditional notebook, paper handout, tablet PC-based annotatable digital slide, and the PTI. The experimental results revealed that the PTI is not inferior to traditional learning styles and can be used in a classroom.