Multi-touch tables and collaborative learning

The development of multi‐touch tables, an emerging technology for classroom learning, offers valuable opportunities to explore how its features can be designed to support effective collaboration in schools. In this study, small groups of 10‐ to 11‐year‐old children undertook a history task where they had to connect various pieces of information about a mining accident to reach a consensus about who had been responsible. Their interaction using traditional resources was compared with their interaction when using a multi‐touch table. Analysis suggests that the design and capabilities of the multi‐touch technology offers some key features that supported the collaboration and interaction of the participants, particularly in the early stages of the task. Some of these features appear to provide new opportunities for collaboration and interaction, which were different from the interactions observed in the paper‐based groups. These features of the multi‐touch surface therefore appear to support effective interaction between the pupils. Practitioner Notes What is already known about this topic • Research suggests that collaborative interaction supports learning. • Features such as the nature of the task and the social interaction influence these outcomes. What this paper adds • This paper looks specifically at the possibilities when a large multi‐touch table is used to support collaboration. • It compares paper‐based and multi‐touch versions of the same activity involving school pupils. Implications for practice and/or policy • Multi‐touch surfaces can support collaborative interaction. • The initial stages of the task were significantly different. • Pupils should be encouraged to reach a consensus about what they have to do and how they are going to do it as well as encouraged to produce a joint solution.