Abstract:

This paper introduces the concept of Distributed Interactive Whiteboard (DIWB) as conceived in the research project named "Interactive Telepresence for Social-Educational Inclusion", which is in development at the Estácio de Sá University. In the context of this research, the DIWB is defined as an interactive whiteboard in which all participants in the teaching-learning processes – teachers, students, and other possible members of the community – may interact with the whiteboard, having them local or remotely located. The local classroom becomes a metaverse - a collective virtual shared space, created by physical and remote spaces, including interactions with telepresence rooms, mixed reality and Internet. The metaverse has the main instance of the DIWB. Telepresence rooms prepared to people with special needs (PSN) have theirs own remote DIWB instances. Any participant having a gadget such as a notebook or tablet may also interact with the DIWB since it is connected with the DIWB server. Virtual objects from mixed reality and multimedia resources may also be added to the DIWB from the teacher, or any other participant, so to enlarge the abstractions possibilities of the discussed subject. These aspects of the DIWB with other features – such as distributing desks in U, circle or leaf format – favors a more student centered approach as proposed by Rogers (1974, 2001) and a more socialized experience, as proposed by Vygotsky (1996).

Keywords:

Interactive Whiteboard, Telepresence, Social-Educational Inclusion, Mixed Reality.