Abstract:

This paper reports our preliminary study that deals with supporting students’ collaborative learning in Operating System course using an interactive tabletop surface. Operating System was chosen in the project to represent a technical subject at university undergraduate level that involves understanding of abstract concepts.

The objective of the study is to investigate how students’ interactions could be used to influence the design of an interface on large display. For this investigation, a museum environment was used as a case study rather than a technical subject such as Operating System. This contrast in environment is thought to be necessary as to provide a basis for fun learning. The methods used in this investigation is a literature search, and an exploratory study on how students interact collaboratively using a tabletop surface to complete a general task.

It has been revealed in this investigation that:
(i) using tabletop for learning has been used and discussed generally for teaching and learning
(ii) presenting topics of a particular subject matter should be carefully considered in order to create a positive user experience during a learning process.

The study findings are useful in designing interfaces for technical subjects such as Operating System in a classroom setting. These findings could generate ideas on design considerations leading to addressing the main issues raised in the project.

Keywords:

Interactive tabletop surface, collaborative work, interaction, interface design.