Campus researchers build multi-touch display technology for true collaborative learning
Researchers from Monash University’s Berwick School of Information Technology have re-imagined the use of multi-touch technology to enable true collaborative learning for students. Led by Dr Michael Morgan and Matthew Butler, with software development from current and former Bachelor of Information Technology and Systems (Multimedia Applications) students, the team has built a large-scale multi-touch display table and is designing software that supports multiple users.
Put simply, the 1.3m x 1m table is like a giant iphone that allows four students to perform group work on a shared space. Students use their fingers to select, manipulate, move, draw, type and operate programs on the display as a user would a touch phone or touch screen computer.
“This technology has been demonstrated before but not in a classroom. Our students do many group projects and this is a great way for them to truly collaborate, particularly for concept mapping and storyboarding,” explains Dr Morgan.
Motivation for the project began when the researchers and their colleagues recognised a need for students working in groups to have a shared computer-based workspace.
“At this point in time, collaboration had required students to discuss concepts together but move to individual computers to continue work missing out on the true dialogue that occurs when working face-to-face,” said Mr Butler.
With most software designed for the conventional one person PC platform, the team has had to rethink application and interface design to support multiple users and truly facilitate strong collaborative work practices. A number of different collaborative software applications are being developed that will showcase the technology and its broad potential. These include:
• a Concept Mapping application to allow project groups to brainstorm ideas
• a Storyboarding application to allow groups to develop storyboards for video and web projects
• a Phonics education application
• small collaborative applications involving drawing and annotation.
To find out more about the multimedia applications major at Berwick, click here.
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