- LEarninG and tHinkinG witH tHinGs (^) | 135
Here’s a walkthrough of how the interactions might work:
• Placing one of these knobs onto the surface of the iPad would pro-
duce a glowing ring and the number 1.
• Adding a second knob in close proximity would make this ring
larger, encircling both knobs (and changing the number to 2 ).
• Let’s suppose you added a third knob farther away, which would
create a new ring with the corresponding number 1.
• Now you have two rings, one totaling 2 , the other totaling 1. If you
slide the lone knob close to the first two, you’d end up now with
one ring, totaling 3. In this manner, and as you start to add more
knobs (the iPad supports up to 10 , double that of other platforms),
you start to learn about grouping.
• In this case, the learning is quite concrete, with the idea of numeric
representations being the only abstract concept. You could then
switch to an addition mode that would add up the total of however
many groups of knobs are on the surface.
I could go on, but you get the idea. By simply placing and moving knobs
on a surface the child begins to play with fundamental math concepts.
As of this writing, we have proven out the functional technology, but
have yet to test this with children. Although the app I’m describing
could be built very quickly, my fundamental thesis is that by making
these knobs something you can grasp, place, slide, move, remove, and
so on, learning will be multimodal and superior to simply dragging flat
circles behind glass.
How does this stack up on the five principles?
As with the earlier Teddy Grahams version, it is interactive and tangi-
ble. Moving this game to a tablet device allows for self-directed learn-
ing and feedback loops in the form of the rings and numerical values.
As far as intelligence goes, there is no limit to the kinds of data one
could program the iPad to monitor and act upon.
So where might this thinking lead, one day?
nandana
(Nandana)
#1