conceptualising tangibles to support learning
We present a new way of conceptualising tangibles for learning. This scheme adopts Heidegger's analysis of the ways a user can treat a tool: either as 'ready-to-hand' or 'present-at-hand'. It also proposes two types of activity a learner can engage in when using a tangible: either exploratory or expressive activity. Finally, two types of models that a user can explore are proposed: theoretical and practical models.Examples from the literature are described in terms of this framework and an example is given from our own work of an attempt to use this conceptualisation in design.
conceptualisation tangible learning external cognition embodied interaction