Understanding Tabletop Territories in Tangible and Screen-Based Game Play

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: Informal Learning Environments Research SIG Poster Session (San Diego)

Abstract

In this work, we present preliminary findings from a qualitative analysis of children playing the iPad game, Osmo Coding. We compare how pairs collaborate while playing both tangible and screen-based versions of the game. We describe how the tangible version of the game supports a more equitable distribution of game artifacts and children’s interaction with them. In particular, we describe how children were able to use their bodies and tangible game artifacts to create tabletop territories. These territories facilitated independent game exploration, storing rejected game strategies, and other forms of collaboration that were not possible in the screen-based version of the game. Finally, we discuss our inductive coding scheme, and future plans for quantitative analysis.

Authors

• Ayse Hunt, Northwestern University

• Mmachi God'sglory Obiorah, University of Richmond

• Michael S. Horn, Northwestern University