Bringing tabletop technology to all: evaluating a tangible farm game with kindergarten and special needs children

The tangible interaction approach has in recent years become a promising alternative to multitouch tabletops for very young children. Children learning with tangible user interfaces can benefit from the same pedagogical values as learning with materials in physical play. The NIKVision tabletop and games have been designed to provide leisure and fun while reinforcing physical manipulation and co-located gaming for young children (3- to 6-year-olds). Interaction is provided in NIKVision by the handling of conventional toys and computer augmentation on a table surface. First of all, the paper sets out the results of a summative evaluation carried out in nurseries and schools summarising the performance of the tabletop in terms of usability, user experience and physical and co-located gaming. Secondly, the paper presents an evaluation carried out in a special education school with children with cognitive disabilities, in an attempt to widen the range of possible beneficiaries of tangible interfaces. The challenge in this case is to ensure children’s comprehension of the game and to adequately combine feedback on the application with teacher interventions. In fact, the initial results reinforce the idea of not trying to substitute but rather to assist teachers and emphasise the possibilities offered by the tabletop as a tool to promote student autonomy.