The problem / intent

Natural, face to face, discourse makes extensive use of physical artefacts: we gesture towards objects that mediate the activity to which the discussion refers. This dimension of human interaction is often lost in computerized interfaces.

The context

This pattern is relevant to computerized interfaces which allow learners to converse about a common activity.

Mathematical content	Any
Learning and instruction	participatory; Theory of Instruments of Semiotic Mediation
Educational context	collaborative learning
Games	games as social activities: computer-mediated, multi-player; game as media: taken for granted in physical media, such as Board game or Augmented Reality but should extend to Computer game, Video game and Handhelds
Interface + interaction	accessibility: both a challenge and a potential for people with disabilities. Need to make sure that the conversation medium, and specifically the objects used in conversation are accessible to all.
Software design	Platform typically mixed media. Personalisation should allow users as much flexibility as possible in bringing in their artefacts.

The pattern

Learning activities involve the use or construction of artefacts. When providing tools for learners to discuss their experience, either as part of the activity or at a reflective meta-level, allow them to easily include these artefacts in the scope of their discussion. If the activity is mediated by or aims to produce digital artefacts, then the discussion medium should allow embedding of these artefacts. Whatever the nature of the objects, the medium should support a visual (graphical, symbolic, animated or simulated) 1:1 representation of these objects.

Related patterns

Leads to: Task in a box, Active worksheet, Mathematical game-pieces
Follows: Soft scaffolding, Narrative spaces
Elaborates:
Elaborated by:

Notes

Examples

• In Guess my robot players exchange ToonTalk objects as challenges and responses. These objects then participate in the players' on-going discourse, during the game and Post ludus.
  

References

• Gerry Stahl and Alan Zemel and Johann Sarmiento and Murat Cakir and Stephen Weimar and Martin Wessner and Martin Mühlpfordt (2006), Shared referencing of mathematical objects in chat presented at the International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS 2006), 2006.