TanISe - Tangible Interface for Self-regulation

The TanISe tool will guide the pupils to learn how to manage their activity without feeling stressed, in a fun and interactive way. Time-management, balanced volume of discussions and better thinking will make any activity a win-win situation for the whole class !

This tangible tool aims to help learn self-regulation in school activities, with or without teacher support. TanISe allows the student to control the programming of 4 characteristics of an activity:

• the duration of the activity,
• the work mode (alone, in pairs, in group) and thus set an acceptable decibel threshold of 50dB(A), 60dB(A) and 70dB(A) respectively which can be modified by the teacher,
• the number of questions the student can ask to the teacher,
• the level of work autonomy during the activity.

These characteristics are represented by totems that can be manipulated and whose aesthetic, based on analogies with objects/symbols familiar to children, reinforces the tangible character. TanISe is developed by the **Perseus Laboratory **(https://perseus.univ-lorraine.fr/) of the University of Lorraine and supported by the Direction de Région Académique du Numérique pour l'Éducation (DRANE).

Contacts:

• Stéphane Faedda | stephane.faedda@univ-lorraine.fr
• J. M. Christian Bastien | christian.bastien@univ-lorraine.fr
• Stéphanie Fleck | stephanie.fleck@univ-lorraine.fr

TanISe can be used in any context of teaching activity for the preparation, the teaching and the assessment of the activity. There are two stages:

Stage “learning activity preparation” During this stage, the students are invited to set up the totems. Using RFID technology, a reader under the active base reads the code of a translucent transponder embedded in the base of each totem. Positioned on the active base, the reading of the code activates the function, allowing the different preparation phases to be programmed. To do this, the user interacts with a touch screen in order to (1) program the duration of the activity with the timer totem, (2) select the working mode with the modality and sound totem, and (3) define the number of questions with the questions totem. In addition to the touch screen, a number of additional LEDsare integrated into the interface to provide feedback. For example, if the user activates the timer function, a circular string of LEDs around the screen will light up according to the time selected (e.g. 30 minutes equates to half the string being lit). Similarly, when the questions totem is positioned on the active base, feedback is displayed on the touch screen. The user is asked for the number of tokens available, accompanied by an animation encouraging the user to place the tokens on the arc of autonomy. Similar to the shape of a rainbow, this arc allows the tokens to be attached via magnets on one side, and an LED on the other lights up when a token is positioned (maximum of 10 LEDs for 10 tokens).

Stage “learning activity” Once the preparation phase has been completed and the three modes have been programmed, the student can start the activity phase. When the totem is placed on the active base, the timer starts with double feedback: the circular LED train and the duration on the screen. In addition, the students can use a virtual cursor to assess their level of autonomy in the task. Based on the colours commonly used and familiar to students and teachers (green, yellow, orange, red), this cursor, similar to a Likert scale, indicates that the student can complete the task either (1) alone and quickly (green), (2) alone but with time to spare (yellow), (3) alone while trying to overcome the difficulties (orange), (4) with the help of a peer (red). However, in each of these levels of autonomy, the student can always ask for help via the question tokens. There are two ways of doing this: they can respond to messages on the interface asking if help is needed when the virtual cursor is positioned on the red or orange levels, or they can remove a token directly without going through one of these levels. As a result, when a token is withdrawn, the intensity of the LEDs in the autonomy arc fluctuates more or less rapidly according to the waiting time. Finally, if the noise threshold is about to be exceeded, the mechanism, controlled by a geared motor, closes halfway to signal to the user that the noise level is too high. However, if the threshold is exceeded, the mechanism closes. Time continues to run, but the pupil no longer has the opportunity to call for help until quiet returns.