CITE: Collaborate Interactive Table for Education

Abstract

We have developed CITE (the Collaborative Interactive Tabletop for Education), which is a tangible user interface (TUI) that allows users to physically interact with data. Specifically, it allows users to manipulate on-screen data visualizations through the manipulation of hand-held tabletop objects. The system includes sound and touch features that considers users with visual impairments. Research has shown that TUI, such as CITE, enhance collaborative behavior, strengthen learning, and improve user experience. Unlike other systems of the same kind (such as the Microsoft Surface Hub 2 that starts at $3500), our model avoids using specialized hardware, making the technology adaptable and affordable. We constructed a prototype for CITE using commodity hardware and open-license software, and we created a website where we posted detailed instructions and links to our software so that anyone can build it.