TUI vs GUI: Comparing the learning benefits in kindergarten children.
Looking for new ways
to enable a thorough and consistent learning, we wanted to know at what
extent a tangible interface (TUI) is more efficient than a graphical
interface (GUI) in terms of teaching/learning. This project compares a
TUI and a GUI with the same content and it was carried with two groups
of kindergarten children aged 4 to 5 years. Group A, composed by
18 children, experienced the tangible interface. Group B, composed by 23
children, interacted with the graphical interface. After the
interaction children were asked to go in another room and draw what they
had seen. 
The children that interacted with the graphical interface drew mostly just the tooth with germs and sometimes the brush.

The drawings from the children that interacted with the tangible
interface are very complete and detailed. The majority of the children
drew themselves holding the toothbrush, they drew not only the tangible
objects but also the surrounding scenery, their friends or the other
children. Actually some of the drawings are so detailed, that someone,
who does not know the system setup can reconstruct it based on the
drawings.

(video) |