LEMA as a digital object manipulation learning environment

Abstract

The Learning Environment on Mathematics for Autistic Children (LEMA) is a digital mathematical learning environment with modalities of dynamic adaptations of the proposed activities having in consideration the user’s profile. Training Sessions with special teachers highlighted the need to add new technologies to LEMA. Following this line of thought it would be of great educational value the incorporation of a tabletop technology in LEMA. Among several major tabletop hardware, we have opted by the use of Kinects with a multi-touch tabletop system which can detect all the movements of the user making the human body as a remote control to assist the human computer interaction allowing the manipulation of simple objects connected with the scope of the embodied learning activities. In this paper, we will explain the several phases to the integration of this new technology in LEMA, giving special emphasis to the pedagogical framework underlying the adaptations of the incorporated math activities.