Multimodality and learning: linking science to everyday activities S. Anastopoulou, M. Sharples, C. Baber

This paper focuses on the role of multimodal systems in education. The importance of using multiple modalities in communicating information while learning has been recently acknowledged by educationalists. Multimodal human-computer interaction for learning tasks could be an alternative path to pioneering effective computer aided learning. Multimodal technology could offer new opportunities to learn from everyday activities in the classroom. The act of moving the hand, for example, could lead to interesting conclusions about hand's displacement and its graphical representation. However, there are several challenges that multimodal technology faces: it is not only a matter of how and when the system will present information to the user, but also where the learner would need support (educational content), what activities would keep them engaged. The paper will report a study aimed to explore these issues empirically