This master’s thesis examines the concept of tangible user interfaces which connect the qualities of the physical and digital world. Due to their features, they can be used as cognitive artifacts and help present complex problems in a simpler way. In STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) learning, spatial cognition is vitally important. Spatial abilities of the general population, however, vary greatly. As research has shown tangible interfaces to improve spatial cognition, it was our aim to establish whether tangible interfaces can be used to help schoolchildren achieve better results in learning mathematics. With the help of an expert, a prototype of a tool with a tangible user interface was developed to help calculate surfaces of polygons. The tool was tested to determine its efficiency when compared to solving the problem through the pen-and-paper method, which is the current mode of learning in the school curriculum.
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