Understanding children's interactions in synchronous shared environments

Traditional computer technology offers limited support for face-to-face, synchronous collaboration. As a result, children who wish to collaborate using computers must adapt their interactions to the single-user paradigm most personal computers are based on. More recently, co-located groupware systems offering support for concurrent, multi-user interactions around a shared display have become technologically feasible. Unlike traditional groupware systems that provide multi-user interaction through the use of separate computers, these systems share the physical workspace, as well as the virtual workspace. These systems provide a unique mechanism through which children can interact with each other. However, ways to best utilize the technology in this manner has not been fully evaluated. This paper investigates how technological support for children’s synchronous interactions facilitates their collaborative activities. In particular, we examined whether a shared workspace facilitates the development of a shared understanding during a computer-based collaborative activity. We present a field study that observed pairs of children playing an educational game in several display configurations. The findings from this research suggest strengths and weaknesses of various types of support for synchronous interactions and discusses issues related to the design and development of more effective computer systems to support children’s face-to-face interactions.