Activity pad: teaching tool combining tangible interaction and affordance of paper

In this paper, we describe the design process and early experiences of the Activity Pad, an interactive digital artifact for active learning environments. The pad combines a 4x6 grid of programmable NFC readers together with printed sheets of A4-sized paper to allow teacher-driven creation of interactive learning applications featuring application-specific tangibles. We describe iterative design process for this teaching tool, including mock-up prototypes, focus group discussions with teachers and the first complete prototype together with two example applications. Teachers were eager to innovate applications for the Activity Pad, and the feedback indicates the potential of this kind of teaching tool in diverse learning environments.