The Smart Tangible Manipulator, known colloquially as "The Quad," adds a new twist to prior research to add new ways to interact with digital materials in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Our goal is to bring a true physical dimension to the digital learning of graphics, increasing the accessibility of education for diverse learners. The focus of this project is to develop an inclusive tool for learning shapes that can be used in different educational contexts. The Quad leverages aspects of physical and virtual environments to support learners with a variety of educational backgrounds. 

The first prototype of The Quad is a quadrilateral because it serves as a simple basis for complex and foundational geometric properties. With The Quad, learners can explore angles and side lengths and their relationships to one another. A simulation is being developed in conjunction with the physical Quad to allow users to manipulate physical and virtual shapes in tandem, in both directions.

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This  material  is  based  upon  work  supported  by  the  National  Science Foundation under Grant No. 1644538. Any opinions,  findings  and  conclusions  or  recommendations  expressed  in  this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.