URL: http://shareitproject.org/26

OVERVIEW
This workshop brings together educators, engineers, and researchers from diverse backgrounds who have a mutual interest in collaborative learning with interactive surfaces. Because they allow multiple users to interact concurrently, new interactive surfaces (tabletops, whiteboards, etc.) have an unprecedented potential to support co- located collaborative learning. As commercial hardware becomes available and software tools mature, research on these technologies need no longer be confined to technologists.

This workshop will familiarize participants with the current state of interactive surfaces, connect them with current leaders in the field, and prepare them for starting or refining their own research agenda. The workshop will culminate in planning tangible outcomes that may include grant proposals, a special journal issue, or an edited book on the topic.

The target participants are educators, engineers, and researchers from the Learning Sciences (LS) and Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) communities interested in building, implementing, and evaluating interactive surfaces for learning and work.

FORMAT
The research space on collaborative learning with interactive surfaces is vast and still largely unexplored. To cover this space, the workshop will use the Open Space Technology method to flexibly divide the workshop into smaller groups based on attendee interest. Thus, we can support participants from diverse backgrounds (educators, instructional designers, psychologists, ethnographers, computer scientists, etc.) and diverse interests (laboratory studies, classroom integration, museum use, etc.). All are welcome.

The goal of the workshop is both to inform and to build connections  between attendees. Breakout sessions will be led by current leaders in the field and will encourage audience participation through discussion and hands on demonstrations. Based on the interest of participants, "birds of a feather" discussion groups will meet in parallel.

APPLYING FOR PARTICIPATION
Due to space considerations, people interested in participating should  express their interest by 16 April 2010. Participants can either apply as presenters, requiring a 2-page abstract, or as attendees. For details on applying for participation, see the website: http://shareitproject.org/26

ORGANIZERS
* Michael A. Evans, Department of Learning Sciences & Technologies, Virginia Tech, mae@vt.edu
URL: http://www.colab.soe.vt.edu/itemL/

* Jochen "Jeff" Rick, Department of Computing, Open University, j.rick@open.ac.uk
URL: http://www.je77.com/research

An online copy of this CFP and up-to-date details of the workshop, including a list of presenters and titles for their presentations, can be found on the website: http://shareitproject.org/26