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The World's Largest Touchscreen

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the i-seen-bigger dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The University of Groningen, in the Netherlands, has converted a 3D theater into the world's largest touchscreen, used for teaching mathematics and computer science students interactivity. The screen has a curvature of 135 degrees and is transparent."

16 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. Distraction? by yeshuawatso · · Score: 2

    Will a giant touch screen computer actually teach or be more of a distraction? I have a hard time believing that one could actually increase mathematical skills by learning on the worlds largest iPod Touch. Something about sitting down with a pencil and paper and working out math problems still seems to be the best way to learn. Maybe I'm just too old school.

    1. Re:Distraction? by Desler · · Score: 2

      This just in: Some people may learn better using different methods than yourself.

    2. Re:Distraction? by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This just in, Technology is over-hyped in education.

      I'm in education, and I see technology being employed simply for technology's sake.

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    3. Re:Distraction? by ahecht · · Score: 2

      If you go to the source at http://www.rug.nl/cit/hpcv/nieuws/touchscreen1 you will see that it wasn't created for teaching math at all (the blogspam linked from the story seems to have made that up). According to RUG: "the initial goal was to facilitate the scientists studying Geographic Information Systems and a research group that studies interaction methods for touch screens" GIS is a perfect application for this technology.

    4. Re:Distraction? by yeshuawatso · · Score: 2

      I agree, but a clearer question would be : will the cost of setting up a giant touch screen to teach a few students provide a return on investment? The only way I can see this occurring is if the CS students collectively built the device for future students. This provides revenues from a group of students, teaches these students about developing such technology, provides an alternative learning style for future students, and gives the University free publicity. The only downside I see to this project is if the students become accustomed to being tailored to to reach their learning potential, their going to be pretty disappointed to enter a workforce that doesn't care that you learn differently, just use the tools the company has or draw a clear line to how giving you the tools you're used to learning on increases my revenue or reduces my cost more than the cost of implementing such tools. This is cool tech, but the only valuable people to a business is the ones who worked to put the damn thing together, since they can be used for a similar marketing stunt.

    5. Re:Distraction? by aethogamous · · Score: 2

      I'm guessing that they meant "teaching interactivity to mathematics and computer science students".

  2. Why? by pieisgood · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I guess for computer science it can serve as an inspirational piece. To say, Hey this is why computers are awesome and here's what you could be doing with them.

    For math though, you really need a pencil, some paper, the book and lots of time to get things wrong before you get them right. Calculation stuff for calculus, sure use the screen to create interactive bounds on integrals or what not. For analysis? topology? proofs? Get them some time to study and get them to ask lots of questions.

    In summary, cool screen... but unnecessary.

    --
    Eat sleep die
    1. Re:Why? by Sensiblemonkey · · Score: 2

      In summary, cool screen... but unnecessary.

      The road to absolutely nowhere is paved with sentiments like that.

    2. Re:Why? by ahecht · · Score: 3, Informative

      If you go to the source at http://www.rug.nl/cit/hpcv/nieuws/touchscreen1 you will see that it wasn't created for teaching math at all (the blogspam linked from the story seems to have made that up). According to RUG: "the initial goal was to facilitate the scientists studying Geographic Information Systems and a research group that studies interaction methods for touch screens"

    3. Re:Why? by Unoriginal_Nickname · · Score: 2

      Because once you get past the trivial cases (e.g. isomorphisms with geometries over finite-dimensional vector spaces) it isn't even possible to create a visualization, let alone one which is useful as a teaching aid.

  3. Touchscreen envy by Tx · · Score: 2

    My 11.6" tablet suddenly seems a bit undersized. Still, I reckon it will come into it's own when I have to get up and take it home with me ;).

    --
    Oh no... it's the future.
  4. Re:Awesome by Stenchwarrior · · Score: 2

    Every time I see Dutch in writing I assume someone is speaking Klingon.

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  5. What we need now... by joeyblades · · Score: 2

    ... is someone to create the worlds largest monitor wipes!

  6. Would leave it blank if I could... by sortadan · · Score: 2

    How can you have a "World's Largest" article without ever actually writing down the size of the thing anywhere?!?!?!!?!?

  7. Direct link to the source of the story by ahecht · · Score: 4, Informative

    How about linking directly to the source, instead of to this blogspam: http://www.rug.nl/cit/hpcv/nieuws/touchscreen1

  8. I have seen better. by patjhal · · Score: 3, Informative

    This has resolution equivalent to two 4k screens and is LCD technology where that looks like projectors. http://www.evl.uic.edu/core.php?mod=4&type=4&indi=727