**5. Block Magic project**

Block Magic is a prototype for educational materials developed in a successful European research project under the framework of LLP-Comenius programme. It aimed at creating a bridge between physical manipulation and digital technology in education. Block Magic developed a functional prototypal system that enhanced the logic blocks box. The prototype is made up of an active desk/board able to recognise concrete blocks equipped with the RFID passive tag and to communicate with a PC, an augmented reality system.

In Figs. 6 and 7, BM kit and BM functional representation are reported.

**Figure 6.** Block Magic kit

The BM platform consists of a set of magic blocks (48 traditional logic blocks), a magic board/ tablet device and a specific software. It is based on STELT platform introduced above and links together smart technologies and physical material to support children learning processes. It unites the manipulative approach and touch-screen technologies.

Theoretical Perspectives of Hands-On Educational Practices — From a Review of Psychological Theories to… http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/60922 73

**Figure 7.** Block Magic functional representation

different and easily customisable application environments and the direct tracking of all the activities during the session. From a technical point of view, STELT is a SDK (software development kit) containing software libraries for sensor, storyboarding, monitoring and adapting tutoring management and for the creation of applications in Windows (Vista, 7 and 8), Android and iOS environment. The SDK also contains authoring systems that allows nontechnical people with no specific technical background to directly design educational

STELT platform has been used to implement different products. In the next section, we will describe Block Magic, a hybrid physical/software tool that enhances traditional blocks and

Block Magic is a prototype for educational materials developed in a successful European research project under the framework of LLP-Comenius programme. It aimed at creating a bridge between physical manipulation and digital technology in education. Block Magic developed a functional prototypal system that enhanced the logic blocks box. The prototype is made up of an active desk/board able to recognise concrete blocks equipped with the RFID

The BM platform consists of a set of magic blocks (48 traditional logic blocks), a magic board/ tablet device and a specific software. It is based on STELT platform introduced above and links together smart technologies and physical material to support children learning processes. It

unites the manipulative approach and touch-screen technologies.

passive tag and to communicate with a PC, an augmented reality system.

In Figs. 6 and 7, BM kit and BM functional representation are reported.

methods for teaching in kindergarten and primary schools.

72 E-Learning - Instructional Design, Organizational Strategy and Management

scenarios.

**5. Block Magic project**

**Figure 6.** Block Magic kit

BM materials derive from structured materials, classically used in education. Structured materials have fixed numbers of 'n' elements, 'm' categories and rules to connect single parts that represent the structure. Logic blocks, cards, teaching tiles, etc., are structured materials typical examples. These materials promote analytical thought, as they segregate single qualities (e.g. dimension, shape, colour, etc.) and allow first to focalise attention on an object single part and then to develop clustering and serialisation ability in order to understand the objects' features.

The technology used in the BM project is the RFID/NFC, radio-frequency identification/near field communication. The RFID system consists of an antenna and a transceiver, which is able to read the radio frequency and transfer the information to a device, and a small and low-cost tag, which is an integrated circuit containing the RF circuitry and information to be transmitted.

These technologies are simple to use, so they are interesting for applications rather than on technical level.

The BM teaching kit consisted of a set of magic blocks (48 traditional logic blocks) and a magic board/tablet device. Magic blocks are derived from logic blocks which are didactic materials used worldwide in kindergartens and primary schools [46]. They are made up of a set of blocks (usually 48 pieces) divided in four groups according to different attributes: geometric shape (triangular, squared, rectangular and circular), thickness (thick and thin), colour (red, yellow and blue) and dimension (big and small).

The BM project proposes a hybrid version that allows an enhancement of traditional logic blocks, equipping them with RFID tags. This configuration permits to a PC or a table, with BM software installed on, to connect with BM Magic Table, another relevant BM material. The Magic Table has a hidden antenna that recognises each block, sends a signal to the PC/tablets and produces a feedback coherently with pupils' learning path.

Each augmented magic block had an integrated/attached passive RFID sensor for wireless identification of each single block. A specially designed wireless RFID reader device, an active board, is used which could read the RFID of a block and transmit the result to the BM software.

The BM system aimed to stimulate and teach different skills such as logic, mathematics, languages, etc.; therefore, the described BM-enriched blocks together with the Magic Table are complemented with a software that includes a series of exercises that researchers involved in BM project built on the teachers' feedback and on their previous experience in pedagogy.

The BM software is mainly formed by two parts: the first one is devoted to receiving input from the active board and generating an 'action' (aural and visual). These actions implement the direct feedbacks the user can receive interacting with the system. These feedbacks are regulated by an adaptive tutor system embedded that ensures autonomous interaction between the user and the system, receiving active support, corrective indications, feedback and positive reinforcement from the digital assistant on the outcome of the actions performed.

The second software component is devoted to customisation too, but it is dedicated to teachers, educators, etc., allowing them to choose the exercises to be proposed to the child, focusing the attention on the skills the child needs to train more. The BM software moreover can collect data about the exercises.

Preliminary trials with Block Magic prototype were run in various schools in Germany, Greece, Italy and Spain, involving children aged 3 to 7. Observations were run on children and the teachers were involved in after-session focus groups Results confirmed Block Magic educa‐ tional platform effectiveness in educational context. In particular BM attractiveness emerged strongly: the tool is very attractive for children for many reasons. They especially like to use the tablet and the computer and are attracted by visual and aural stimulation as well as the mascot 'Blocki'. It is motivating for the students to use a computer-based system that the manipulation of real objects makes it even more fun. Teachers think that children found both visual and aural presentation of the tool attractive, and the use of text, graphics, sound and pictures is perceived as balanced so the children did not get bored. They stayed happily until the end of each session and even wanted to continue playing.

Teachers also notice that children like to hear their names from the computer and feel like participating in a real game. Also receiving an appropriate feedback is crucial to keep a high motivation level. Children with special needs find the tool attractive too.

The researchers investigated BM use in relation with specific skills: in teachers' opinion, it contributes to develop specific cognitive skills; in particular it is fit to improve mathematical and logical skills. All teachers accepted that the tool offers a variety of activities that encourage children to develop mathematical skills. Also imagination is stimulated by BM. In detail, the 'Creative Drawing', 'Logic Train' and 'Slice the Shape' were identified as the exercises that motivate children to use their imagination.

Then the questionnaire and the focus group compared the use of BM with traditional blocks: teachers agreed that the most relevant aspect was the feedback provided by BM system that allowed many children, especially the older ones, to interact autonomously with exercises. Block Magic meets the new IT generation and is an interactive tool, but there are constraints in terms of creativity and imagination that, on the contrary, are better stimulated by traditional blocks. Moreover, teachers underlined that Block Magic creates more possibilities for the teachers than the traditional logical blocks: there is a wider variety of exercises, some of which are more difficult to play in traditional settings. With Block Magic, children can work (almost) unattended and they can spend more time with it.

It is useful to underline that these aspects emerged in all trials, thus meaning that children interact with BM platform in a similar way across different countries and cultures.
