**4. From TEL to STELT: Technology-enhanced learning becomes smart technologies to enhanced learning and teaching**

The review proposed in the previous section highlights the fundamental role played by learning theories for building effective educational tools. Technology can be a powerful weapon in this battle, provided that we conceive it as an empty bin whose sense is given by the reference theory. In Dror's words [42], 'learning means that the cognitive system acquires information and stores it for further use...regardless whether the objective is learning new information, acquiring new skills, or knowledge sharing and transfer within or across organisations — the processes of acquiring, storing and applying the information are critical. The question is how to achieve these cornerstones of learning and whether technology can enhance them. The answer is clear: learning must fit human cognition...the difficult and tricky challenge is how to translate this theoretical and academic research into practical ways to utilise technology so as to enhance learning'. An entire area of research, known with the acronym TEL, developed in recent decades.

Technology can obviously enhance learning if it mirrors how cognition works. This can be achieved through the appropriate design. Design is indeed fundamental to the successful development of any technology-enhanced learning scenario and requires input from many diverse areas of expertise and multiple perspectives [43].

Some technologies are precisely fit to stimulate learning by doing, as they are based on the theoretical framework already described. These technologies are not purely instructional: in the past years, many tools have been conceived as teacher substitutes in a vertical unidirec‐ tional lesson transmitting their specific knowledge domain. More recently, technology offered new chances, thus allowing to build TEL environments that can offer direct experience to the learners. In particular, we would like to introduce the STELT platform precisely devoted to build active environments for learning [44, 45], represented in Fig. 5.

STELT is a software platform that combines the management of hardware components (sensors and actuators) and software components (libraries for the storyboard and provision of feedback, authoring systems to be used by nonprogrammers) which are required to construct educational, teaching and play materials that exploit the potential of new technolo‐ gies into a single development environment. STELT is able to support environments based on the handling of physical object that have a central role in learning by doing framework.

STELT, created by AIDVANCED SRL, implements augmented reality systems based on RFID (radio-frequency identification) and NFC (near field communication) technology. The labels Theoretical Perspectives of Hands-On Educational Practices — From a Review of Psychological Theories to… http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/60922 71

**Figure 5.** STELT platform functional representation

Starting from the innovation in the individual–environment interaction offered by the smart objects technology, our idea is that we can produce innovative learning/teaching environments (according to constructivist learning theories and extant pedagogical practices) to enhance neurocognitive development especially in training context. This proposal will be discussed in

**4. From TEL to STELT: Technology-enhanced learning becomes smart**

The review proposed in the previous section highlights the fundamental role played by learning theories for building effective educational tools. Technology can be a powerful weapon in this battle, provided that we conceive it as an empty bin whose sense is given by the reference theory. In Dror's words [42], 'learning means that the cognitive system acquires information and stores it for further use...regardless whether the objective is learning new information, acquiring new skills, or knowledge sharing and transfer within or across organisations — the processes of acquiring, storing and applying the information are critical. The question is how to achieve these cornerstones of learning and whether technology can enhance them. The answer is clear: learning must fit human cognition...the difficult and tricky challenge is how to translate this theoretical and academic research into practical ways to utilise technology so as to enhance learning'. An entire area of research, known with the acronym

Technology can obviously enhance learning if it mirrors how cognition works. This can be achieved through the appropriate design. Design is indeed fundamental to the successful development of any technology-enhanced learning scenario and requires input from many

Some technologies are precisely fit to stimulate learning by doing, as they are based on the theoretical framework already described. These technologies are not purely instructional: in the past years, many tools have been conceived as teacher substitutes in a vertical unidirec‐ tional lesson transmitting their specific knowledge domain. More recently, technology offered new chances, thus allowing to build TEL environments that can offer direct experience to the learners. In particular, we would like to introduce the STELT platform precisely devoted to

STELT is a software platform that combines the management of hardware components (sensors and actuators) and software components (libraries for the storyboard and provision of feedback, authoring systems to be used by nonprogrammers) which are required to construct educational, teaching and play materials that exploit the potential of new technolo‐ gies into a single development environment. STELT is able to support environments based on the handling of physical object that have a central role in learning by doing framework.

STELT, created by AIDVANCED SRL, implements augmented reality systems based on RFID (radio-frequency identification) and NFC (near field communication) technology. The labels

**technologies to enhanced learning and teaching**

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

diverse areas of expertise and multiple perspectives [43].

build active environments for learning [44, 45], represented in Fig. 5.

detail in the next paragraphs.

TEL, developed in recent decades.

RFID/NFC (tag) are very thin transponders that can be applied to any type of object and are detected by small readers. The reader can be connected to a computer with either a wired or wireless connection or integrated into standard equipment on smartphones and tablets (NFC sensor). STELT combines communication protocols with the various hardware devices (readers and output devices), a storyboarding environment for creating various interaction scenarios, a database for tracking the user's behaviour and an adapting tutoring system that can build a user profile providing customised feedback.

This platform is functionally represented in Fig. 5: a) the learner places a «tagged» object onto a tablet reader or moves a reader or smartphone close to the «tagged» object; b) the signal containing the object's code is sent to a computer (desktop, notebook, tablet or smartphone) containing the STELT platform; and c) once it has entered the STELT system, the signal generates a number of actions from the output devices (audio system, monitors) depending on the current scenario created with the storyboarding module. Furthermore, the same signal is memorised and analysed by the adapting tutoring module, so that a customised profile is created for the user that guides the subsequent system responses. Human–machine interaction takes places solely by the handling/identification of physical objects and by the activation of audio or visual feedback. The originality of STELT resides in the combination of communica‐ tion protocols with various hardware devices (readers and output devices), a storyboarding environment that allows to design many different scenarios, a database for tracking the user's behaviour that collects huge information amount and an adapting tutoring system that can analyse and interpret such behaviour and provide relevant feedback. All these components are provided into a single development environment. This combination allows the creation of 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 scenarios.

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 methods for teaching in kindergarten and primary schools.
