Embodied Learning About Time with Tangible Clocks

Time is a complex concept to grasp for elementary students and time related competencies take years to fully develop. In this article, we present and evaluate an instructional approach for learning to read and write time through embodied interactions with tangible clocks. The instructional approach consists of four “time learning stations” that may facilitate groups of 12 students (separated in teams of 3) to learn about time. The “time stations” include (a) a game with a big tangible 3D clock, (b) a game with a miniature tangible clock, (c) two notebooks with learning games about time, (d) a set of typical hand-written worksheets about time. Each team explores each station for 10 min and afterwards students move in a circular pattern to the next station. In order to evaluate the instructional approach, 84 students participated in a pilot study forming 7 groups of 12 students that used the time stations for approximately 45 min. Focus groups were conducted after each round of runs. Students supported that the whole setting greatly helped them to get acquainted with time and clock reading. Students underlined that the big 3D tangible clock was the most useful and entertaining activity and pinpointed that the specific interface was more engaging, the interactions were more kinesthetic and unexpected while the learning representation was significantly different from any other that they have used in the past.