7 Things You Should Know About Haptics

ckeller — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:17:47 -0500

Haptics technologies provide force feedback to users about the physical properties and movements of virtual objects represented by a computer. Human-computer interaction is largely visual -- words, data, or images on a screen. Input devices such as the keyboard or the mouse translate human movements into actions on the screen but provide no feedback to the user about those actions. Haptics incorporates both touch (tactile) and motion (kinesthetic) elements. For applications that simulate real physical properties -- such as weight, momentum, friction, texture, or resistance -- haptics communicates those properties through interfaces that let users "feel" what is happening on the screen.

The "7 Things You Should Know About..." series from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) provides concise information on emerging learning technologies. Each brief focuses on a single technology and describes what it is, where it is going, and why it matters to teaching and learning. Use these briefs for a no-jargon, quick overview of a topic and share them with time-pressed colleagues.

In addition to the "7 Things You Should Know About..." briefs, you may find other ELI resources useful in addressing teaching, learning, and technology issues at your institution. To learn more, please visit the ELI Resources page.

ELI Innovations & Implementations—The Computing Center at Cox Hall, Emory University

drupal — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 15:36:42 -0600

In 2001, Emory University opened a student computing center designed to foster digital literacy and collaboration among students and faculty. The Cox Hall Computing Center reenvisions the traditional student computing lab as a creative, mixed-use facility where students drive their own collaborative initiatives and faculty use incubator classrooms to test new multimedia tools and collaborative teaching approaches.

ELI's Innovations & Implementations series highlights innovative teaching, learning, and technology practices in higher education. Each Innovations & Implementations piece provides a practical overview of an innovation, focusing on its significance and implementation issues. Use Innovations & Implementations to explore innovative practices that might be of value to your institution.

EDUCAUSE | Contributed by EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative and Computing Facilities

7 Things You Should Know About Haptics

ELI Innovations & Implementations—The Computing Center at Cox Hall, Emory University