Watch an overview of the project, “Touch Interaction for Data Engagement with Science on Spheres (TIDESS),” which is funded by the National Science Foundation. TIDEES is a collaboration between educational researchers investigating the use of science content and practices with global ocean data and computer science researchers investigating natural-touch interaction to support learning.

Lisa Anthony, Ph.D., a CISE assistant professor and director of the INIT Lab, is co-principal investigator on the project working with Kathryn A. Stofer, Ph.D., a research assistant professor in the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication and lead principal investigator.

In early April, CISE faculty and students deployed a research prototype at the Florida Museum of Natural History. TIDESS focuses on designing more effective and natural technology-enabled learning experiences for informal settings like science museums and other public spaces. TIDESS is investigating experiences that let audiences engage with scientific data visualizations on interactive spherical displays.

Nikita Soni, a CISE Ph.D. student, and Schuyler Gleaves, a CISE undergraduate student, led the project team in set-up and take-down at the museum. The display gave the TIDESS team a better understanding of how individuals interact with a multi-touch interactive prototype outside of a controlled environment.

Learn more about the TIDESS project: uftidess.wordpress.com