TALH: A Tangible User Interface and Hand Gestures-Based Tool for Enhancing Animal Learning in Preschool

Child interaction and behavior analysis within learning environments are crucial to improving the learning process and experience. In this paper, we employ a comparitive study between different interaction techniques, such as using tangible user interface objects (TUIOs) and gesture-based interaction to teach preschool children about animals in different habitats, monitoring their learning process, and focusing on maximizing engagement and usability within the learning context. We present TALH, an interactive animal habitat simulator for animals in three different habitats. Features such as facial identification, eye gaze tracking, and emotion analysis were implemented to provide deeper insights into child behavior and preferences during the interactive session. Reports for teachers are generated in real-time at the end of the experiment for further analysis. The experimental study involves 10 child participants performing specific tasks using both interaction methods in a controlled environment to carry out key findings on the development of the child learning process. Experiment results show that the TUIO sessions had 44% faster task completion and 65% fewer errors compared to the gesture-based sessions. The study highlights the effectiveness of TUIOs in child learning environments in the context of interactive system design.