How is tactile learning incorporated into Calcularis?

Multisensory learning in Calcularis primarily uses visual and auditory channels, with less emphasis on the tactile channel. Visually, Calcularis employs colors, shapes, a 3D number line, and animations to engage different neural pathways. On the auditory channel, the program continuously speaks numbers aloud and presents them verbally.

Addressing the tactile channel is more challenging in computer-based and digital learning environments. However, the developers designed input methods to incorporate spatial experiences where possible. A prime example is the "Landing" game. In this game, children position a number or quantity on the number line. Typically, in other applications or on paper, tasks like this involve marking a point on the line, which disconnects the input from the experience of magnitude. For instance, marking 51 or 87 on the number line requires the same effort.

In "Landing," children must guide a falling cone onto the number line using keyboard arrows. Moving to distant numbers takes longer than moving to closer ones, which reflects the magnitude of the numbers. While this is not a purely tactile experience, it ties the input method to the understanding of quantity and space.