Learning together, even online

Student peer meeting manager for CANVAS LMS | Prototype

What makes our learning resourceful, fruitful and enjoyable?
Students' peer interaction is the most valuable learning resource that can not be easily replicable in a virtual environment.

Inhye and her teammates suggest a facilitative solution that helps to study online no longer lonely.

Class awareness

This design aims to support peer awareness and connectedness among students in online studies by developing the ways that we communicate, connect and collaborate within Canvas, a Online learning platform.

Problem Definition

Although learning platforms suggest various solutions to increase interactivity in distance learning,
students feel isolated while studying online.

It is an obvious contrast to the campus environment, where informal communication around the classroom naturally increases awareness among peers.

The severe lack of social interaction limits students from feeling a sense of belonging to the learning context.

Design Solution

The design intents bringing school hallway into online space: the place students participate and arrange informal meetings in small groups.

By placing an autonomated group arranging system, it simulates corridor communication around class time.
The core functionality of the automation aims at the miximize opportunities for direct interaction among students without discrimimation or intervention by teachers.
Easy-to-use design and narrow and shallow structure encourage students' participation in the Canvas interface.

Evaluation

The prototype had been evaluated by heuristic usability testing focusing on easy-to-use, functionality, and aesthetics quality as well.
A total of eight testers had participated in the evaluation. The overall assessment was high satisfaction on flexibility and efficiency of use, easy recognition of functions, aesthetics, and simple design.

There were some points for further development, such as better design consistency and clarity, error prevention and help features.

Prototype / designed by Inhye with Figma

Design Project Group / Class awareness:

This project was done as a part of a course, TIA132 Digital Tools for Communication and Learning, provided by the MA programme in IT and Learning at Göteborgs Universitet.
[ Team member ]
Inhye Park, Anthi Christoforidou, Maryam Omer, Max Ellgren, Sinamis Doughouz, Richard Andrew March