Mobile Widgets to Support Peer Interaction Visualization

This study presents a technological solution for the visualization of peer interaction data in mobile widget format. Peer interaction is the key learning mechanism in collaborative learning situations and providing peers with feedback on their interaction is expected to help improve the outcomes of the activity at all levels. The showcased mobile application employs the IMS-LD standard to facilitate visualization of a peer interaction (PI) model of the collaborative activity within a Moodle forum. In the paper we present and discuss (a) the standards-based system architecture comparing it also to other similar efforts, and (b) the design and implementation decisions during the mobile widget development, considering mainly the peer interaction information model, the flexible representation of visualization artefacts and the pedagogical support objectives for learners and teachers.