Interaction-based design for mobile collaborative-learning software. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/MS.2007.111

Abstract

The main difficulty in designing collaborative learning applications is to understand which interactions between learners and teachers are the appropriate ones, and then build software that takes such dynamics into account. Some researchers address this challenge by defining reusable components for specific learning tasks. The problem is that developers impose their particular solution, components require much effort to be adapted to requirement changes, developers may lack the expertise for identifying the appropriate group dynamics, and the software, once created, may be used in unexpected ways. We propose an approach based on an interaction model that allows designers and educational experts to specify the interaction occurring in a learning activity. A set of reusable interaction components can then be defined. The resulting flexible model is the basis for a flexible architecture that enables the creation, extension and adaptation of various educational software products through the composition of such components.