Enhancing Collaborative Learning: A User-Centered Approach to Designing Learning Management Systems

Abstract

Learning Management Systems have become essential platforms for delivery of learning content across educational institutions. The usage of these learning platforms is crucial in the world of online and distance learning. However, despite their widespread adoption, they lack support for effective collaborative learning. In the form of a design research, this study demonstrates that users experience a lack of adequate collaboration environment within these platforms which hinders their collaborative learning journey. Therefore, this study intends to provide users with an efficient collaborative learning journey within Learning Management Systems. The research follows a multi-method qualitative approach pursuant to a user-centered design thinking process to identify problems, prototype possible solutions and evaluate the results. In total, 44 participants were involved throughout multiple user interactions in the form of interviews, user workshops and prototype tests. Parallely, various design methods and practices were used along different design phases. As a result of three prototype iterations, a high-fidelity prototype was developed to provide users with a collaboration environment within learning platforms. The concluding tests carried out presents how the features included in the prototype help users by improving their collaborative learning experience within a Learning Management System. The analysis of findings reveals that some features included in the prototype support collaborative learning by creating a sense of social presence and cultivating interaction among group peers.