FlipMe: Exploring Tangible Peer-to-Peer Communication in On-Line-Learning

Online learning continues to see rapid growth with millions of students now engaging online and remote courses seen as convenient alternatives to conventional classroom-based teaching. Despite these advantages, online courses suffer from high drop-out rates. Prior research has suggested limited opportunities for social interaction between students may contribute to these undesirable outcomes. In order to address this challenge, we developed FlipMe, an Internet of Things companion augmenting peer-to-peer interaction in real time. We report a pilot user study to explore the potential of FlipMe as a design intervention to increase peer-to-peer learning while viewing online video content. Initial findings indicate that FlipMe's tangible interface and feedback design features have the potential to promote peer interaction in online learning.