Paper Type
Short
Paper Number
PACIS2026-1911
Description
With the rapid growth of online learning, a large number of students are now taking online courses, raising important questions about how technology can better structure learning activities. This study explores how peer‑assisted learning (PAL) can enhance online learning effectiveness through platform design. Following a design science approach, we develop a novel platform that fosters collaborative learning communities and meaningful participation through cooperative gamification, where points reward helping behaviors and a leaderboard visualizes cumulative helpfulness as visible reciprocity. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the platform. The results demonstrate that the PAL condition leads to significantly higher learning performance compared to traditional online forums without PAL scaffolds. This study advances theoretical understanding of PAL in online contexts and offers practical implications for designing more effective and equitable online learning platforms.
Recommended Citation
Yuan, Lin, "Designing a Digital Peer-Assisted Platform for Online Learning" (2026). PACIS 2026 Proceedings. 18.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2026/is_education/is_education/18
Designing a Digital Peer-Assisted Platform for Online Learning
With the rapid growth of online learning, a large number of students are now taking online courses, raising important questions about how technology can better structure learning activities. This study explores how peer‑assisted learning (PAL) can enhance online learning effectiveness through platform design. Following a design science approach, we develop a novel platform that fosters collaborative learning communities and meaningful participation through cooperative gamification, where points reward helping behaviors and a leaderboard visualizes cumulative helpfulness as visible reciprocity. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the platform. The results demonstrate that the PAL condition leads to significantly higher learning performance compared to traditional online forums without PAL scaffolds. This study advances theoretical understanding of PAL in online contexts and offers practical implications for designing more effective and equitable online learning platforms.
Comments
04-DigitalLearning