Building a Peer-to-Peer Learning Platform for University Students Using WebRTC and Mobile Technology

Abstract

In South Africa, pursuing a university degree can be a challenging prospect, with the approach to learning and the type of communication between students and teachers changing, as compared to secondary school level. It comes as no surprise that most first-year students tend to struggle at university level. This is especially true for students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. These students tend to come from schools that fail to equip them with the necessary skills required to master basic concepts taught in university. These students usually have little to no experience in using computers, which significantly hampers their chances of graduation. This results in some students not engaging with the learning materials or participating in course-related activities. Although the tools for assisting these students already exist, they limit students in what they can contribute and benefit from the learning process and do little to aid collaboration among students. With university resources being stretched and demands on academic staff increasing every year, universities cannot be expected to solve these problems entirely. If appropriately applied, peer-to-peer learning could provide an affordable and easily scalable solution to this problem. In following the design science research methodology, this study uses mobile technology and Web Real Time Communications (WebRTC) to build an online peer-to-peer learning platform for first-year students in order to increase engagement with course content, interaction with the teachers and student collaboration. The platform could provide an affordable solution to a very expensive problem if it achieves its objectives.