Low-Resolution Ambient Awareness Tools for Educational Support

We examine an approach in technology-enhanced learning that avoids deviation from existing pedagogical practices as these are often reluctant to change. This is accomplished by designing technology to augment learning activities that are already in common practice. We implemented two ambient awareness tools, Lantern and Reflect, in line with this approach. The former is tailored for recitation sections and improves student productivity while the latter promotes participation balance in face-to-face collaboration. Both devices allow very limited interaction and provide low-resolution feedback, keeping the actual learning tasks at the center of the student's focus. We show that the approach we examine coupled with this simple design makes these tools effective and easy to adopt.