diff --git a/astro.config.mjs b/astro.config.mjs index 3a08e15f..1cb161cb 100644 --- a/astro.config.mjs +++ b/astro.config.mjs @@ -256,6 +256,16 @@ export default defineConfig({ directory: '/security', }, }, + { + label: 'Peer Progress Indicator', + items: [ + { + label:'Research Document', + link: '/peer-progress-indicator/ppi-research/' + } + + ] + } ], }), ], diff --git a/src/content/docs/peer-progress-indicator/ppi-research.md b/src/content/docs/peer-progress-indicator/ppi-research.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..fd49b857 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/content/docs/peer-progress-indicator/ppi-research.md @@ -0,0 +1,304 @@ +--- +title: Peer Progress Indicator Research +--- + +## Team Member Names + + **Name:** David Nganga\ + **Section worked on:** Existing Systems & Features + + **Name:** Faith Wandabwa\ + **Section worked on:** Existing Systems & Features + + **Name:** Mudith Makawitage\ + **Section worked on:** Functional & non-functional requirements + + **Name:** Sanjana Bottu\ + **Section worked on:** Brainstorm & draft initial user stories + + +## 1. Research: Existing Systems & Features + +### 1.1. Overview + + This report examines Learning Management Systems (LMS), student facing + analytics dashboards, and project management platforms to identify + progress tracking features, privacy models, and design patterns suitable + for the OnTrack Peer Indicator System. + + Currently, OnTrack provides: + + - Individual task and portfolio progress + + - Tutor feedback + + However, it lacks peer visibility features. The following systems were + reviewed: + + - Canvas + + - Moodle + + - My Learning Analytics (MyLA) + + - GitHub + +### 1.2. Systems and Features Reviewed + +#### 1.2.1. Canvas LMS + + - Displays progress via status labels: Complete, In Progress, Locked + + - Instructor-only analytics dashboard + + - No peer visibility + + Key Ideas for OnTrack + + - Status labels can map directly to OnTrack tasks + + - Aggregate cohort data can be anonymised for students + + Reference: + +#### 1.2.2. Moodle + + - Uses progress bars and circular indicators + + - Students see only their own progress + + - Teachers access detailed reports + + Key Ideas for OnTrack + + - Familiar progress bar UI + + - Reinforces need for built-in privacy (not retrofitted) + + Reference: + +#### 1.2.3. My Learning Analytics (MyLA) + + - Privacy-first student analytics dashboard + + - Uses anonymised performance bands (e.g., 90--100%) + + - Visualisations include: + + - Timeline activity + + - Grade distributions + + - Content popularity + + Key Ideas for OnTrack + + - Performance bands (On Track / Behind / Ahead) + + - Anonymised cohort percentages + + - Opt-in sharing + tutor controls + + Reference: + + +#### 1.2.4. GitHub + + - Activity-based visibility (not grades) + + - Contribution heatmap + + - Public/private control + + Key Ideas for OnTrack + + - Activity heatmap (engagement only) + + - Opt-in visibility model + + Reference: + +### 1.3. Privacy Controls + + +All reviewed systems share a privacy-first philosophy. The table below +maps key principles observed across systems to their application in our +design.  + +|Privacy Principle | Observed In| Application to Peer Indicator System | +|-----------------|-----------|-----------------------------------------| +|Default opt-out / private | Canvas, Moodle, MyLA | All peer visibility is off by default. Students must explicitly opt in.| +| Anonymised aggregates only | MyLA, Canvas (instructor view) | Group-level statistics shown (e.g., '72% of your tutorial completed Task 3'). No individual names or scores exposed.| +| Performance band grouping | MyLA | Students grouped into broad bands (On Track / Slightly Behind / Ahead) to reduce direct comparison.| +| Tutor enable / disable | MyLA, Moodle plugins | Tutors can turn the peer panel on or off per unit. Students cannot override this.| +| Minimal data exposure | All systems reviewed | Only task status is shared no marks, feedback content, or submission scores.| +| Right to withdraw | MyLA | Students can opt out at any time with immediate effect and no residual data retained in peer views. | + + +### 1.4. Key Insights + + What Works Well + + - Anonymised Cohort Comparisons: Aggregate group-level data (e.g., + \'your tutorial is 72% complete on average\') motivates students and + supports self-regulated learning without triggering direct + competition. This is the most well-supported finding across the + literature. (MyLA, General LADs) + + - Visual, Glanceable Indicators: Progress bars, colour-coded status + icons, and activity heatmaps allow students to absorb progress + information instantly. Text-heavy reports are consistently less + effective for motivation. (Canvas, Moodle, GitHub) + + - Seamless Dashboard Integration: MyLA succeeds because it embeds within + the existing student dashboard rather than requiring navigation to a + separate system. Our peer indicator should live within OnTrack\'s + existing student view. + + - Tutor Oversight: Allowing tutors to enable or disable the peer panel + per unit prevents inappropriate use and gives staff control over + social dynamics in their cohort. + + - Status Labels Over Scores: Simple labels (In Progress / Needs Help / + Complete) carry enough information for peer support without exposing + grades. OnTrack already has these statuses, making implementation + straightforward. + + Potential Risks + + - Social Comparison Anxiety: Visible peer data can increase anxiety in + students who see themselves as behind. Risk is highest when individual + names are shown. Mitigation: anonymised aggregates by default; named + data only with mutual opt-in. + + - Gaming the System: Students may mark tasks complete prematurely if + progress is visible. Mitigation: maintain OnTrack\'s existing model + where only tutors can confirm final task completion. + + - Privacy Legislation: Sharing student records without explicit, + revocable consent may breach the Australian Privacy Act and Deakin + University\'s data governance policies. Mitigation: opt-in model with + clear consent and right to withdraw. + + - Leaderboard Backlash: Research consistently shows that ranking or + ordering students is negatively perceived. Avoid any ranking; use only + bands or aggregates. + + ### 1.5. Recommended Features for OnTrack + +| Priority | Feature | Description | Inspired By | +| ----------- | ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------- | +| Quick Win | Cohort Progress Bar | Anonymised bar showing percentage of the class that has completed each task. No names, low privacy risk, high motivational value. | MyLA, Canvas | +| Core | Tutorial Group Peer Panel | Opt-in sidebar showing task status of peers in the same tutorial group. Visible only when both parties have opted in. | MyLA, GitHub | +| Enhancement | Performance Band Summary | Students grouped into On Track / Slightly Behind / Ahead rather than raw percentages to reduce comparison anxiety. | MyLA | +| Enhancement | Activity Heatmap | Weekly activity chart showing days a student engaged with tasks. Opt-in only; no grade or score data. | GitHub | +| Future | 'Who Needs Help' Signal | Aggregated count of students who flagged a task as 'Need Help', enabling peer or tutor support without naming individuals. | Moodle, OnTrack | + + +### 1.6. Comparison Summary + + | System | Category | Peer Visibility | Privacy Controls | Key OnTrack Fit | +| ------------------ | ------------------ | ------------------- | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | +| OnTrack (current) | Academic LMS | None | Tutor-only | Baseline add peer layer on top | +| Canvas | Academic LMS | None (students) | Instructor-only | Status label model | +| Moodle | Academic LMS | Nonnative | Instructor-only | Progress bar UI pattern | +| MyLA (U. Michigan) | Student Analytics | Yes anonymised | Consent-based, opt-in | Strongest privacy model performance bands | +| GitHub | Project Management | Full (public repos) | Public / private toggle | Opt-in activity heatmap | + + +## 2. User Stories + +Format: *As a \[user\], I want \[goal\] so that \[reason\]* + +**User Story 1**: + +As a student, I want to view the anonymised average progress of my +tutorial group so that I can benchmark my own performance without seeing +individual names. + +**User Story 2**: + +As a student, I want to see peers grouped into performance bands (On +Track / Slightly Behind / Ahead) so that I can understand where I stand +relative to the group. + +**User Story 3**: + +As a student, I want to opt-in (or opt-out at any time) to share my +task-status data with my tutorial group so that I control my own +privacy. + +**User Story 4**: + +As a tutor, I want to see an aggregated count of students who have +flagged a specific task as difficult so that I can prioritise which +tasks to address in my next tutorial session without singling out any +individual student. + +**User Story 5**: + +As a tutor, I want to enable or disable the Peer Indicator panel for my +entire unit so that I maintain oversight of social dynamics. + +**User Story 6**: + +As a tutor, I want to send a targeted in-app nudge to all students who +have not yet started a task by a set date so that I can prompt action +without revealing which specific students are behind.  + +## 3. Functional Requirements + +What the system must do. + +| ID | Requirement | Description | +| --- | -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | +| FR1 | View Peer Progress | The system must allow students to view the progress of peers enrolled in the same unit or tutorial group using task completion data (e.g., percentage, completed tasks, or progress indicators). | +| FR2 | Privacy Control (Opt-in/Opt-out) | The system must allow students to opt in or opt out of sharing their progress. Only students who opt in will have their progress included in peer views. | +| FR3 | Anonymised Display | The system must display peer progress in an anonymised way (e.g., "Student A", averages, or ranges) unless explicit consent and policy allow identification. | +| FR4 | Tutor Configuration | The system must allow tutors or unit staff to enable or disable the peer progress feature at unit or task level, ensuring appropriate use. | + + +## 4. Non-Functional Requirements + +System quality requirements. + +| ID | Category | Requirement | +| ---- | ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | +| NFR1 | Performance | The system should display peer progress data quickly (within a few seconds) and support near real-time or cached updates without noticeable delay to users. | +| NFR2 | Security / Privacy | The system must protect student data by using existing OnTrack authentication and role-based access control. It must not expose identifiable progress data without user consent. | +| NFR3 | Accessibility | The system must comply with accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG), ensuring the interface is readable, usable with keyboard navigation, and does not rely only on colour to convey information. | +| NFR4 | Scalability | The system should support large numbers of students across multiple units without performance degradation and should scale as more users adopt the feature. | + +## 5. Constraints (OnTrack Integration) + +- Must integrate with the existing task/portfolio model and task + statuses. + +- Must use current authentication system and user roles (student, + tutor). + +- Must respect the current Angular 17 migration state (components added + to migrated views only). + +- No new backend tables required -- reuse existing task-completion and + tutorial-group data. + +## 6. References + + +1. Canvas Module Progress Guide: + + +2. Moodle Tracking Progress Documentation: + + +3. MyLA Dashboard Overview (University of Michigan): + + +4. Peer-Comparison Dashboards Research (ScienceDirect): + + +5. Learning Analytics Dashboards Review (PMC): + + +6. GitHub: