Re-Lay rebalances discussions
using playfulness in collaborative learning.

Design Research project

The challenge

Collaborative learning uses small group problem-solving, helping learners build shared understanding through discussion. However, unbalanced participation, where some students over- or undershare, can limit its effectiveness.

Taking turns

Re-Lay balances group discussions with turn-taking mechanics. Placed on the tile of the current speaker, it suggests the next speaker as the one who has spoken least, while leaving the final choice to the current speaker.

Oversharing

Re-Lay tracks speaking time to suggest the next speaker and blinks to signal urgency if someone talks too long. After it’s passed on, the suggestion cycle restarts.

Process

I tested the first iteration of Re-Lay with 14 secondary school students and found it significantly increased participation in collaborative settings. The next iteration added a feature for non-speakers to flip their tile, signalling they want to speak and giving everyone more control over turn-taking.