Group Interaction Prompted by a Simple Assessed Open Learner Model that can be Optionally Released to Peers

This paper describes a study of a simple open learner model that can be optionally released to peers in named or anonymous form, to facilitate collaborative and competitive learning in a situation where the learner model contents contributed to students' assessment. Results suggest that, under the right conditions, students may start working sooner; discussion amongst students can be increased; many will find the individual learner models of others useful; and most will open their model to other users even if they do not find peer models helpful themselves thus ensuring the availability of peer models for those who wish to use them. We consider the extent to which these findings may be transferable to other settings.