Co-Designing Ambient Learning Displays to Support College Students’ Peripheral Interaction Across Diverse Learning Contexts

With the increasing use of smartphones, smartwatches, and computers for ubiquitous learning, learners are facing greater distractions and cognitive overload due to continuous flow of information, demanding frequent attention shifts and heightened cognitive effort. Ambient learning displays offer a solution by integrating learning information into the surrounding environment, engaging peripheral attention without demanding excessive cognitive resources. This study aims to explore the potential of applying ambient learning displays in addressing attention-related challenges in multi-device learning environments. By employing a participatory design approach, a workshop with twenty-four participants was conducted to investigate user needs and preferences for ambient displays in diverse learning contexts. The results identified various learning scenarios that could benefit from peripheral interactions, revealing the students’ preferred device configurations (e.g., wearable devices, interactive displays) and software features (e.g., applications, feedback mechanisms). It also highlighted how ambient displays can support seamless interactions and smooth transitions between focused and peripheral attention, providing empirical insights for optimizing ambient learning display designs and enhancing attention management in multi-device learning environments.