Danmaku in Online Learning: Turning Lonely Study Sessions into Lively Conversations

 

By Xi Lin

 

Picture this: You’re watching an online lecture, alone in your room, trying to stay focused while your phone buzzes temptingly nearby. Suddenly, a stream of floating comments glides across the video: someone cracks a joke about the professor’s example, another student drops a link to a helpful article, and a third points out a mistake in the slides. You’re not just watching anymore—you’re part of a conversation.

 

That’s the magic of danmaku—real-time (or pseudo-real-time) on-screen comments—that researchers Yixuan Zhu, Xi Lin, Jinhee Kim, Ahmad Samed Al-Adwan, and Na Li explored in their study on how it can boost online self-regulated learning (OSRL).

 

The Problem: Asynchronous Learning = Asynchronous Loneliness

Online self-paced courses give students flexibility, but they often strip away something essential—social interaction. Without peers to bounce ideas off or instructors to nudge you forward, it’s easy to feel isolated and disengaged. And disengagement leads to one thing: higher dropout rates.

Enter danmaku. Popular on platforms like Bilibili, it lets viewers comment directly on specific moments in a video—so even if you’re watching later, it feels like your classmates are right there with you. But could this playful, chatty tool actually help students learn better?

 

The Experiment: Danmaku Meets Self-Regulated Learning

The team surveyed 100 university students (and interviewed a few brave volunteers) who used danmaku while watching educational videos. They wanted to know:

1. Why do students interact with danmaku?
2. How does it affect their ability to manage their own learning?

Students’ motivations boiled down to three big ones:

• Information and Entertainment: “Some danmaku give extra info the teacher didn’t cover… plus, funny comments make studying less boring.”
• Social Connection: “When I see others learning with me, I feel less lonely.”
• Self-Expression: “If I spot something missing or wrong, I’ll add my take.”

Peer pressure? Surprisingly low on the list—turns out, students didn’t feel forced to join in; they just wanted to.

 

The Good, the Better, and the “Wow, I’m Actually Engaged”

✅ Boosted Engagement: Students stayed more focused when they could respond to danmaku in real time.
✅ Stronger Reflection Skills: Commenting encouraged them to think critically and synthesize ideas.
✅ Self-Efficacy Boost: Helping others or getting replies built confidence.
✅ Community Feel: “The comment section feels like a classroom without walls.”

One student summed it up:

“If I can answer a question and get a reply from the teacher later, I feel more motivated to keep learning.”

 

The Catch

Not all interactions are equally helpful.

• Some students ignored instructor replies if they weren’t immediate.
• Low-value comments (spam, off-topic chatter) could distract.
• Without guidance, discussions sometimes stayed surface-level.

 

The Big Takeaway: Interaction Feeds Motivation

The study found that responding and reflection strategies were the most powerful for boosting self-efficacy—and that self-efficacy, in turn, made learning more enjoyable. It’s a feedback loop: the more confident students feel in contributing, the more they enjoy participating, and the more they participate, the more confident they become.

 

Try This in Your Online Class

If you’re a teacher designing video-based lessons:

1. Seed the conversation: Post thought-provoking or clarifying questions in danmaku.
2. Highlight student contributions: Recognize helpful comments in follow-up videos.
3. Set community norms: Encourage useful, respectful, and creative contributions.
4. Review and adapt: Use danmaku analytics to tweak your teaching.

 

Final Thought: Danmaku Won’t Replace Teachers… But It Might Replace the “Lonely Scroll”
This study shows that danmaku isn’t just a gimmick—it’s a bridge between solitary study and social learning. In the words of one participant:

“Even if we’re not in the same room, the danmaku makes me feel like we’re learning together.”

By turning passive watching into active engagement, danmaku can make asynchronous learning feel a lot more alive.

 

Reference

Zhu, Y., Lin, X., Kim, J., Al-Adwan, A. S., & Li, N. (2025). Exploring Human Interaction in Online Self-Regulated Learning Through Danmaku Comments. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2480826

 

Bringing Online Lectures to Life: How Timeline-Anchored Comments Transform Asynchronous Learning

By Xi Lin

Asynchronous online learning is valuable for busy adult learners juggling full-time jobs, family obligations, and coursework. But let’s face it: staring at a screen alone, watching a lecture without any interaction, can make the most fascinating topic feel like watching paint dry. The real challenge? Fostering meaningful interaction in a space designed for flexibility, but not necessarily engagement.

Enter a game-changer from East Asia’s entertainment playbook: the Video Timeline-Anchored Comment (VTC) tool. Known in anime circles as danmaku (see Figure 1), this feature enables viewers to post comments tied to specific moments in a video, creating an experience that feels almost live. In one study, Lin et al. (2024) explored how this tool reshaped the way students interacted in asynchronous adult education courses.

Figure 1. Screenshot of a danmaku-commented episode.

The Problem: Asynchronous Isolation

Traditional asynchronous classes, with their text-based discussion boards and delayed responses, often leave learners feeling like they’re shouting into a void. Adult learners who are experienced, reflective, but time-strapped, need more than static screens and perfunctory posts. They crave connection, immediacy, and interaction, but the structure of asynchronous education often fails to deliver.

 

A “Live” Experience, Anytime

The VTC tool used in the study allowed students to comment directly on specific moments in instructional videos hosted on Canvas Studio. These comments, which appear like little chat bubbles, made it possible to ask questions, offer insights, and share thoughts right where the learning occurred. See Figure 2, or you can access an example here: https://youtu.be/5w3zh-vbV1A 

Figure 2. Using the VTC in Canvas Studio.

A. Comments made at 6:35 of the video jumped out at the right corner of the screen.

B. When clicking the bubble, Canvas Studio directs the viewers to the full remarks.

C. When clicking the time (i.e., 6:35), Canvas Studio directs the viewers to the video where the specific comment was made.

 

Students described the experience as “feeling like we’re all in the same room,” even though they weren’t. One learner summed it up perfectly: “Online asynchronous instruction can be lonely at times. Having the instructor commenting in the video helps you feel more like a participant in a class and not the sole learner.”

 

What Changed?

Lin et al. (2024) observed four major shifts in student behavior and experience:

• From Passive to Active: Instead of merely consuming content, students actively engaged with it. Questions and comments sparked mid-video reflection and dialogue.
• From Isolated to Connected: Students no longer felt alone. “It made it seem like we are all sitting in the same room having a conversation,” one said.
• From Distracted to Focused: The dynamic commenting kept students alert and engaged—no more zoning out during long lectures.
• From Surface-Level to Deep Learning: By discussing key moments as they occurred, students gained clarity, different perspectives, and a deeper understanding of the content.

 

Instructor as Facilitator, Not a Lecturer

The instructor’s role was key but not dominating. They offered tech support (like how to use Canvas Studio’s VTC function), moderated discussions, and chimed in to deepen content engagement. Most importantly, they created space for students to lead, present, and teach, thus empowering learners as co-creators of knowledge.

 

Implementation Tips for Educators

Consider trying this out in your online course. Lin et al. (2024) offer some practical advice:

• Choose the Right Tools: Platforms like Canvas Studio support timeline-anchored commenting. Get familiar with its features first.
• Make It Intentional: Tie comments to learning goals. Ask students to post questions, insights, or clarify misunderstandings at key moments.
• Train for Success: Not all students are tech-savvy. Offer demos, how-to guides, and examples of quality comments.
• Encourage Dialogue: Require students to respond to each other’s comments to foster deeper interaction.
• Reflect and Adjust: Gather feedback and be open to making adjustments based on students’ preferences and technical comfort.

 

Final Thoughts: Small Tool, Big Impact

The VTC tool is more than a flashy feature. It is a bridge between isolated learners and a thriving online learning community. A bridge between content and cognition. And most importantly, a bridge between asynchronous convenience and synchronous-like engagement.

The next time you prepare an online lecture or discussion, consider incorporating a layer of real-time (or pseudo-real-time) interaction. It might just turn your virtual class into a vibrant learning community—one comment bubble at a time.

 

Reference

Lin, X., Sun, Q., & Zhang, X. (2024). Increasing student online interactions: Applying the video timeline-anchored comment (VTC) tool to asynchronous online video discussions. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 40(19), 5910-5922. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2023.2247554