Leveraging P2P Systems for Collaborative E-Learning and Resource Sharing in Digital Education

Centralized Learning Management Systems (LMS) struggle with scalability, bandwidth bottlenecks, and single points of failure during peak usage periods like examinations or global synchronous lectures. This paper proposes a novel hybrid Peer-to-Peer (P2P) architecture specifically designed for collaborative e-learning environments, leveraging institutional Super-Peers for administrative control, content validation, and DHT index maintenance alongside distributed student Standard-Peers for resilient resource storage and delivery. The framework integrates three key innovations: (1) Kademlia-based Distributed Hash Tables (DHT) for logarithmic resource discovery of chunked educational content (videos, datasets, documents); (2) an adapted tit-for-tat incentive mechanism with reputation scoring to mitigate free-riding; and (3) Conflict-free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs) enabling real-time collaborative tools like shared whiteboards and document editing without central coordination. Evaluation used PeerSim simulations across 30 runs (100-500 nodes, 500×500m² campus area, 20% hourly churn), validated against NS-3 wireless models and filtered Kaggle network traffic patterns representing lecture streaming. Results demonstrate superior performance: 76% average latency reduction (115±12 ms vs 480±25 ms client-server baseline, F=245.3, p