By now, you may have heard of students utilizing CircleIn, the new NSF-backed, digital studying platform that UAF has been offering over the past year. CircleIn is a peer-to-peer learning app that is available to all students and their courses are automatically uploaded each semester.
We know having a sense of belonging, being engaged, and self-confidence positively impact student success and students can boost these areas of their experience by utilizing this technology (Ahn & Davis, 2020; O’Sullivan, Bird, Robson & Winters, 2019; Yorke, 2016). One way instructors can assist students to achieve greater success is by announcing CircleIn. Students can download the mobile app (CircleIn App) or log in on their desktop (https://app.circleinapp.com/) and select UAF. Here is a video demonstration of how students log in.
As instructors and students balance the ever-changing educational experience there has never been a more important time for our students to connect and engage with their peers. CircleIn facilitates a secure space for remote studying, academic planning, and assisting classmates who may be struggling. This technology enables students to leverage the power of peer support in studying, organization, and learning (CircleIn Student Success, 2021). Additionally, CircleIn incentivizes students to support themselves and each other through gift cards and scholarship awards. The app is designed to assist students in developing positive study habits through personal and shared notes, flashcards, and assignment management features.
Data collected by CircleIn (CircleIn Student Success Report, 2020):
- 58.4% of students interacted more frequently with their classmates.
- 63.6% of students gained more confidence in their ability to pass their courses.
- 65.2% of students experienced an increase in productivity.
- 78.6% of users reported better academic performance
Think of the CircleIn peer-to-peer learning app as one of many gateways to student success. It is important to allow students time to explore educational technology and applications used to complete their coursework and build good study habits (Lang, Craig, & Casey, 2017). By encouraging the use of this app in your classes you will continue to support your students’ personal and academic growth. They will build community, engage with resources, and improve essential study habits and confidence.
Tips for instructors:
- Embed the CircleIn link in your Blackboard or Canvas site.
- Present the CircleIn student video at the beginning of the semester.
- Encourage students to build out their semester To-do list while reviewing the syllabus.
- Incentivize students to download the app by providing extra credit.
- Facilitate group activities that involve the flashcards they created on CircleIn.
- Review the faculty insights dashboard throughout the semester.
CircleIn has a variety of resources available to faculty that may be helpful in exploring how students are using CircleIn, as well as insights and analytics that may help in gauging content areas or topics that students in your course(s) may be struggling with.
- CircleIn Faculty Resource Hub Link
- Faculty 12-minute presentation
- Spring 2021 Student Stories Video Link
References:
Ahn, M. Y., & Davis, H. H. (2020). Four domains of students’ sense of belonging to university. Studies in Higher Education, 45(3), 622–634. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1564902
CircleIn Student Success. (2021). https://blog.circleinapp.com/studentsuccess
CircleIn Student Success Report (2020). https://app.box.com/s/mysb3uh5054nynusu0nei4dvft5r8ukf
Lang, C., Craig, A., & Casey, G. (2017). A pedagogy for outreach activities in ICT: promoting peer to peer learning, creativity and experimentation. British Journal of Educational Technology, 48(6), 1491–1501. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12501
O’Sullivan, K., Bird, N., Robson, J., & Winters, N. (2019). Academic identity, confidence and belonging: the role of contextualised admissions and foundation years in higher education. British Educational Research Journal, 45(3), 554–575. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3513
Yorke, M. (2016). The development and initial use of a survey of student ‘belongingness’, engagement and self-confidence in UK higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in
Higher Education, 41(1), 154–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2014.990415
Further Reading:
Jessica Skipper
Jessica Skipper, MPA, serves on the UAF Retention Team, EAB Leadership Team, CircleIn Team, and other student success committees. Jessica also trains instructors, staff, and students on how to use student success technology.