CircleIn: The Peer Based Enhancement of Online Learning
by Viveca Stucke
Changes to education have become a necessity as a result of COVID and a fundamental need for online learning. Students and teachers have had to alter their lifestyles for online learning, which facilitated the need for new resources.
Cape Cod Community College (4C’s) has created pathways for students to strengthen their educational careers through their promotion of CircleIn. This is a studying app which allows students to connect with their peers through taking notes, organizing study groups, and producing flashcards.
“I think that students need more ways to connect to each other. This could provide a place for that interaction” says Kate Condon, a Mathematics professor at 4C’s.
Online learning has been ensued by many difficulties, as students have had to adjust to a new way of comprehending material. CircleIn permits student engagement in their learning and offers gift cards as rewards to gain student involvement.
“The incentives are a nice entry point.” says Condon. “Once students start using CircleIn, I think it would be a great way to manage class notes, ask questions of peers, and engage with a tutor.”
CircleIn fulfills academic goals that help to enhance students, teachers, and administrative experiences. The usage of CircleIn with 4C’s has inspired educators to expand their objectives to promote more student success.
“In my training with Quality Matters, an online teaching certificate program, I first saw peer to peer interaction as a specific academic goal.” Condon adds. “Peer to peer interaction, faculty to student interaction, and student to content interaction make up three aspects of education that help improve student experiences.”
The foundation of online learning provides a lack of connection with classmates due to the class structure. Students are seeing one another on a computer screen, which doesn’t permit for bonds to be built with peers. It also may alter a student’s motivation and/or change their path to success.
“It’s near impossible to make friends over zoom. Once I close my laptop I feel alone.” mentioned 4C’s Student Body President Colleen Ellis, an active member on CircleIn. “There’s no facing the professor when you don’t log in or forget an assignment. You just have to entirely self-motivate and it’s very difficult when you feel alone.”
CircleIn allows for relationships to thrive between students to intensify academics. Students are in need of resources that will enable their success and facilitate their educational triumphs.
“I think that some students have been looking for more connections with classmates.” adds Condon “Circle In provides a place to collaborate and share with peers.
This app not only augments academic resources, but it magnifies the importance of peer connection, which is an ideology that educators have attempted to implement through their relationships with their students. Peer to peer connection empowers students through giving them a more comfortable way to learn.
“Professors, no matter how long they have been in the business only know so much about the modern mind of students today. Other students in the class are willing to help, and they don’t come from a place of authority which can be intimidating.” adds Ellis. “I know I’m much more likely to ask a friend for the notes of the day I missed than email the professor. Peer to peer learning just has this much deeper understanding of empathy and kindness that you just can’t put a price tag on.”
This ideology adds a new aspect to learning and will help to strengthen the educational foundation that students are building at 4C’s. CircleIn works with the belief that connections are vital to academics and help to reinforce success.
“CircleIn provides a place to collaborate and share with peers.” says Condon “I hope it helps get more students involved! And then once they get started, I hope that they find this app to be beneficial.”
The app also allows students to strengthen their independent educational habits. Circle In is a resource which aids students in their organization skills and helps them to develop routines for studying.
“Circle in literally incentivizes good note taking and studying, for students who are looking for motivation.” Ellis says.” “It works so well and for students like myself who struggle to see the long-term effects of studying hard or taking extra good notes, they get the instant gratification of an Amazon gift card or Target or Sephora and that encourages them to work harder, create good notes and study more helping them get better grades.”
All 4C's students have access to CircleIn. To try it out, go to https://www.circleinapp.com and use your school email to login. It will bring you to the database that 4C's set up.
Categories: Student Life,