CircleIn app gives WCC students opportunity to study together virtually

With more and more students taking online classes, Washtenaw Community College has taken steps to add a missing ingredient to their education: Studying collaboratively with classmates.

Introduced in the Fall 2020 semester, the CircleIn app allows students receiving online or virtual classroom instruction to collaborate with fellow students on projects and assignments or exchange class notes.

CircleIn also allows students to earn awards and become eligible for scholarships by studying and collaborating with the app.

Web login instructions:

1. Visit app.CicleInApp.com on your computer or laptop.
2. Search for Washtenaw Community College. This will take you to the Blackboard login page.
3. Enter your netID and password and select “Authorize.” Once you log in, all your classes will be loaded automatically.
4. You’re all set! Select your rewards and start studying.

Mobile login instructions:

1. Download the CircleIn app from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Open the app and search for Washtenaw Community College. This will take you to the Blackboard login page.
3. Enter your netID and password and select “Authorize.” Once you log in, all your classes will be loaded automatically.
4. You’re all set! Select your rewards and start studying.

“The current online or virtual classroom format, while successful, restricts students from being able to participate in college-organized and student-organized in-person study groups,” said Linda Blakey, WCC Executive Vice President for Student and Academic Services. “Along with what they learn from instructors and class resources, students can also learn from each other.”

CircleIn’s website describes the app as a way for students to “connect and brainstorm together just like they would in a coffee shop, but online, and they stay productive, even at a distance.”

The CircleIn app also allows WCC tutors to provide support to students individually and through study groups.

CircleIn is a recipient of a National Science Foundation Innovation Grant and has received additional funding from private sources, Blakey said. The app, she added, is used in more than 20 states and will be made available at more than 30 colleges and universities this fall.

“Creating a complete online college that mirrors a student’s experience and services on campus has been a critical component of our strategic plan,” said WCC President Dr. Rose B. Bellanca. “The virtual classroom mode we created when classes were moved to remote delivery at the start of the pandemic has been very well received because it allows students to interact directly with their instructors and classmates. The CircleIn app enables them to work with their classmates outside of the online instruction.”