According to VU Provost Dr. Laura Treanor, "Vincennes University is off to a great start with CircleIn! We far exceeded the CircleIn goal of 25 percent involvement by the end of the first semester and have over 33 percent of VU students actively using the app. Students are finding great value in using CircleIn to study remotely, engage with classmates and interact with course content."

VU is among the first in the country to implement the National Science Foundation-supported app. It is based on neuroscience, encourages collaboration, and promotes student success.

"When I use CircleIn, I find that my test grades are better than when I am not using CircleIn," Nursing Major Alyssa Verkamp said. “It is also letting me meet new people and talk to them about school and other things as well.”

CircleIn + Study = Awesome Prizes and More 

Students who use the app can rack up points to earn a variety of rewards.

"You have a chance to win gift cards for studying,” said Sadie Ditler, a Nursing student at VU Jasper from Minneapolis. “What more do you want?”

Forestry and Conservation major Ben Burke readily admits he started using CircleIn solely for the Amazon gift cards. It soon became clear. It offers so much more.

The Vincennes native begins each week by filling out the workflow by adding his assignments, chores, work schedule, and more.

"I like how flexible the workflow is set up," he said. "It’s a really good tool in helping myself stay organized and up to date in my classes."

The notecard feature is Burke’s favorite. 

"They greatly help me in my Dendrology class, which involves memorizing a lot of Latin terms," he said. "One of my friends and I will just get on the class feed, and dump a bunch of questions over Dendrology to quiz each other."

Technology Makes Studying Easier

CircleIn can be used on a mobile device such as a phone or tablet. It also can be used on a laptop or computer. Go HERE to get started.

"CircleIn helps you study in an easy and efficient way," VU Nursing major Kelsey Howard of Odon, Indiana, said

Ditler likes that the app allows her to keep all her study materials (flashcards, notes, ability to ask classmates questions)in one spot. She appreciates not having to carry a laptop or notebooks with her, and it allows her to study while she is doing things like sitting in a waiting room or spending time outdoors, or lounging on the couch.

Ditler jokes she has created around a million and one flashcards. She says the feature was the biggest draw.

"For someone who struggles with staring at blocks of text on notebook paper or textbooks, being able to type out the information I need to retain into small chunks in flashcard form has absolutely saved me,” she said. "I didn’t realize how useful the flashcard method of studying is for me until I didn’t have to write them out on physical paper."

Ditler added, "I think it is fun in that I can see when other people are utilizing my flashcards as well as the "thank feature" and it makes me feel as though my hard work is extending beyond my benefit. Other people are getting something out of my hard work.”

Students Learn Better When They Study Together

CircleIn makes it convenient for  Pre-Dental Hygiene major Emma Rainey to connect and study with classmates when she’s not physically on the Vincennes Campus. Rainey is a commuter student and lives an hour from Vincennes in Mount Carmel, Illinois.

"I love that I am able to communicate with peers through CircleIn,” Rainey said. "CircleIn helps not only with studying habits. I’m able to communicate with peers in the same classes without having to meet up. It has also allowed me to communicate with people in my online classes the best. They are the ones I do not get to meet or speak with in class, so being able to reach out on CircleIn helps greatly."

Just like meeting in a dorm lounge or coffee shop, or library, students can enjoy the same experiences in virtual study rooms.

"I can see my classmates face-to-face and collaborate with them on class projects and major assignments, which really enhances your learning experience," said Verkamp, who is from French Lick, Indiana, and attends VU Jasper.

Collaboration is key to learning. In the era of COVID-19, VU faculty Kathy Barbush notes CircleIn makes it possible for students to answer questions from their fellow classmates and to collaborate on assignments even when they are not in the same physical shared space.

"If students have things they are uncertain about, getting other classmates' viewpoints on the assignment is very beneficial," Barbush said.

Research shows educational experiences which are active, social, contextual, engaging, and student-owned lead to deeper learning, according to Cornell University.

To get started with CircleIn and take advantage of all its benefits, Go to https://www.vinu.edu/learning-support-services/index.html/CircleIn

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