In an increasingly digital world, fostering a sense of community among students is vital. At Linn-Benton Community College, the LBLive app has become a useful tool for connecting students, whether they are attending classes online or in person.
The app features school links and resources, as well as a student feed where users can interact and post questions, information, memes, and more.
One of the main challenges faced by LBLive is low engagement. The student feed often becomes cluttered with promotional content, which can deter genuine interaction. However, change has arrived.
At the end of winter term, LBLive has been slowly phased out for a new platform, LBChirp. The new program can be joined via this link.
Ahead of the change, we spoke with Skylar Paul, primary site support for LBLive, LBRadio, and campus media. Paul, an LBCC graduate, has been working in Student Leadership since June of 2021, and has been in support roles with the college since 2016.
“A few hundred students actively use LBLive,” said Paul. “Feedback indicates that the app feels outdated; users can’t reply to comments or share videos.”
Paul is addressing the issues with LBLive by simplifying contests and reducing ads. The transition to LBChirp is expected to further address these concerns by offering new features tailored to student needs.
Compared to similar apps at other institutions, LBLive stands out for its focus on building a community. However, like many educational apps, it faces challenges in keeping content relevant for a diverse student body. Experts in educational technology emphasize the importance of digital platforms in fostering community among students.
Travis Overvig, president of the Student Leadership Council, noted that LBChirp will be a brand new app that users will have to download – not just an update. Unlike LBLive, it will also feature a web-based version that doesn’t require an app.
“It’s more accessible than before,” he told The Commuter.
As LBCC rolls out LBChirp, there is optimism about its potential impact on student life. By addressing current challenges and introducing innovative features like bounty points, LBChirp aims to create a more engaging experience for all students.
Overvig further explained LBChirp’s bounty points system: “For the new app LBChirp, or The Chirp, we have a bounty system included that awards points to users when they accomplish certain things, such as attending events, answering survey/polling questions, etc. These points add up and the student can redeem them for gift cards. This gamifies the experience for students and will hopefully allow for more engagement.”
Paul said that while LBChirp may not initially have all the features of its predecessor, its focus on gamification makes it a promising tool for enhancing student engagement at LBCC. One of the key benefits of gamification is that it makes learning informative and exciting thanks to its interactivity. These competitive elements add an immersive angle.
“Our outgoing app, LBLive, is a great app,” said Overvig. “But we chose to transition to our new app to primarily save on operational costs and to allow for us to incorporate a new design with fun and unique features.”
