Learning circles are free, lightly-facilitated study groups that meet regularly to learn from open educational resources.

Rooted in values of community, peer learning, equity, and open access, a learning circle typically has the following components:

Interested in starting your own learning circle? Read on!

What can I expect in the first meeting?

In the first meeting, you’ll get to know your fellow learners and familiarize yourself with the course materials that you’ll be using for the duration of the learning circle. Your facilitator may contact you before the first meeting with additional information.

What topics can I learn about?

Learning circles use free online courses as the basis of study. These courses come from online course providers, universities, and non-profit organizations from around the world. Any online course can be used, so long as it is free for participants and not in violation of the terms of service of the course provider.

Do learning circles cost money?

No. Learning circles are free to participate in and free to start.

Do I get a certificate at the end of the learning circle?

P2PU is not a university and does not offer any accredited degree certificates. Some of the online courses that are used in learning circles provide the option to purchase a certificate, which you can do if you so choose. It is, however, possible to receive a certificate of completion following your learning circle. You should speak to your facilitator if this is of interest to you.

What personal information do I need to provide in order to participate?

Can I facilitate a learning circle?

Credit-Bearing FAQs

These additional FAQs only apply to learning circle participants who are pursuing college credit through our partnership with College Unbound.

What do I need to do to earn credit?

To be eligible to earn academic credit for a learning circle, you must complete all of the course material, fill out an accompanying learning journal, and complete one additional project, the details of which vary by course. Everything must be submitted to College Unbound within three weeks of the end of the learning circle.

What does earning credit mean in this case?

Do I need to apply for credit in order to participate?

No. These learning circles are open to everybody, and pursuing credit is completely optional.

Do I need to attend each meeting?

You need to complete the course and the reflections. If you miss one or two but catch up, that’s okay.

Is there a cost?

No, the learning circle and the application for credit are free. If you need an official College Unbound transcript, it will cost $2.25 to $3.50, but College Unbound does not require that you purchase an official transcript.

How do I submit my learning journal?

Who is my learning journal shared with?

What if I have more questions?

Facilitating a learning circle requires about 3 hours per week on the part of the facilitator, most of which is spent in the actual learning circle. In addition to that, some time is often needed for set up, clean-up (if meeting in person), communicating with learners between each meeting, and familiarizing with the upcoming week of course materials.

Below is a recommended checklist that outlines the steps needed to get your learning circle running. We recommend that you schedule your first learning circle at least four weeks in the future, but you can compress or expand this timeline to suit your needs. If you don’t already have a dedicated group of learners, we recommend spending four weeks promoting your learning circle once you’ve finalized the date, time, course, and location.

First Steps

• Decide your learning circle details:

  • Number of meetings and length of each session

  • Meeting Dates & Times
• Confirm supplies will be available (laptops, headphones, pens, nametags, snacks, etc.)

• Reach out to affiliated or relevant local organizations to share your plans and look for advertising opportunities

4 weeks prior

2 weeks prior

• • We recommend using the last session of the learning circle to review the facilitator guide with learners. This wrap-up activity is an opportunity for collective reflection. You can share your guide by emailing it to us at thepeople@p2pu.org - we'll add it to our website to help future facilitators.

1 week prior

• Follow up with all registered learners to make sure they plan to attend, ask about accessibility considerations, and make plans for any technical troubleshooting (as needed)

• If in-person, confirm reservations with your meeting venue

• Gather supplies

Before each meeting

• Edit reminder messages – these will be sent automatically 2 days before the meeting and will include an RSVP link and information about the meeting space (unless you choose to edit that out)

After each meeting

• Capture feedback and communication with learners

  • Facilitators will receive an email notification after each meeting prompting them to reflect on the meeting.

  • Additionally, facilitators can send a recap message to learners to recap what was discussed during the meeting and loop in participants who could not attend.

  • Lastly a facilitator might want to edit the reminder message for the next meeting if there is anything to be done for that meeting.

Final learning circle meeting

• • During the last session of your learning circle, invite your class to review your facilitator guide with you. This is an opportunity to reflect collectively on the structure and activities that worked best from week to week.
• Surveys

  • The P2PU portal will send emails to learners before the final meetings, asking them to complete a survey about their experience

    • Ask learners to complete this survey during the final meeting during plus/delta

    • You can also find the learner survey link on your dashboard

  • After the last meeting, facilitators can rate their learning circle, course and complete an additional survey. The responses to the learner surveys can be downloaded, and a facilitator can view a Learning Circle Insight summary in their dashboard.

No two learning circles are alike! Ultimately, it's up to the group to decide how they want to work through their learning materials. Below are a few common practices that help reinforce a peer learning environment and prevent facilitators from slipping into the role of a teacher.

Check-In

Starting and finishing each meeting as a group is a core component of learning circles. A consistent check-in warms up the group and is a reliable way to build community, recap previous sessions, and set expectations for the meeting.

A good check-in can:

• Create a space for everyone to speak or feel heard

• Encourage creativity and playfulness

• Shed light on common points of interest and experience

• Allow each participant to introduce themselves however they want

• Model group participation

• Introduce tools, topics or questions that both relate to the meeting and can be used to reflect upon at a later time or date

Check-In Activities to Try

❓Open-Ended Questions (In-person/Online)

Pose a question to the group and ask each participant to respond. A good question can be answered in a single sentence and provide an opportunity to share personal (but not too personal) information with the group.

Our favorite questions are:

• What is something that you learned recently?

• What’s a fun fact about the community you come from?

• What would your superpower be?

You can also ask goal-oriented questions:

• What brings you here today?

• What is the one thing you will need help with this week?

• What would you like to learn today?

📦 Treasure Hunt (Online)

Ask people to find or share something small through their webcam. This can be both very low stakes (“find something blue!”) or personal (“find something meaningful to you”) or specific (“find a fridge magnet”).

👪 Class Photo (In-person/Online)

📺 Media Share-Out (Online)

Being online presents the opportunity to share media with one another. This can also be a great, low-stakes way to help participants become more comfortable using shared notes documents and copying media from the internet. A few examples include:

• Paste an image of your favorite _________ in a shared notes document

• Share your favorite meme

📔Recap (In-person/Online)

Ask someone to give a summary of what was discussed during the previous meeting or meetings. This reminds the group of what was covered already and can be helpful for someone who missed a previous meeting.

Learning Formats

The way your learning circle progresses through the learning material can take many forms, varying based on different groups and topics: reading an article or a textbook chapter, watching lecture or tutorial videos, trying out interactive content, etc.

To support different learning styles, it's helpful to explore different types of learning formats. Sometimes these activity ideas come easily (e.g. if the topic is public speaking, learners can take turns sharing short monologues), and sometimes they require some creativity to effectively reinforce the goals of the module. We find that a mix of passive and active activities combining individual learning and group exploration allow for deeper understanding of the learning material. It also keeps things interesting!

Learning Formats to Try

👀 Read & Watch as a Group (In-Person/Online)

Online courses are often designed to be read and used individually. Depending on the interests and needs of the group, online text, videos, and even quizzes can be read and used in a group setting. For example:

• Have someone read the text out loud, or take turns reading different parts of the text

• Project or screen share a video and watch together at the same time

• Nominate someone new each meeting to be in charge of presenting an overview of what to expect from the learning materials

👥Breakout Rooms (In-Person/Online)

🐝 Buzz / Think-Pair-Share (In-Person)

Whenever information is presented to a large group, ask everyone to turn to their partner for a quick “buzz” to talk about what was seen, heard, or understood. A buzz can last 30 seconds or a number of minutes. With a little more effort, everyone can be encouraged to think by themselves, converse with a partner, and share their perspective back with everyone else, or simply, “think-pair-share”.

🏖 Beach Ball / Talking Stick (In-Person/Online)

Get everybody involved in a discussion while removing the facilitator as the mediator of every interaction. Start by presenting a prompt or question to the group and ask somebody to answer. When they’ve finished, they can pass the question onto somebody else by calling out their name, like a beach ball, or alternatively, pass an object that acts as a talking stick.

🐟 Fishbowl (In-Person/Online)

A fishbowl is a small group discussion which takes place inside a larger circle of participants who listen-in. It allows a large group to listen to different opinions while taking the pressure to speak off of the rest of the group. To do this online, simply nominate a small group of people (4 works well) to respond to a question. If somebody wants to join the discussion circle, they can raise their hand to join and kick somebody who has already spoken out of the discussion circle.

⌨️ Typed Response (Online)

🎓 Outside Expertise (In-Person/Online)

Bring the group on a field trip or host an expert in-person or virtually to answer questions or provide feedback. Learning circles are based on the expertise of the group, but that doesn’t mean you can’t look outside for answers to your group's questions.

🔁 Critique and Feedback (In-Person/Online)

Modeling good feedback and constructive criticism can help make learners more comfortable sharing with one another. Learning circles that have tangible outcomes such as creating a website or a piece of written work benefit from having people share their work and receive feedback. When introducing feedback, we recommend offering some guidelines such as:

• Those offering feedback should include something positive first

• Ensure recommendations specific and actionable

• When receiving feedback, try to listen with open ears, and remember that we all have each other’s best interests at heart.

🧠 Brain Drain (In-Person/Online)

Peers can be a valuable resource for answering each other’s questions. To maximize the groups’ input, give learners a few minutes to write all possible ways to solve a given problem or address a question. Emphasize that people should write all ideas that come to their minds without censoring themselves, and ask learners to share their responses with others. Creative possibilities can emerge from these brainstorming sessions.

❔ Ask Three Before Moving On (In-Person/Online)

At times, learners will have questions that no one in the group can answer. In these instances, you can encourage them to list three resources, individuals, or problem-solving strategies that can provide them with answers. Challenge participants to think of people they know outside their learning circle, websites, books, online tutorials, or even new ways of framing the issue. Before moving on, encourage learners to tap into some of these resources during their learning circle meeting.

🗺 Mind Map (In-Person/Online)

🕐 One-Minute Paper (In-Person/Online)

Ask learners to write down their ideas for 60 seconds in this activity. You can use a prompt or simply ask people to write their reactions to readings, videos, or discussions. One-minute papers are particularly helpful for participants who are quieter and need time to think before jumping into discussions. This strategy also helps more outspoken individuals from dominating conversations.

😿Talk About Failure (In-Person/Online)

Create space for your learning circle to share some mistakes made or struggles felt during the learning circle. This should help learners feel less pressure about always “knowing” the right answer and allow them to feel more comfortable asking peers for help. For example, you might ask someone for a struggle they had with the course material, what lesson was learned from that experience, and how they can imagine using that lesson going forward.

Energizers

Especially during meetings longer than an hour, a quick break or energizer activity can give the group some time to reset and refresh. Consider adding in a 5 minute energizer when you notice energy levels getting low!

A good energizer can:

• Make the body move

• Encourage creativity and play

• Invite group participation

• Create a transition

• Be accessible and comfortable for everyone in the group

Energizer Activities to Try

⏰ Take A Break (In-Person/Online)

💥 The Shakedown (In-Person)

Ask everyone to stand up, form a circle, and prepare to shake every limb of their body together. Explain that you will start with your right arm, and shake it 8 times while counting (loudly if possible!) each shake “1- 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8!” Explain that after this you will follow this with eight shakes of your left arm, right foot, and then left foot. After that, you’ll repeat the same pattern but with four shakes each, then two, then one. End with a big cheer!

🥥 Coconut (In-Person/Online)

Ask everyone to spell coconut with their body taking the shape of each letter “C-O-C-O-N-U-T”. It is a very easy way to simply stretch your body in a playful way.

👂 Storytelling (In-Person/Online)

Three blind men touched an elephant, one touching at the front, one at the side and one at the back. The first told his friends: ‘An elephant is long and about as thick as a man’s arm.’ The second one said, ‘No, it isn’t. It’s flat and feels like paper. It is very thin.’ The third one said, ‘You’re both wrong. It’s large and hard and hot, smelly stuff comes out of it.’

🏡 Room Tour (Online)

Giving everybody 30 seconds to share the view out of their window (or show off part of the room that they are in) can help people better understand each other and their unique contexts. We only recommend using this as a check-in after a group has met a few times and everybody feels comfortable with one another.

Reflection

A planned closing space helps the group collectively consider what was covered during the meeting and provide feedback to guide their experience moving forward. As a baseline, we often recommend using a Plus/Delta: each participant shares a plus (something that went well) and a delta (something they’d like to change for the next meeting). These contributions can seed a brief conversation about ways to improve the next meeting.

A good reflection can:

• Create a space for everyone to give feedback

• Encourage participants to recognize and celebrate past learning

• Transition the group to work and life outside of the learning circle

• End the meeting on a positive and hopeful note

Reflection Activities to Try

➕ Plus/Delta (In-Person, Online, 3–20 min)

A quick easy reflection activity is asking everybody one thing that went well that day (“plus”) and one thing to change for the next week (“delta”). These contributions are a great way for facilitators to get fresh feedback and can seed a brief conversation about ways to improve the next meeting. This can be answered out loud or typed out into a video chat or collaborative agenda if time is short.

💬 One Word Response (In-Person, Online, <2 min)

A quick way to end a meeting while still getting feedback from everyone is to ask participants to say, type, or write one word that represents how they are feeling or their plans for the week. For example, “How would you describe our time together in one-word?”

❓ Open Question (In-Person/Online, 1-3 min/participant)

In groups of 10 or less, you can ask a specific question as a wrap-up. Our general rule of thumb is to not ask anything that you’re not genuinely interested in hearing the answer to.

Our favorite questions:

• What’s something that surprised you this week?

• What is one thing we can do differently next week to make our virtual meeting space more hospitable?

• What are our immediate next steps?

📓 Journaling (In-Person/Online)

Journaling can help participants set actionable, small, achievable, and measurable tasks and goals. These goals, which need to set specific and clear outcomes, should be done over the duration of the learning circle program. After identifying the goal(s), ensure that each participant shares them with the group for accountability so that peers can offer support and motivate each other to stay on track.

🙏 Give Thanks (In-Person, Online, 1-2 min/participant)

Ask everyone to give thanks to someone else in the group for something they did during the meeting or during the previous weeks. The question could be focused towards those inside the learning circle, or could be directed outwards to certain people (family, friends) who helped make the learning process easier.

Learning circles work best when learners can identify what motivates their participation, and the same is true for the facilitator. As you begin thinking about the learning circles you want to run, here are some questions you can ask to set your intent:

• What are you personally hoping to achieve by facilitating a learning circle?

• What need are you trying to address in your community?

• Who do you expect to reach?

• How will you know if your experiment was a success?

Once you’ve established your personal goals for a learning circle, you’ll want to start sharing your ideas and gathering buy-in from people who will help you along the way. This may include reaching out to people who you think might want to participate, organizations that might help you promote your learning circle, or a group that you are part of that can give you feedback on your idea. You are also, of course, welcome to reach out to P2PU at any time if you want our input!

Identifying Community Interests

If your goal is to run programs that support the needs of your local community, you may want to gather insights and interests from prospective learners. By working with partner organizations and networks, building strong relationships between you and people around you, and outreaching to specific audiences, you’ll be much better suited to know what people in your local area want to learn and how to reach them.

Community outreach can be done successfully in a variety of ways, in-person and online, and will often depend on your unique resources and circumstances. Here are some popular tools and strategies:

• Assess interests of and gather data from current students or patrons: Observation and insights gathered from each branch and location is key to understanding your unique community. If you're part of a library, you can use collections data or access stats from institutional memberships (like Lynda.com) to understand what your patrons are seeking out.

• Ask local businesses: Visiting a number of local businesses and simply asking what skills or community programs they feel are missing.

• Community partnerships: National or regional partners have a good understanding of the needs and interests of people who may not be connected to your community agency or library. They might also host local meeting or meetups which you can support, host or collaborate with.

The Q Method

P2PU's go-to strategy for soliciting interest in learning circle topics is The Q Method, an asynchronous dot-based voting methodology that can be used in-person or online. The Q Method is named after Qumisha (a.k.a. Q) Goss, a librarian from Detroit Public Library who came up with the idea as a way to promote learning circles at her library branch. (She now works with P2PU full-time—hi Q!)

The Q Method is a participatory public bulletin, traditionally created using paper, tape, and dot stickers. The board documents and displays community interests on specific topics, online courses, or ideas.

The Q Method not only invites community contribution for deciding topics, it also helps promote upcoming programs to everyone who wanders by the poster. This concept has been re-used by learning circle facilitators around the world, and can also have applications for other community feedback issues, such as strategic planning, programming decision-making, and understanding community satisfaction and engagement.

Q Method Templates & Examples

If you want to use the Q Method in person, we've created a few templates you can use, modify, or reimagine with your own designs or topics. They're all built in Google Slides so you won't need to download any programs to modify them, just a Google-compatible account.

To edit your own copy, click "view template" underneath the previews below; once you've opened the file, navigate to File > Make Copy to save a version in your own Google Drive.

Virtual Q Method

P2PU has created two Google Forms templates with different sets of topics based on the P2PU Q Method poster template shared above. You van view and make copies of them below:

You can submit test responses to these surveys if you’d like to try them out, but please make your own copies before distributing to your community to avoid any security issues with learner contact info. Feel free to make any and all changes that you need to!

For those who can't find the right course or who have knowledge they want to share in learning circles, this section outlines how to design and publish an online course for learning circles.

Whether a subject matter expert or a motivated hobbyist, we believe anyone can assemble high-quality learning materials that can be shared with learning communities around the world. Along the way, you’ll also:

• Learn new skills: Creating a course is a great way to practice and refine a number of skills, including learning design and web development.

• Participate in our community: Course creators are invited to join our community and stay up to date on how their course is being used around the world.

• Contribute to an OER ecosystem: By developing an open educational resource, you’re contributing to an equitable process of knowledge sharing.

Outlining the Course

Before drafting content, course creators should first identify the audience they are serving and outline appropriate learning goals.

Establish Learning Goals

Take the time to establish an outline before diving in and writing content. There are three questions that we ask ourselves as we undertake a course creation project:

1. Who are you creating this course for? You should have an understanding of who you are creating this course for, and why. A helpful way to think about this is to write down minimal set of qualifications you have for a participant who joins the learning circle. Are there certain skillsets (language fluency, digital literacy, access to materials) that will restrict who can meaningfully engage with your course? Is it relevant only for people in a particular country or region?

2. What expectations will participants bring to this course? No matter how clearly you think you outline the scope of the course, people will show up to a learning circle with their own expectations about the subject matter. Understanding the outcomes that participants will be hoping to achieve as well as any preconceptions that they may bring to the learning circle will help you scope out a course that is both rewarding and also appropriate given the format and time allotted.

3. How will you know if participants have succeeded? Considering how you expect participants to demonstrate mastery of a topic is an important step in the course creation process. With some topics there will be a very clear artifact that results from the learning circle (e.g. an updated resume, a new website); other times it will require participants to articulate progress in a more abstract concept (e.g. increased confidence using computers, deeper understanding of Caribbean history).

Outline Each Module

Once you’ve established the goals for a course, start arranging materials into weekly modules, outlining 2–3 learning goals for each individual meeting. When scoping out the learning goals, keep in mind the 6-8 week length of learning circle: we tend to think about the learning content as being more than a workshop, but less than a semester’s worth of work.

Write Course Introduction

Finally, we often find it helpful to take all of this work and summarize it into a first draft of the course landing page. In addition to drafting a course title, you should include:

• Who you are and why you created the course

• Major learning objectives for the course

• Expected pacing for working through the material

• Any needed prerequisites or expectations for participants

• Supplemental resources to help a facilitator prepare

Collecting Content

Structuring the Course

Pulling in Third Party Materials

In addition to bringing your own expertise to the table, we encourage course creators to broaden the perspective by referencing or including external content, as long as it can be done appropriately and will full credit to the original sources. Some practices for identifying usable external content:

When in doubt, reach out! You might be surprised how responsive people are when you’re trying to share their work with new audiences.

Design the Course

• Project-based > theoretical: Learning circles work well when participants are working towards a shared goal. Frame your learning circle more towards “Learn to Write Fiction” than “Composition 101”; more towards “Build a website” than “Intro to HTML/CSS”.

• Personal > “objective”: You are human! Be clear about your expertise, perspective, and motivation in creating this course. Own your expertise, and don’t try and hide behind the cloak of objectivity.

• Group discussion > user interaction: Rely on the relationships formed in the learning circle rather than overbuilding interactivity into the course. Personal exploration comes through discussion questions, not quizzes.

• Quality > quantity: Where possible, provide a variety of forms of engagement. We like to mix up text, videos, downloadable handouts/exercises, and linking out to interactive tools and resources.

• Further exploration > homework: Ideally, learners can have a successful learning circle experience without doing any homework outside of the meetings. That being said, your course doesn’t need to be an end-all-be-all: feel free to include opportunities for further work.

• Self/peer evaluation > exams: Think about assessment as an opportunity for personal and group reflection, rather than a test that needs to be passed.

• Transparency > hierarchy: Generally, a facilitator shouldn’t need a separate facilitation guide in order to run a learning circle. When thinking about the voice that you use, imagine a group working through the materials together, rather than a teacher imparting knowledge to a classroom.

• Connected > silo: Don’t feel like you need to present yourself as the single authority on the subject: Helping people find what they’re looking for is more important than increasing course retention.

Publishing

Once you’ve drafted your course content, it’s time to get it online. There are a number of considerations to make when choosing where to host your course:

• Are there platforms that you’re already familiar with?

• What types of media and interactivity do you want to include?

• How do you plan to maintain the course long-term?

• What technical skills do you have? What do you want to practice?

Course-in-a-Box

Browser-based word processor

Ready-to-use website builder

Static site generator + hosting solution

Other directions

There are plenty of other formats for hosting content on the web, some of which are explicitly designed for open educational resources. Popular options include:

Because the learning circle model is designed to support facilitators who aren't experts in the material, it can be tough to know how to choose the right course.

For facilitators evaluating materials, here are a few key points to consider:

• Clear Prerequisites: Even the most basic course has pre-requisites (time, literacy). Ensuring alignment between the stated goals of the course and what is expected beforehand is important.

• No Additional Materials Required: There's nothing more discouraging than beginning a course only to learn that there is an expectation that you have access to software or a book that aren't freely available to everyone in the learning circle.

• High Quality of Instruction: Are the course materials and the platform intuitive to use? Who wrote the material? Where does it come from?

• Adaptability to learning circles: Do the activities make sense being done together as group work? Is information shared in a linear format that will be easily adaptable to group study?

• Acceptable Workload: Does the weekly time commitment and duration of the course align with your expectations? It's totally fine to decide that you'll only work through part of a course; just make sure you set a reasonable goal for participants.

Accessibility Considerations

Particularly when meeting online or in a space where digital resources can't be provided for participants, it's important to keep accessibility in mind when assessing learning materials:

• Support for low bandwidth: If your learners don’t have reliable internet connections at home, courses with fewer videos and interactive elements might be more accessible.

• Mobile-friendly: Many learners may not have a computer but can still participate via a smartphone or tablet. Fortunately, some course providers (including edX, FutureLearn, Coursera, and Udacity) offer mobile apps.

• Digital literacy: Will learners need guidance or tech support to navigate a course website on their own?

• Tool Requirements: Consider the things your learners will need to complete a learning circle. Are there tools or materials they need to anticipate having access to?

​Online Course Creators

Commonly Used Non-Course Resources

The type of content that can be used as the basis for learning circles extends far beyond what you think about when you think about "online courses". While using the materials presented in this section may require a bit more adaptation up front, many successful learning circles have been run using the nearly infinite breadth of material freely available on the web. Common types of resources include:

A Note About Proprietary/Subscription Content

To create a supportive and effective space for everyone, it’s recommended that the group agrees on a set of norms for their meetings during the first meeting. It is the facilitator’s role to uphold these expectations and remind participants when they are not upheld.

Creating Group Norms

• Respect the speaker: When a person is sharing, allow them to share their complete thoughts without interruption. Listen actively and push past distractions from digital devices and your environment when possible.

• Speak from “I” and eye: Share from your own experience and perspective. Don’t assume the experiences of others and avoid making comments or generalizations about entire communities. Keep your shares focused on what you see, what you notice, and what you feel.

• Lean into discomfort: Some topics may be uncomfortable to talk about because of personal experiences or oppressions felt in your everyday life. The emotions and feelings that may arise are normal and can help enhance authentic learning together if shared. Participants are asked to lean into their own discomfort and honor the space for others to do the same.

• Step up, step back: A learning circle is most effective when all voices can be heard. If you find yourself speaking often, step back and create space for others to share their ideas. If you’re someone who prefers to listen, push yourself to speak out and share at least once per meeting.

• Keep it confidential: What happens in the learning circle stays in the learning circle. Respect the privacy of your fellow participants and don’t share others’ stories without consent.

Setting Goals for Learning

Shared goals can strengthen engagement within groups and help participants to overcome conflicts when they arise. Common ground opens the door for dialogue! This activity has three steps that can be adapted according to the number of participants in your learning circle:

1. First, each participant writes one to three personal goals.

2. Next, participants pair up and combine their ideas to define shared objectives.

3. Finally, all pairs disclose their ideas and the group defines its collective desired outcomes through discussions.

Group norms are not just for the first day - you can revisit them at the end or beginning of subsequent meetings to make sure that your group norms still fit your group’s needs. It's okay for the group to change them to make sure that the learning circle continues to be a comfortable and fair exchange of ideas and information.

Learning circles connect people around a topic of common interest, supported by freely accessible learning resources. While the group's facilitator is not expected to be an expert in the subject, it's the facilitator's job to identify these resources before the learning circle begins.

Regardless of where the content comes from, there is no such thing as a perfect course! No matter how well content is arranged, a course will never know you as a person, help you make decisions, or tell you when you need to look for answers somewhere else. The learning circle format and the power of peer learning do a lot of work to create a great learning experience. At its best, a course is a starting point for a community of learners to reach common goal, wherever that path may lead.

P2PU's Topic Guides

P2PU's Learning Resource Library

P2PU maintains a space where the learning circle community can collect and share open courses found from across the web. With a few exceptions, P2PU does not create or own this content—it is primarily a curated list. Materials added to this list are moderated and removed if they are duplicated, no longer available, or otherwise inappropriate for learning circles.

• Title

• Creator (e.g. MIT, University of Michigan, Khan Academy)

• Format (the type of resource)

• URL: Where the resource (or information about the resource, such as a publisher's description of a book) can be accessed

• Description (Write 1-2 sentences describing what people will learn from this resource. This is what learners will see when signing up for learning circles, and what facilitators will see when selecting a resource.)

• Keywords (Select or create a few keywords that will help learners and future facilitators find this resource.)

• Language

• License (copyright status of the materials, often found on the course or provider's page)

This information is shared on detail pages for each individual course. These pages are updated automatically to include details about how the materials have been used for learning circles, including:

• 1–5 star community ratings (from facilitator and participants)

• Links to a dedicated discussion about the course in the P2PU forums

Facilitator guides are weekly agendas that facilitators can use to adapt online course materials to the learning circle format.

Here are some examples of facilitator guides that we love:

Read on to learn more about ways to use facilitator guides!

Adapting online courses

Many online courses are designed for individual study, and this material doesn't always fit neatly into a learning circle structure. Here are some ways you can use facilitator guides to adapt courses to a learning circle format:

• Change the length of time devoted to covering a section of the course

  • Example: A free online course is structured into 4 weeks of 2-hour-long sessions, but your learning circle group can only meet for 60 minutes at a time. Use a facilitator guide to break up the content into 8 weeks of 60-minute-long sessions.

Take collective notes

Share an editable version of the guide with learning circle participants so that you can keep track of the knowledge that co-learners contribute. Some facilitators find that learners enjoy keeping records of particularly invigorating conversations between learners.

Keep track of questions

Facilitators are co-learners, not subject matter experts, and learners will often ask questions without a clear answer. Use the Reflection section of the facilitator guide to keep track of these questions, and check in at the beginning of sessions by asking learners to contribute the answers they found.

Save helpful resources

Over the course of the learning circle, learners will encounter videos, articles, books, and other resources to supplement their learning. Use the facilitator guide to save these resources for learners to find later.

Finding Facilitator Guides

Facilitator Guide Template

P2PU follows this standard template when making new facilitator guides:

Before the Learning Circle Begins

4. Add information about credit to your signup page and promotional materials.

During the Learning Circle

2. Remind participants that you will not be grading or correcting the learning journal. Submit any questions about learning journals and the credit process to collegeunbound@p2pu.org.

3. Throughout the learning circle, check in with participants seeking credit to make sure they are completing their weekly learning journal questions.

4. When the learning circle ends, remind credit-seeking participants they have an additional three weeks to submit their completed learning journal to collegeunbound@p2pu.org.

Nominating a Course for Credit

1. More is better, even if sketchy: The more information you give us on the form, including your initial ideas and questions, the better we will be able to guide you on setting up this learning circle. In other words, this form isn’t a test but a tool to help us help you create an awesome learning circle through which participants can earn college credit.

2. Links to the supporting MOOCs, resources, sites, etc are super helpful for us.

3. When answering the questions about learning outcomes, levels, and Big 10 competencies, just go with your best guess. Don’t stress over these questions.

4. We can help with final projects, but we’d also love to hear your ideas about what might (and possibly what might not) work.

5. Give it a go, and we’ll get back to you with feedback!

Learning Circle Promo Kit

Message Templates

In addition to flyers and online promotion, you may want to reach out directly to your partners, neighbors, and constituents through email or social media. Below are some template messages you can use or modify to advertise your learning circle:

Internal email template

Got a mailing list for your organization? Here's a starting template for finding potential learners:

Are you interested in learning about [topic] but don’t want to study alone? Why not join our learning circle and study face-to-face with your peers?

From [date] to [date] we’ll be meeting at [venue] to work together through a course on [subject] in a supportive, peer-based group. We won’t have a teacher—we’ll use the online course and our personal experiences to learn together.

There are no prerequisites for the course, but access to a laptop and some experience of using the internet would be helpful.

For more information, visit [link to website or sign-up page] or send an email to [email] for more information.

External email template

Are there other organizations in your town that would want to know about the learning circle? For example, local historical societies will have members who are interested in history courses and after school poetry clubs might be interested in creative writing learning circles.

If your learning circle takes place in a venue that has a schedule, public calendar, or newsletter, ask the administrators if you can add a notice about the learning circle.

We thought you might be interested in a learning project taking place in your community. We are going to be hosting a learning circle, a free, peer-led study group for learners who want to take online courses together in a public space. Each week, learners will meet for approximately 90 minutes to work through learning materials about [subject] together.

The learning circle will take place at [venue] and run from [start time] to [end time] on the following dates: [dates].

Interested people can learn more and sign up at [sign-up page link]. Please pass this message on to anyone in your community who you think might be interested, and get in touch if you have any questions!

Facebook message template

Does your community use Facebook? If so, try this post as a first step. Remember, people get a lot of information via social media, so to be really impactful, post reminders to Facebook about once per day. Remember to tag any individuals, projects, locations or groups who you think might be interested in joining your learning circle.

Interested in __(course subject)_? Don’t want to do it alone? Join a #learningcircle at __(venue)_ to meet each week and work through an online course together. The Learning Circle starts __(start date)__. For more information and to apply online: _ (link to website) _.

Twitter template

If your community uses Twitter for sharing information, then you can use the two template Tweets below to get started. To really get noticed, you should tweet these messages at least 3 times per day, and come up with a hashtag so people can search for the messages (we recommend using #learningcircles). Remember to add the link to your Learning Circle website, too!

Learn [topic] with others at [venue]! #learningcircle start [start date]. Learn more and sign up: [sign-up page link]

In #[city]? Want to learn new things with your peers? Join #learningcircles at [venue]. Sign up: [link to website or sign-up page]

How to Promote a Learning Circle

Learning circle facilitators share some ideas and best practices for promoting learning circles in their communities. Here are some of their key recommendations:

• Advertise using as many platforms as possible! Consult our templates for email, Facebook, and Twitter above

• When flyering, find walkable locations nearby as well as areas that are a natural fit for your desired audience (ex: posting flyers in a hospital to advertise a learning circle about infectious disease)

• Library staff at reference and circulation desks have built-in opportunities to connect with patrons, and they can share information about upcoming learning circles and provide online signup assistance to those who need it

• Invite local experts for a Q&A session during a learning circle session and include them on promotional materials

• In the weeks leading up to the learning circle, ask participants who have already signed up to invite other learners in their community

With contributions from:

• Wendy Pearson, Kansas City Public Library

• Kalela Williams, Free Library of Philadelphia

• Martha Yesowitch, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

• Qumisha Goss, Detroit Public Library

The Facilitator Dashboard is the space you see when you sign in to your P2PU account. From here, you can create and manage your learning circles and see what else is happening around the community.

Sections of the Dashboard

Member Learning Circles

My Learning Circles

This section of your Dashboard shows the learning circles you are facilitating. One tab lists your Active & Upcoming learning circles, and a second tab lists your Completed learning circles. If you don’t have any yet, click “Start a learning circle” to create one.

Courses I've Added

My Team's Learning Circles

You only have this table if you are part of a Team. It shows all of the learning circles facilitated by members of your Team.

If you are part of a larger organization that is running learning circles (such as Chicago Public Library), you should contact your learning circle organizer to make sure that you are added to the team. This will ensure that information about your learning circles is shared with them and that you have access to this section on your Dashboard.

Joining a Team

Joining a Team means:

• Your learning circles will appear on your Team’s learning circle page, making it easier for people in your community to find your learning circles.

• You’ll be informed of other learning circles happening across your Team through your dashboard and a weekly update. (You can configure email communications in account settings).

• Your email address will be visible to other members of your Team in the weekly update.

• Information about your learning circles will be included in any reporting or evaluation that your Team is conducting.

Learning circles are facilitated, not taught, which means you don't need to be a teacher or a subject matter expert in order to successfully host a learning circle:

The facilitator's role is to maintain the fidelity of the learning circle model (e.g. cultivating a supportive environment, keeping discussion on track, ending each meeting on time), but you’re not responsible for what happens during each meeting.

The good news is that facilitation is a practice, and that you needn’t stress about getting it “perfect” right away. Growing comfortable as a learning circle facilitator will be a continuous process of trying, reflecting, and iterating. And you needn’t do this alone. The P2PU community is here to help -- our welcome committee, community forum, monthly facilitator calls, and weekly reflection prompts are each designed to help you refine your practice and grow confident and comfortable in the facilitator role.

What follows are some of the most common questions and worries we hear from facilitators, followed by specific strategies for addressing them.

Establishing Your Role

Becoming a co-learner

In a learning circle, we are all teachers and learners. Your role as a facilitator and co-learner is to keep conversation flowing and to enable lifelong learning opportunities.

Learners will likely have questions without an immediately clear answer. As a group of peers, you can all contribute to the process of finding articles, books, and other resources that answer your questions as they arise:

• At the end of each session, ask learners to independently find resources that address these questions.

• Check in at the beginning of each session to add the resources that you all found to the facilitator guide.

Those new to the learning circle experience may need to adjust to learning without an expert or authority in the room. Encourage all participants to share information by redirecting questions addressed to you as a teacher back to the group. Try asking, "Does anyone else know, or have any thoughts about…." If you and the group get in the habit of asking questions to the whole group, it can go a long way to relieve the facilitator of the pressures of functioning as a teacher.

Delegating responsibilities

Facilitation can feel like an intimidating and time-consuming burden if you already have a lot of other work to do. It's important to remember that the group as a whole is responsible for this “peer-learning experience,” and as a facilitator, you can empower your fellow learners to take charge of their own learning making the role of the facilitator easier over time. As the learning circle progresses, you can start asking learners to take on some extra responsibility, such as:

• Summarizing the week’s material at the beginning of each meeting

• Setting up beforehand and cleaning up afterwards

• Sharing a resource or article that relates to the course content

• Helping a fellow learner who is struggling

• Bringing snacks

Working with a co-facilitator

You can also find support from working with a colleague or two within your organization to help you facilitate your learning circle. Co-facilitation provides you with built-in support. To make sure that co-facilitation works smoothly, make sure to coordinate weekly check-ins with your co-facilitators to make sure everyone is on the same page about their part of the facilitation responsibilities which can include:

• Managing the P2PU dashboard, and sending group messages

• Leading the discussion

• Synthesizing discussion/notes

• Managing chat

• Asynchronous support/tech support

Providing technical support

Managing Conversations

Creating group norms

💫 One, Some, Many Goals (In-Person/Online Activity)

Shared goals can strengthen engagement within groups and help participants to overcome conflicts when they arise. This activity has three steps that can be adapted according to the number of participants in your learning circle. First, each participant writes one to three personal goals. Then, they get into pairs and combine their ideas to define shared objectives. Finally, all pairs disclose their ideas and the group defines its collective desired outcomes through discussions. This activity can be used in tandem with the Group norms contract.

Mediating conflicts

1. Move toward—not away from—conflict: Conflict can be an opportunity to explore a problem or concern more deeply. Engage participants with questions that allow them to explain their opinions or comments.

2. Act as if you don’t know anything about the situation (even if you do): Acting as if you don’t know anything gives you the space to learn and hear information that you may not have, if you immediately jumped in with your personal assumptions.

3. Keep quiet, especially at the beginning: Silence is not a bad thing, allow silence to happen, and try to think of it as an opportunity. Silence is an opportunity for people to reflect, and gather their thoughts, and it can also be a space for a different person to speak up and share with the group.

Sitting with silence

Silence can be awkward and nerve wracking for someone trying to facilitate a discussion. You may feel like people are not engaged if they don’t respond quickly, however silence can also be an opportunity for people to gather their thoughts. To encourage others in the group to contribute to the discussion practice keeping quiet. Don’t rush in to fill the awkward silence. If you have trouble with keeping quiet, try counting to 10 or 30 in your head. One of your fellow learning circle participants may then rush to fill the silence. So keep quiet, especially in the beginning.

Sharing information between meetings

If your group has lively discussion and finds that they would rather spend time having discussion rather than reading together it may make your meeting more efficient to do reading outside of the normal meetings. In this case if the learners all agree you can have everyone do readings on their own to make more time for in person discussion. In addition it can be helpful to follow-up with learners after the regular meeting time, you can send meeting wrap up notes to all participants after each meeting in case they were absent or had some technical difficulties or connectivity issues. Weekly Wrap up meeting messages can make sure that all participants have access to any information or important takeaways that were shared during the meeting, or that came up after the meeting.

Encouraging Participation

Building trust

Learning circles participants can have varied previous experiences in educational settings that range from success to a crushing sense of failure. Some of them might be hesitant to actively engage in conversations for fear of failing or being unfairly judged. For this reason, it is vital to build trust among group members and re-establish trust in their ability to learn. People feel more comfortable with others when they understand their background, and you can make space for self-disclosure through ice-breaking activities. These activities are critical in virtual settings where people have fewer opportunities to chat with their peers before and after meetings. You can set the tone by being open about your own life experiences to encourage participants to do the same. Only do so to the extent that you are comfortable! Also, take a look at the suggestions under "Cultivating lifelong learning." People can start to rebuild their confidence as learners when someone helps them to set realistic goals, focus on learning strategies, and use relevant learning resources.

Contributing your experiences

What if you do know a lot about the topic at hand? Your experience and skills are as much a part of the learning community as everybody else’s, and you can and should certainly bring in your perspective. Just be mindful of your power in the group: disclose, but don’t impose. When disclosing personal knowledge about a subject, be mindful not to rush in with the answer but to instead allow the group the opportunity to explore questions and ideas first. Also, instead of always sharing information you know, think about sharing where you found or learned about that information as a resource for others.

Seeking answers

What if the group is stuck? If you are not a subject expert and your course content is not as clear as you would like, it's time to explore other external or supplemental resources. If you don’t have an answer, the facilitator and learners can all look up answers and share them back with the group in the following meeting.

Using diverse modes of communication

When you think about discussion, you probably think about people gathered together and speaking out loud to one another, and this is the normal expectation for in person and virtual meetings with video conferencing. However, sometimes you may need to promote other types of non-verbal communication to get a group to interact. Maybe you have some shy people in person or you may have some people who might have technical difficulties or limitations with their personal set up.

Here are a few alternatives to try:

• If you can see everyone you can try hand gestures such as thumbs up or thumbs down. This allows for participants to give a quick check in and may spark more verbal conversation when they see the responses of other learners.

• In online meetings, the embedded chat channel can serve as a nice space for conversation and an essential place for link sharing. It may also be the case that some participants do not have access to a working microphone and are therefore only able to communicate via the chat. If you use the chat function in addition to verbal communication make sure to check it regularly so that people who use the chat don’t feel left out of the conversation or start running a side conversation.

Cultivating lifelong learning

Managing expectations with realistic goals

When learning something new, optimism can quickly turn into discouragement. For instance, it’s unlikely that somebody with no programming background will get a fancy tech job after one HTML/CSS Learning Circle. To navigate this, express confidence that learners can achieve their goals, while also being realistic and aware of what is possible in six weeks. However, they will gain a better understanding of how to build a website, get a sense as to whether this is a subject they’d like to continue in, and have a peer group of like-minded individuals they’ve gotten to know. At the beginning of a learning circle, it is important to check-in and ask everyone what their goals are for the learning circle. It is very likely that your learners will have a wide array of goals. Once you have an understanding of each learner’s goals, you’ll be able to respond to this energy productively. You can have learners share their goals with the group if that is appropriate or have them write down their goals for their own personal reflection if the learning circle focuses on sensitive or more personal topics. And remember to check in periodically on the goals you set at the beginning of the circle as they may change throughout the process.

Exchanging learning strategies

Lifelong learners are equipped with strategies that can guide their own progress in a variety of situations. The good news is that you can help your group cultivate these abilities through exchange and reflection. For instance, after doing a course activity together, you can ask people about their problem-solving approaches and time management techniques. These questions can differ depending on the course you’re facilitating. In a public speaking or writing circle, you can have conversations about how people find the inspiration and space to work. For more technical topics, you can ask students to walk you through their thinking process when tackling different tasks. In a nutshell, discussions do not need to focus only on course content but also on learning strategies.

Here are some ideas on how to start these conversations:

• How do you structure your study routine outside a learning circle?

• How do you find help when you don’t understand something?

• Please, walk us through the process that you used to solve this problem.

• Where do you generally find answers to your questions about [learning circle topic]?

• How are you applying the knowledge acquired in this learning circle?

Sharing learning resources

Learning journals are designed to help learners reflect upon what they have learned, deepen their understanding, and make their notes more accessible when needed. Learning Journals comprise five unique components, three of which remain the same for every course.

1. Weekly Reflection: A recurring reflection that asks learners to share a reaction, insight, and/or question that they are taking away from the learning circle session. (This question is is the same for each course and need not change each week).

3. Final Reflection: A final reflection on the course that asks participants to describe their experiences, reflection on their initial expectations, and share their next steps in 1-2 pages. (This reflection is the same for every course).

4. Final Assignment: An independent project that should take participants 6-8 hours to complete. This may require engaging with supplemental materials outside of the learning circle.

5. Course Review: A paragraph-long reflection on the course materials (this review is the same for every course).

Learning Journal Template

A consistent meeting space goes a long way towards establishing a learning circle as a comfortable learning environment. Whether meeting online or in person, the best meeting spaces are reliable, accessible, and have limited distractions.

Meeting In Person

The most important consideration when meeting in person if whether or not a space supports the necessary equipment for a learning circle subject. At minimum, the space should have enough chairs and room for all participants to sit in a circle. For some topics, it may be useful or necessary to have additional equipment such as a projector to share video content with the group. If the topic is more technical, participants may need to have access to a computer.

Essential Needs

• Easily accessible space

• Consistent access to power and free internet

• Accommodation for any physical and/or learning disabilities in the group

• Restroom availability

Desirable Qualities

• A large wall for projecting or a screen to play learning content

• Natural light (studies show that people learn better with it!)

• Modular seating arrangements

• Near public transport / free parking

Questions to Ask

• Have the times been reserved for each weeks?

• Do you have access to any keys that you need?

• Do you know the wifi network name and password?

• Do you know where chairs, tables, and additional supplies are stored?

• Are you aware of any rules determining what time you must finish by each week?

Meeting Online

Meeting virtually requires a place for synchronous communication (e.g. video chat, conference call, shared notes) and, optionally, a separate channel for asynchronous communication (e.g. Whatsapp group, email thread, Slack channel) where the learning circle participants can interact.

Some facilitators are required to use institutional memberships for meeting software which takes care of choosing a meeting space. For those who aren't required to use certain software, there are dozens of free tools that allow people to work together in virtual spaces: video conferences, group phone calls, collaborative writing platforms. A facilitator shouldn’t need to spend any money to host an effective online learning circle.

Online Accessibility Considerations

The tools you choose to use in your learning circle can go a long way towards creating an environment that benefits all participants. Remember that you can always change the tool you’re using if it makes it easier for all learners to participate.

Some questions to ask when choosing an online setup:

• Are there specific supplies or technical requirements (software, equipment, etc.) needed to complete your learning circle topic?

• What resources (computer, smartphone, tablet, internet access) do your learners have access to?

• What tools do your learners already know how to use?

• Are your learners comfortable appearing in video or phone calls?

• Do you have colleagues who can provide insight, experience, or ideas about the right tools for your community?

Experienced facilitators recommended polling participants before or after sign-up to understand which resources they have access to and are comfortable using. You may discover that your community has limited access to or knowledge of the tools you planned to use.

As you find tools you want to use, keep learner accessibility in mind. Here are some ways that you can run accessible online meetings that support a range of learning styles and abilities:

• Research the accessibility of your meeting tool. Can it be used with assistive technologies like screen readers? Or just a keyboard, for participants who cannot use a mouse?

• Check for closed caption support in your course materials and meeting platform. If your meeting platform doesn’t automatically support them, consider asking a colleague or fellow learner to write captions or notes to help all participants follow along.

• Increase your cursor size and narrate actions and visuals if you plan to do any demonstrations with screen sharing.

• Test your audio setup with others and practice speaking to make sure your words are understandable and your environment is free of distracting sounds. Consider investing in a microphone or headset if you plan to facilitate lots of meetings.

Recommended Software

Jitsi is a free, open-source video tool that takes safety seriously and doesn’t require an account registration or software download on computers. No frills or friction: participants can click a link and immediately join. It works in most web browsers and on iOS/Android smartphones with a free app.

• Max Participants: Jitsi recommends no more than 35 people on video at one time. In our tests, quality starts to go down with more than 12–15 users.

• Dial-In: Jitsi generates dial-in numbers so learners without a webcam, computer, or smartphone can join the room via phone.

• URLs and Passwords: Jitsi lets you set custom URLs and passwords for a meeting room to make sure the right people find it and the wrong people don’t. (Note: Password settings reset every time the room is empty, so you must be the first one to join the room to set the password.)

• Participant Responsibility: Jitsi is minimally hierarchical—anyone can mute or kick anyone—which allows learners to take on co-facilitation roles in the group.

Jitsi Resources:

Considering Privacy and Safety

There are a few different steps that you can take to ensure that a group remains free of people who haven't registered for the group:

• Create very unique URLs for your meeting room and don’t post the link publicly on the web (like on your sign-up page). This will minimize random visitors or ne'er-do-wells. You can share meeting links privately with participants via email once they’ve registered.

• Add a password. If you have any concerns, add a password to your room. You can always change this if needed.

• Keep an eye on who signs up. Your P2PU facilitator dashboard lets you see who is signing up—if a participant has written anything that raises a red flag for you, you can either send them a message directly or simply remove them from the learning circle.

• Learn how to kick users. Most video chat tools have a feature to remove participants from a meeting. However, it may not prevent them from rejoining. Make sure to add or change the room password before kicking a user to prevent them from getting back in.

Providing Technical Support

‌Online learning circles tend to use three browser tabs at any given time - one for the online course, one for the video chat, and one for a shared notes document. In addition to bandwidth limitations, this workflow can be extremely daunting for individuals who aren’t used to working and collaborating online.

A few ways to mitigate these issues:

• Invite participants to show up in the online meeting space 15-20 minutes early to troubleshoot any tech issues that they may be having.

• Ask a colleague to join for the first thirty minutes to help troubleshoot with individuals. Creating a separate video chat dedicated to tech support can be a great way to offer 1-1 help to somebody who is struggling while allowing the rest of the group to proceed with the learning materials.

• Start the learning circle with an orientation session; make it clear that it’s optional but is a good way for folks to learn more about the tools that will be used and the learning circle model before the group digs into the course content the following week.

• Share your screen. Demonstrating what you want participants to do can be a lot easier than trying to explain it. Make sure you are comfortable sharing your screen before the learning circle, and practice sharing your entire screen versus a dedicated window.

Hybrid Meetings

There are some situations where you might want to facilitate an in-person learning circle that includes online participants. Facilitators who have had success with hybrid learning circles emphasize the importance of acknowledging and engaging both types of participants. Others note the difficulty in keeping online participants as involved as in-person participants, as online learners can miss side conversations and might need you to repeat information more frequently.

Creating a Hybrid Learning Circle

To host a hybrid learning circle using P2PU's website, create two separate learning circles - one online, and one in person - that are scheduled to occur at the same time. Be clear in both learning circle descriptions that your learning circle will be in a hybrid format.

Essential Needs

• Use a projector and speaker in the in-person learning space to amplify online learners' presence

Questions to Ask

• Can both types of learners see and hear each other?

• Can online learners contribute in meaningful ways to in-person conversations?

• Is a hybrid format the best way to meet both types of learners' needs?

  • If not, can you find a way to host the same learning circle at different times in different formats?

What makes a learning circle “credit worthy”?

It’s a combination of three things: a facilitator who has been onboarded, a library or partner that has agreed to participate, and a course that has been vetted by College Unbound.

How are credit-bearing circles different from “normal” learning circles?

Learners seeking credit will need to complete a learning journal, which includes a weekly reflection, a wrap-up activity in their learning circle, and a few assignments that are part of the course. All of this information is included in each learning journal for the course.

Can anybody sign up for the credit-bearing learning circles?

Yes, these learning circles are open to the public. Not all participants need to be seeking credit. There is no age limit for participants who wish to participate for credit.

Do participants need to have a high school diploma or equivalency to obtain credit from College Unbound?

No diploma or high school equivalency is necessary to obtain credit. However, if a learner decides to enroll in a degree seeking program at college unbound there are different requirements.

How do learners apply for credit?

Is there a cost for learners in applying for credit?

There is no cost for learners to apply for or receive credit for learning circles. If for some reason you need an official College Unbound transcript, it will cost $2.25 to $3.50, but College Unbound does not require that you purchase an official transcript.

How much more time does it take to facilitate a credit-bearing learning circle?

It shouldn’t take more than an extra 30-60 minutes per week. Any credit-related questions should be directed to College Unbound, so the main difference for the facilitator is just reminding those on the credit track to do their weekly reflections.

Do I need to tell anybody before I run a credit-bearing learning circle?

No. Once you’ve completed a P2PU training, you are free to run credit-bearing learning circles whenever you want.

Do I have to do anything to verify that participants have attended meetings or completed all of their assignments?

Facilitators are not required to monitor or grade any of the learning journal reflections or assignments. You may be contacted to verify that a learner participated in the learning circle, but you will not be required to account for weekly attendance data.

Can I alter the duration of the learning circle?

Each course has a required minimum number of meetings and a recommended cadence. You can choose whatever tempo you want for your meetings (e.g. weekly, 2x week) or add additional meetings, but you cannot shorten the number of meetings. Longer learning circles are not eligible for additional credit.

Can participants take multiple learning circles for credit?

Participants can join as many learning circles as they want, but they can only earn credit for each course once. In other words, if there are six courses approved for college credit, participants may earn up to six college credits.

Will there be more courses?

Does running a credit-bearing LC make me faculty at College Unbound?

Are learning circle participants automatically enrolled at College Unbound?

Is there a cost for seeking a degree?

Learners who wish to obtain a degree from College Unbound will be responsible for paying tuition for their classes at college unbound post-enrollment.

How can I promote a credit-bearing learning circle?

Accountability

Demonstrates the ability to meet or exceed agreed-upon expectations, taking ownership of all that happens as a result of personal choices and actions, and looking for solutions when there is a problem.

1. Demonstrates personal responsibility – acknowledges and corrects mistakes.

   a. What is a mistake you now realize you have made related to [topic of week/learning circle]? How might you correct it now and/or avoid it in the future? b. What is a mistake you have made? What did you do to address it?

2. Practices integrity – walks their talk. a. How does the [topic of week/learning circle] align with and/or challenge your values and beliefs? b. How will what you have learned from the [topic of week/learning circle] allow you to act in accordance with your values and beliefs? c. Give an example of when you have walked your talk. Said differently, give an example of when your action and behavior aligned with what you believe and value. d. Give an example of when you acted professionally in a challenging situation.

3. Effectively prioritizes and manages life and learning goals. a. What do you want to learn this [week/learning circle]? How will you manage your time to do so? b. How will this learning circle help you achieve a goal? c. How do you set and prioritize goals? d. Give an example of how you have prioritized between competing goals. e. Create a realistic timeline for this project. Tell why it is realistic and doable. f. Give an example of when you have created a timeline for a project and it didn’t work. What did you learn about how to create timelines from this experience? g. Give an example of when you have created a timeline for a project, evaluated your progress along the way, adjusted as necessary, and achieved your goal. h. Give an example of when you set and achieved a goal. What worked well? What was challenging? What would you do differently in the future? i. Set a goal. Create a timeline to achieve your goal. Evaluate your progress at key points in your timeline and make adjustments as necessary. Upon completion, identify what worked well, what did not, and determine what you want to remember in the future.

4. Is accountable for deadlines, results, and end products. a. What will it mean for you to be accountable to members of this learning circle? b. How will what you learned this [week/learning circle] help you be more successful in meeting deadlines with quality work? c. Give an example of how you have/have not balanced the sometimes competing goals of completing work on time and doing your best work. What did you do, what worked well, what would you change next time? d. Give an example of when you have missed a deadline. What did you do when you realized you were not going to make the deadline? What, if anything, would you do differently in the future? e. Give an example of when you have held yourself accountable for deadlines, results, and/or end products?

5. Seeks feedback and is open to constructive criticism. a. Ask for feedback on [this week’s assignment] from three different people. Evaluate what you gained from this feedback and how you can use it. b. When have you asked for feedback? How did you process it? c. Give an example of when you have been open to constructive criticism. What did you gain from this experience? d. What kind of feedback would you like to receive on _______? e. How have you applied the feedback that you received on ________?

6. Demonstrates preparedness. a. How do/will you make sure you are well-prepared for the next meeting of this learning circle? b. Describe a time when you were not well-prepared. What happened? How did you deal with the situation? What have or will you do in the future when you find yourself in a similar situation? c. Give an example of when you have demonstrated your preparedness.

7. Is punctual and honors meeting commitments. a. Are you someone who consistently shows up on time? Why or why not? b. How will you hold yourself accountable to be on time for our gatherings?

Advocacy for Self & Others

Actively negotiates positive change for self and/or others, clearly seeing both sides of the issue and proposing new processes or parameters that more effectively meet the needs of all stakeholders.

1. Makes own decisions about short and long term plans.

   a. What are your goals for this learning circle? What is your plan for achieving these goals? b. How does this learning circle fit into your plans for longer term life/learning goals? c. What is one of your life or learning goals? What is your plan for achieving this goal? d. How will you advocate and/or create opportunities for yourself to achieve this goal?

2. Practices assertive communication. a. Give an example of how you have asked for what you needed using “I” statements and without blaming others. b. Give an example of how you have stood up for yourself, your needs, and/or your rights. c. Give an example of how you have stood up for others. d. How will what you have learned this [week/learning circle] help you communicate as an advocate for yourself and/or others?

3. Fosters group responsibility of welfare of selves and others. a. In this learning circle, how will you support the well-being of yourself and others? b. Give an example of how you support the welfare of yourself and others. c. How can you use what you learned this [week/learning circle] to advance the well-being of yourself and others?

4. Works for positive change. a. How have/do/will you work for positive change? b. How have you used compromise to move forward? c. How have you negotiated between differing perspectives? d. How will you apply what you have learned this [week/learning circle] to work for positive change?

Collaboration

Deliberately partners with others, negotiating, challenging, and being challenged on issues of partnership, in order to produce something together.

1. Engages effectively with the members of their Personal Learning Network. a. Map your learning network. Who are your mentors, coaches, cheerleaders, subject-area experts, editors? What are their special talents? b. How might you draw upon your network to support and extend your learning during this learning circle experience? c. How well do you communicate with, show appreciation for, and learn with and from your network? What would you like to improve about this and how do you plan to do so? d. Who would you like to add to your network? What is your plan for doing so? e. What are three ways in which this learning circle has helped you expand and/or more effectively engage with your learning network?

2. Ensures contributions of self and others. a. How did you contribute to the discussion in this week’s learning circle? b. How did you support others in contributing to the discussion in this week’s learning circle? c. How do you plan to contribute to the discussion in next week’s learning circle? d. How do you plan to support others in contributing to the discussion in next week’s learning circle? e. Give an example of when you clearly expressed your ideas in a group discussion. Why did you pick this example? f. What are the characteristics of a collaborative discussion participant? g. What are the characteristics of a problematic discussion participant? h. What are the characteristics of a collaborative discussion leader? i. What are the characteristics of a problematic discussion leader? j. Give an example of when you have demonstrated the characteristics of a collaborative discussion participant or leader. k. Describe the characteristics of an active listener. l. Give an example of when you have been an active listener. What were you able to accomplish by doing this?

3. Objectively listens to dissent and alternate points of view, engaging in dialogue rather than debate. a. How can you apply / have you applied what you learned this [week/learning circle] to engage in constructive dialogue about [topic of learning circle]? b. Summarize the alternative points of view you have learned about this [topic of learning circle]. c. Give an example of when you engaged in dialogue rather than debate. What were you able to accomplish by doing this?

4. Negotiates and manages conflict. a. Describe a time when you struggled to deal with a conflict. What happened? How did you deal with the situation? What have or will you do in the future when you find yourself in a similar situation? b. How can you apply / have you applied what you learned this [week/learning circle] to negotiate and manage conflict? c. Give an example of how you have managed a conflict. What did you do, how did it work, and what, if anything, would you do differently?

5. Offers and receives constructive criticism. a. How can you apply / have you applied what you learned this [week/learning circle] to offer / receive constructive criticism? b. Give an example of when you offered constructive criticism. What did you do, how did it work, and what, if anything, would you do differently? c. Give an example of when you received constructive criticism. What did you do, how did it work out?

Communication (Written, Oral, Visual)

Constructs sustained, coherent argument or presentation on issues and processes in more than one medium for general and specific audiences, adapting behaviors and goals to meet the needs of interaction and achieve shared meaning.

1. Uses knowledge of audience and context to shape communication. a. How can you apply / have you applied what you learned this [week/learning circle] to use knowledge of audience and context to shape communication? b. Who is the audience for what you have created/written/recorded? c. What are your greatest strengths as an interpersonal/visual/oral/written communicator? How do you plan to build upon these strengths? d. What are your greatest opportunities to develop as an interpersonal/visual/oral/written communicator? How do you plan to do so? e. How are you targeting the expectations, values, and beliefs for your audience? f. How are you adapting this work to fit the context in which it will be read/heard/experienced? g. What decisions have you made about language, style, organization, media, and design based upon your audience, purpose, and the context?

2. Articulates and defends a compelling controlling idea clearly and effectively. a. How can you apply / have you applied what you learned this [week/learning circle] to make a compelling argument for your position? b. How have/can you make a compelling argument for your position? c. What is your main idea and how is it communicated? d. How might you anticipate and prevent someone from misunderstanding or not getting your main idea? e. Describe a time when you were misunderstood. What would you do differently now to prevent such a misunderstanding?

4. Demonstrates control over organization, voice, word choice, and conventions of English. a. How can you apply / have you applied what you learned this [week/learning circle] to proofread and edit your work so that it is well organized, gracefully written, and clear? b. Have you used grammar and spell check? c. Have you read your writing out loud to proofread it and check for flow? d. Who is your go-to person for proofreading?

Creativity

Consistently brings into being products, processes, or thoughts that did not previously exist, merging ideas and making connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena to generate solutions.

1. Demonstrates imagination and innovative thinking, suggesting new solutions to old problems. a. How can you apply what you have learned this [week/learning circle] about thinking innovatively / imaginatively/ creatively? b. What new ideas do you have for solving a vexing problem that you currently face? c. Give an example of when you suggested a new solution to an existing problem. d. Give an example of your own or someone else’s imaginative or innovative thinking? What made it imaginative or innovative? e. When have you had to deal with a messy problem? What did you do? How did it work?

2. Takes risks. a. What is a risk or chance you might take here? b. How did you take a risk last week? What did you do? What did you think would happen? How did it work out? c. How did you take a risk in this learning circle? What did you do? What did you think would happen? How did it work out? d. Give an example of when you took a risk or a chance. What did you do? What did you think would happen? How did it work out

3. Demonstrates fluency and flexibility in brainstorming. a. How can you apply what you have learned this [week/learning circle] to brainstorm more effectively? b. For this problem or challenge, list all of the ways you can think of to address it, no matter how unlikely. c. What are 6 different ways you might approach this problem? d. How do you brainstorm? e. Are you good at brainstorming, why or why not? f. What might you do differently? g. How have you been creative in __________? h. [ask for answer to a question] What are six other ways you could answer this question

4. Embraces contradictions. a. What are the different perspectives advanced in [assigned materials]? b. How do these [assigned materials] contractice each other? How might you resolve this contradiction? c. What contradictions or differing perspectives did you notice this week? d. What are contradictory or different ideas or perspectives on this issue/question/problem/topic? What might you take from each to develop your own position?

Critical Thinking

Engages in evidence-based practice, able to identify the issue/dilemma/problem, frame it as a specific question, explore and evaluate information relevant to the question, and draw conclusions, applying conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence.

1. Accesses, analyzes, and connects information, considering its relationship to context and evidence. a. How do you interpret/analyze/evaluate the information presented in this learning circle to determine if it is of value for you? b. How can you apply what you have learned this [week/learning circle] to find and use valid, reliable, and relevant information? c. What is the purpose, audience, and context for which the [assigned materials] were developed? How does this influence how you interpret their relevance for you? d. Compare and contrast the arguments/evidence/information presented by xx and yy. e. What do you think xx means by yy? f. How might you use/apply the information shared by xx? g. What are the limitations of the points xx is making? h. Where do you disagree with xx? Why? i. Why might what xx has to say not be relevant in yy situation/context? j. What does xx not understand about yy? k. Drawing upon the information presented this week/learning circle, how would you persuade others to xx? l. What causes and/or effects has xx failed to consider? m. Whose experience has xx failed to consider? n. When is a time when you in your head or out loud called “bullshit”? Why? o. Give an example of when you have interpreted/analyzed/evaluated information to make a decision. How did you do so?

3. Develops an informed and effective position based on relevant criteria. a. What are your criteria for making a good decision? b. How do/will you acknowledge and respond to other points of view? How do you know? c. How do/will you recognize and address your own assumptions and biases? How do you know? d. Give an example of when you have acknowledged the limits of your position. e. Give an example of when you have dealt with a complex decision. Tell how you came to and communicated your conclusion. f. What makes this issue/decision/challenge complex? g. How can you apply what you have learned this [week/learning circle] to determine your criteria and make a decision?

4. Reconstructs one’s beliefs on the basis of wider experience. a. Has what you have learned this [week/learning circle] changed your mind about xx? If so, how and why? b. Give an example of when you have changed your mind based upon careful reasoning and/or new evidence or information.

Intercultural Engagement

Continuously improves capacity to identify own cultural patterns, compare and contrast them with others, engage in respectful dialogue, and adapt empathically and flexibly to unfamiliar ways of being.

1. Understands own cultural identity. a. Who were your people? How would you describe the traditions, rules, values, and beliefs of the culture(s) that you grew up in? What have you continued to embrace and practice and what have you moved away from? Why? b. Who are your people? How have you explored new cultures, traditions, rules, values, and beliefs over time? c. How has what you have learned this [week/learning circle] helped you better understand your own cultural identity?

2. Open to others. a. What cultures are represented in this learning circle? How might you draw upon the strengths of your respective cultures to learn together? b. What is one thing you would like to share from your culture(s) with the members of your learning circle? c. Share a recipe from your culture, explaining why it has meaning for you and what it demonstrates about your culture. d. Give an example of when you have embraced the opportunity to connect with individuals from a different culture. How did it go? What did you learn? What would you do differently next time? e. How has what you have learned this [week/learning circle] expanded your understanding/appreciation of another culture(s)?

3. Considers multiple worldviews. a. How would you describe your worldview? How has it developed/evolved over time? b. What is another worldview you are interested in exploring? c. Compare and contrast the cultures of xx and yy countries. d. How are the values / belief systems / power structures / ways of living of two or more cultures (in different places or times) connected? e. How might connections between cultures help address global challenges like food insecurity, climate change, or pandemics? f. How can/will you apply what you have learned about different world views?

4. Challenges cultural misperceptions. a. Describe a time when you individually or with others challenged bias, discrimination, or harassment. What happened? What might you do differently? b. How can you apply what you have learned this [week/learning circle] to more challenge cultural misperceptions / bias / discrimination / prejudice / harassment?

5. Actively advances social justice. a. How have you advanced social justice? b. Describe a time when you worked actively to advance social justice? c. How can you apply what you have learned this [week/learning circle] to advance social justice?

Problem Solving

Identifies and analyzes problems and uses prior knowledge, logic, and imagination, weighing the relevance and accuracy of information to develop, recommend, and implement alternative solutions.

1. Identifies and defines the problem. a. What is the problem? b. How do you know it is a problem? c. Why is it a problem that needs to be solved? d. Why is it a problem that needs to be solved now? e. What is and what is not part of the problem? How do you know? f. Based upon what you learned this [week/learning circle] how has your understanding of the problem challenged?

2. Asks the right questions. a. What did you learn this [week/learning circle] about how to ask better questions? How have/will you apply this? b. Why is asking the right questions crucial for problem solving? c. Give an example of when you did/did not ask the right questions about a problem. What happened? What did you learn? What would you do differently next time? d. List all of your questions about the problem. Which of the questions are most likely to help you get to the root of the problem?

3. Identifies strategies for solving the problem. a. What did you learn this [week/learning circle] about how to identify strategies for solving a problem? How have/will you apply this? b. What is the difference between a strategy for solving and a solution to a problem? Give an example of each for a problem you have or are encountering. c. Give an example of when you did/did not identify a strategy for solving your problem. What happened? What did you learn? What would you do differently next time? d. What are at least three strategies for solving the problem? e. Who can you consult for advice on this problem? f. What are at least three solutions to this problem?

4. Proposes, evaluates and selects from among alternative solutions. a. What did you learn this [week/learning circle] about how to evaluate and select from alternative solutions? How have/will you apply this? b. Give an example of when you did/did not consider alternative solutions to a problem. What happened? What did you learn? What would you do differently next time? c. How do you propose to evaluate these possible solutions? d. Which solution(s) did you pick and why? e. What are the short and long term consequences of each solution?

5. Implements solution. a. What did you learn this [week/learning circle] about how to implement a solution? How have/will you apply this? b. Give an example of when you did/did not successfully implement a solution. What happened? What did you learn? What would you do differently next time? c. How have/will you implement your solution? d. What challenges do you anticipate in implementing this solution and how do you propose to address them?

6. Evaluates outcomes. a. What did you learn this [week/learning circle] about how to evaluate outcomes? How have/will you apply this? b. Give an example of when you did/did not evaluate a solution. What happened? What did you learn? What would you do differently next time? c. How will you evaluate your solution? d. Describe a time when you solved a problem. What did you do, what worked well, what would you change next time? e. What has surprised you most about the process of solving a problem? f. What is your biggest challenge when trying to solve a problem? g. What was your most successful failure to solve a problem?

Reflection

Engages in an intentional process of continuous learning, consciously analyzing personal decision-making and actions as well as the reactions they prompt in themselves and others, drawing on theory and experience, and modifying actions as for the benefit of themselves and the communities they serve.

1. Connects learning experiences and growth, acknowledging and articulating changed perspectives. a. What do you already know about the week’s topic? b. How has what you have learned this week connected to, changed, challenged, and/or deepened what you already know from prior experience? c. What do you want to know more about? d. How has your understanding of xx changed over time/this learning circle?

2. Engages in honest self-appraisal, analyzing performance with the goal of improving. a. What did you do well / where did you struggle / where were you confused this week? b. When you were challenged, surprised, and/or proud of yourself this week? c. What are your strengths in xxx? d. What is one thing you want to improve based upon what you learned this week?

3. Displays curiosity. a. What are you curious about? b. What was the most surprising thing this week? c. Describe a time when you needed or wanted to know or learn something? What did you do? What did you and did you not enjoy about the experience? d. What new thing did you learn last week

4. Manages impulsivity. a. What did you learn this [week/learning circle] about how to manage impulsivity? How have/will you apply this? b. Give an example of when you did/did not think before you acted. How did it work out? What would you do differently next time?

5. Uses self-awareness to guide choices and behaviors. a. What did you learn this [week/learning circle] about your strengths and weaknesses? How have/will you apply this? b. Give an example of when you used your awareness of both your strengths and weaknesses to make a decision. c. How do you learn best? How can you use that knowledge to make this learning circle a success?

Resilience

Able to maintain effectiveness, remaining focused, composed, and optimistic when faced with time pressures, adversity, disappointment, or opposition, and recovers quickly from setbacks and failures.

1. Persists in finding necessary resources to accomplish goals. a. What resources have you gained this [week/learning circle] for achieving a goal(s)? b. Describe a time when you persisted to accomplish a goal. What strategies, resources, and supports did you draw upon to achieve your goal?

2. Demonstrates flexibility and adapts readily to change. a. What did you learn this [week/learning circle] about how to adapt rapidly to change? How have/will you apply this? b. Give an example of when you have demonstrated flexibility and adapted to change. What did you do? What worked? What didn’t? What do you want to remember for next time? c. Describe a time when you changed priorities to respond to the changes in a situation. What did you do? What worked? What didn’t? What do you want to remember for next time? d. Tell about a time when you had a plan in place but had to change it to deal with unanticipated challenges. What did you do? What worked? What didn’t? What do you want to remember for next time?

3. Develops and accesses a system of supports. a. What did you learn this [week/learning circle] about how to build your support system? How have/will you apply this? b. Map your support network, using arrows to indicate who you support and who supports you. What are the strengths of this network? Where might you want to develop more support? c. Describe a time when you and others supported each other to deal with a challenge and/or achieve a goal. What worked? What didn’t? What do you want to remember for next time?

4. Breaks an initially complex task into manageable steps. a. What did you learn this [week/learning circle] about how to break a complex task into manageable steps? How have/will you apply this? b. Give two-three examples of how you have broken complex tasks into manageable steps. Looking across these examples, what are the key ingredients for your success in tackling big challenges?

5. Uses humor to maintain perspective. a. What did you learn this [week/learning circle] that has/can/will help you maintain perspective when challenged / stressed? b. When life is particularly challenging, what do you do to keep perspective?

6. Enjoys learning. a. What have you enjoyed about your learning experience this [week/learning circle]? b. What do you like about learning? c. Tell about a time when you sought out a challenge or problem to solve? Why did you do so and what did you take from the experience? d. What is something you have learned that you would like to share with others? e. What do you want to learn next? f. What would you like to offer a learning circle on?

When learning circles first began in Chicago in 2015, we didn’t have any tools and software. We just worked with librarians to find online courses and helped them become better facilitators. Over time, as the project has grown, we have iteratively developed a number of tools and resources to create an online ecosystem for learning circle facilitators. These tools are designed to improve the experience for facilitators and learners alike. On the one hand, we aim to make organizing face-to-face meetings easier by simplifying promotion, sending reminders, aggregating data, etc. On the other hand, we seek to create a strong, networked, community where a learning circle in one city can benefit, in a small way, from the fact that learning circles are also happening elsewhere. Learning circles have been successful so far not just because we have developed a single resource, but because there is a vibrant community of practice that has formed around a series of tools and resources.

Our tools address the needs of three different groups:

1. Learners: People participating in learning circles.

2. Facilitators: People facilitating learning circles.

Learners can:

• Browse learning circles available in their area.

• Sign up for a learning circle.

• RSVP for weekly learning circle meetings.

• Complete a survey on their experience taking the learning circle.

• Receive an end-of-learning circle report from their facilitator.

Facilitators can:

• Use a step by step dialog to guide them through creating a learning circle.

• See who signed up, when meetings are scheduled, who can come, etc.

• Send messages to learners.

• Customize weekly reminders.

• Capture feedback after a meeting to gather and share reflections.

• Complete a survey on their experience facilitating a learning circle.

• Generate a report at the end of the learning circle.

Organizers can:

• See feedback from facilitators on weekly meetings.

• See what meetings are happening each week.

• Receive weekly updates on what happened in learning circles the previous week.

• Manage learning circles and facilitators.

Using the tools

Learners do not need a P2PU account in order to join a learning circle.

After setting your password you will be logged in and redirected to your learning circle dashboard.

Communication and Feedback

Feedback is an important part of peer learning, and P2PU’s tools help gather and share information between learners, facilitators, and the P2PU team across the learning circle. P2PU holds user privacy to the utmost importance and we are compliant with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

At sign up

When creating a learning circle, facilitators are prompted to state their goals for leading a learning circle and ask any questions or concerns they might have. Their responses are shared with a group of people that can assist a facilitator. Similarly, when learners sign up, they are asked what their goals are for joining a learning circle. They are then introduced to their facilitator in an email containing their answers to the signup questions.

During the learning circle

Each week, a reminder message is automatically sent to learners two days beforehand via email or SMS. Before the reminder is sent, you have the opportunity to log into their dashboard and customize the message. After each weekly meeting, you can record a weekly reflection on their dashboard and send it to your learners and/or P2PU.

Upon completion

At the end of a learning circle, learners and facilitators receive an email with a link to a survey that asks everyone to reflect upon the goal they first set, what worked well, what could be improved, and what their next steps will be.

The facilitator will receive a confirmation email with links to both the sign-up page and the private management page, which can also be accessed through their dashboard in the My Learning Circles section.

Sections of the Management Page

Menu Tools

The top section of the page shows a preview of the learning circle's information: title, image, facilitator info, link to the course materials, and meeting details.

Below that is a yellow bar containing the following tools:

• View: See the live learning circle sign-up page.

• Add Meeting: Quickly add a new meeting to the learning circle. This will add a section for that meeting on the management page and automatically generate an editable reminder message for that meeting.

• Close Signup: Turn off the registration form on the sign-up page. (If signup is closed, the button will change to Open Signup and can be used to activate registration again anytime.)

• Delete: Delete the learning circle from public view and remove the records of the learning circle and registered learners from the P2PU database.

Learners

All registered learners will appear in the Learners section of your dashboard. This will display the learner's full name and any contact information—email and/or phone—they've shared during sign-up. There are three buttons linked to each learner:

The Add Learner button can be used to manually add participants to a learning circle. This only allows for adding a participant's name and contact information, not their answers to the sign-up questions. Note that this will automatically send a welcome message to the participant to let them know they've joined a learning circle.

If you would like to add multiple learners to your learning circle at the same time, click the Add Learner button, then choose Click here to add multiple learners at once. This feature is particularly useful for learning circles that use physical signup sheets for learners.

Messages

The Messages section of your Learning Circle management page allows you to view, edit, and create reminders for your participants. This section displays the reminder messages that will be automatically generated for each meeting as well as any messages the facilitator sends to their learners manually.

Meeting reminders are automatically generated when a meeting is created, either during the learning circle's initial creation or when added afterwards. These messages can be edited from the Messages table or in the individual meeting's section of the meeting manager.

Manual messages allow the facilitator to send out information to all registered learners at any time via email or SMS. These messages will be sent immediately and cannot be scheduled to go out in the future. Manual messages have P2PU branding on them, and they will CC the facilitator and BCC all other recipients.

Facilitators can choose to manually send meeting recap messages to send out information to all registered learners after a meeting. These messages can be used to review what happened, share resources, and prepare for upcoming meetings.

Meeting Manager

The meeting manager offers another way to manage automated and manual email reminders.

Communication and Feedback

Feedback is an important part of peer learning, and P2PU’s tools help gather and share information between learners, facilitators, and the P2PU team across the learning circle. P2PU holds user privacy to the utmost importance and we are compliant with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Here is the type of communication that you can expect during a learning circle:

At sign up

When creating a learning circle, facilitators are prompted to state their goals for leading a learning circle and ask any questions or concerns they might have. Their responses are shared with a group of people that can assist a facilitator. Similarly, when learners sign up, they are asked what their goals are for joining a learning circle. They are then introduced to their facilitator in an email containing their answers to the signup questions.

During the learning circle

Each week, a reminder message is automatically sent to learners two days beforehand via email or SMS. Before the reminder is sent, you have the opportunity to log into their dashboard and customize the message. After each weekly meeting, you can record a weekly reflection on their dashboard and send it to your learners and/or P2PU.

Upon completion

At the end of a learning circle, learners and facilitators receive an email with a link to a survey that asks everyone to reflect upon the goal they first set, what worked well, what could be improved, and what their next steps will be.

One of P2PU’s 4 core values is open: the belief that we create value not by gatekeeping but instead by working together, sharing resources, and lowering barriers to entry. P2PU is built on open source technology and everything we create is free to share, remix, and redistribute.

Make Your Own P2PU Collage

Below we’ve shared a few of our favorite sources for open-access imagery to inspire your works*.

*Many media archives in the United States highlight the disproportionate representation of wealthy white people in historical narratives. To counter this, P2PU makes a dedicated effort to prioritize respectful depictions of people of color and women in our collages. We review the content of all materials we include in our collages (even when it’s obscured or illegible in the final piece) to avoid sources or materials that contain violent, harmful, or otherwise disrespectful representations of human beings.

P2PU.org Image Credits

Header collage:

• Ella Fitzgerald (with Ray Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, and Milt Jackson) by William Paul Gottlieb via National Portrait Gallery (NPG.2016.60)

Learning circle icons:

Join the Community:

Start a Team:

Learning Resources

Antiracism

Climate Change

Computer Programming

Creativity

Digital Literacy

Job Readiness

Language Learning

Communication

Create an Account

Icons:

• Tools: Created by John Caserta from the Noun Project

• Community: Created by P2PU

• Course Library: Created by DvM Design from the Noun Project

Explore Learning Circles

Icons:

• Hosted by a Facilitator: Created by P2PU

• Peer Learning: Created by P2PU

• Meet Regularly: Created by WEBTECHOPS LLP from the Noun Project

• Dedicated Materials: Created by Adrien Coquet from the Noun Project

Help

Icons:

• Forum: Created by Vectors Point from the Noun Project

• Knowledge Base: Created by Abdellah El Falah El Quadmiry from the Noun Project

• Community Calls: Created by Danil Polshin from the Noun Project

• Hire Us: Created by The Icon Z from the Noun Project

Dashboard

Icons:

• Getting Started: Created by David Khai from the Noun Project

• Using the Tools: Folder by WARPAINT Media Inc. from NounProject.com; Settings by Three Six Five from NounProject.com

• Help: Created by Adrien Coquet from the Noun Project

• Meet with Q: Created by Becky Margraf

• Teams Documentation: Documentation by shashank singh from NounProject.com

Survey Notifications

Example email template:

Hi there,

Can you take a few minutes to let me know how your learning circle went? Your feedback - the good and the bad - will improve the learning circle program for learners and facilitators around the world.

Share your feedback here: <survey link>

Thank you!

For additional insights, facilitators can consider distributing their own survey using a free tool like Google Forms.

Certificates & Accreditation

P2PU does not officially issue any kind of accreditation or formal education certificates for participation in learning circles. Some courses offer various types of endorsement though learners often have to pay the course provider for a copy.

Next Steps

Once the learning circle ends, the surveys are completed, and the facilitator has some time to digest... what's next?

• Run another learning circle: Every foray into facilitation informs the next. Consider running the learning circle again and experimenting with new techniques. Or try a new topic altogether!

Curated Course Lists

Sometimes, teams want to limit the selection of courses that their facilitator community can choose from. So long as you've done your homework to ensure that the courses you're selecting are desirable for your community, this can be a good practice for a few reasons:

• It removes a step in the process for facilitators who are just getting started

• It allows the team to prioritize topics that align with other strategic goals

• It creates a shared space for facilitators to work together and share feedback on the same courses

Proprietary Course Management

All active learning circles happening across your team will automatically appear below the header.

Editing Your Team Site

P2PU offers additional functionality for institutions that are running learning circles across multiple locations or with a network of multiple facilitators. Each P2PU Team is led by an organizer who works closely with P2PU to ensure that facilitators in their area have everything they need to run learning circles.‌

Teams are granted the following features and functionality, as detailed throughout this section:

• Weekly internal email with team updates and reflections

• Curated course lists and proprietary course management

• Added co-facilitator functionality

• Aggregated learning circle feedback and data

• Organizer-level team management tools

• Prioritized support from P2PU staff

• Access to a variety of P2PU-led learning circles and trainings

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Team organizers receive a weekly update every Monday. This update contains information about past, present, and upcoming learning circle meetings on your team, including learning circle reports, weekly feedback from facilitators, and information about who is signing up. This update also contains information about new facilitator guides and courses on our website. Facilitators can opt into receiving this weekly update through their account settings.

Facilitator Functionality

Adding or inviting a facilitator to your team will enable a variety functions:

• Their P2PU profile image will appear on your team page

• Any learning circle they create will show up on your team page

• Their learning circle signup pages will list an affiliation with your team and include a link back to your team page

• They will see details about all learning circles happening on the team on their dashboard, and they'll have the option to opt into weekly team summary emails

• They will be able to create learning circles using any proprietary courses that have been added to the P2PU courses page by their team members

Adding Team Members

Once your P2PU account is set up as an organizer, you will see a new block on your learning circle dashboard called Team Management, where you can view and invite members to your team.

‌There are three ways to invite people to join your team:

1. Automatically through email domain: If your team is associated with an organization that has its own email domain, P2PU can save the email domain in your team settings so that any new facilitator with a validated matching email address will automatically receive an invitation to join your team. For example, if your team members all have staff emails such as sharon@bigpubliclibrary.org, you can set bigpubliclibrary.org as your team domain so that when nico@bigpubliclibrary.org registers on the P2PU platform, they’ll be automatically invited to join.

2. Email invitation: You can send invitations directly via email from your dashboard. If the recipient already has a P2PU account, they will be prompted to join your team. If they do not, they will be asked to create a P2PU account and then prompted to join your team.

3. Invitation link: You can also generate a unique link that allows anyone with the link to join your team. You can regenerate this link whenever you want, making all previous links inactive.

Pending Invitations

Invitations that have been sent via Option 1 or Option 2 will be visible in the “pending invitations” tab until the user accepts or rejects the invitation.

Removing Team Members

Organizers can remove team members through the same management table. When a team member is removed, learning circles that they facilitated as part of your team will continue to show up as past learning circles for your team. If you'd like to remove these reach out to us.

Facilitator Profiles

Members of Teams will have access to:

• A private calendar with members-only events, including quarterly organizer events where organizers can vote on topics for future learning resources and learning circles. A link to this private calendar will be available in the Organizer dashboard

• Quarterly learning circles facilitated by P2PU staff

• Our yearly community gathering (Teams get two free tickets to our in-person event)

P2PU offers a free system for creating and managing learning circle meetings. Once you've created a P2PU account and decided what learning circle you want to run, you can create your learning circle and publish it to the world.

Video: How to Create a Learning Circle (18m)

Walkthrough: How to Create a Learning Circle

Creating a learning circle is a 5-step process:

1. Select a Course: Identify the learning materials you'll be using

2. Find a Location: Share the details of where you'll be meeting (in person or online)

3. Select Meeting Dates: Choose the dates and times of your meetings (flexibly; you can update these later)

4. Customize the Sign-Up Page: Write any details about your learning circle (welcome message, materials needed, etc) to customize the public sign-up page

5. Finalize: Privately reflect on your goals for the learning circle and optionally ask for help if you need it.

Publishing Your Learning Circle

Once you complete the creation process and publish your learning circle (either as a draft or a public circle), your sign-up page will automatically be generated (see above image for an example).

You’ll receive a confirmation email, which includes the link to your sign-up page and a number of other resources. The P2PU Welcome Committee (a mix of P2PU staff and community members) will be copied on the email; if you asked for any help on Step 5, someone will reach out to ensure that your concerns are addressed before the learning circle begins.

P2PU supports facilitators in deepening the organic, collaborative, and supportive relationships that sustain this community of practice:

P2PU offers additional support to Teams members, including members-only learning circles, extra features, staff onboarding sessions, and other professional development opportunities.

One-on-One Support

Adding a co-facilitator

Teams members can add a co-facilitator during the final step of the learning circle creation process. Teams members can also email P2PU at support@p2pu.org to request that we add co-facilitators to a learning circle.

You can edit your learning circle to add or remove co-facilitators at any time, and co-facilitators will receive a message when they are added to or removed from the learning circle.

Co-facilitator profiles will appear on the learning circle signup page. All co-facilitators will be mentioned in the signup message sent to learners, and all co-facilitator email addresses will be cc'd in messages to learners.

Co-facilitators will receive a single survey at the end of their learning circle, and we recommend that co-facilitators collaborate to share their insights.

There are five types of data that are gathered during a learning circle, all of which is aggregated and shared with facilitators when the learning circle is completed.

• Information about the learning circle (gathered when created by the facilitator)

• Sign up info (input by learners)

• Weekly reflections (from facilitator)

• End of learning circle survey (from learners)

• End of learning circle survey (from facilitators)

Data for multiple learning circles across a single team is currently available upon request.