History of NinerLink by InScribe
Pilot AY 2023-2024
NinerLink was launched as a pilot initiative in Fall of 2023 in response to faculty and students needs in Introductory Biology. The success of this initiative was recognized nationally, earning the 2024 Online Learning Consortium (OLC) INNOVATE Excellence in Online and Blended Student Support Award.
Positive outcomes from the pilot of NinerLink in BIOL 1110 in AY 2023-2024 demonstrated the project’s potential to scale to additional faculty, students, teaching assistants, and core course sequences.
Mid-Term Survey Results
Survey results (n = 390) indicated that students benefit from their participation in the community, while faculty questionnaires promote the use of communities in core courses. Results are summarized below.
Satisfaction and Belonging
Peer Connectedness: 74.5% agree
Access to Useful Information: 84.6% agree
Adds Value to Course Learning Experience: 80.6% agree
Student Quotes:
[What I like most is] “That you can randomly ask questions in the community and not feel confused and anyone can reply back with an answer.”
“I liked how I could ask a question if I didn’t understand a topic and there would be someone who knew an answer to it and it was helpful.
Faculty Quotes:
“…It allows students in the same course to connect both socially and academically, and encourages a sense of belonging and community.”
“Simply having the ability to ask questions in InScribe instead of during class helps to create an inclusive class environment […] Not all students feel comfortable raising their hand and asking questions during class.”
“One part I really like is that students have access to students outside of their current sections. This allows students to connect with those in their major or minor who might not be in their specific sections.”
Faculty Champions
Tonya Bates
Biological Sciences
Samantha Suptela
Biological Sciences
Scale and Capacity Building AY 2024-2025
Fall 2024
In the Fall of 2024, the CTL sought to scale the NinerLink initiative beyond Biology, adding 9 additional courses and 8 instructors from Biology, Computing, Environmental Science, and Gerontology and supporting over 3000 students.
Fall 2024 NinerLink Users
| Course | Total Sections | Faculty | Total Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1110 | 9 | Sam Suptela Tonya Bates Shankari Somayaji Geneen Jones | 1057 |
| BIOL 2273 | 1 | Shankari Somayaji | 179 |
| ITSC 1212 | 20 | Nadia Najjar | 781 |
| ITSC 1213 | 10 | Adam Whaley | 622 |
| ITSC 3146 | 4 | Harini Ramaprasad Marlon Mejias | 290 |
| GEOG 2110 | 1 | Jamie Strickland | 29 |
| GEOG 2155 | 1 | Jamie Strickland | 28 |
| GEOG 3250 | 1 | Jamie Strickland | 35 |
| WGST 3250/ WGST 5050/ GRNT 4260 | 1 | Dace Brown | 27 |
| 9 | 48 | 9 | 3048 |
Mid-Term Survey Results
A mid-semester feedback survey administered to 6 courses garnered 972 student responses indicating that Ninerlink had a positive impact on learning efficacy, belonging, and connectedness.
Learning Efficacy
74% of students agree that InScribe supports their learning
- Studying for assessments (76% agree)
- Homework completion (71% agree)
- Attendance to office hours (70% agree)
- Understanding course content (78% agree)
- Provides useful information (73% agree)
Belonging and Connectedness
75% of students agree that using InScribe improves their sense of belonging and connectedness
- Sense of belonging – in the classroom (79% agree)
- Sense of belonging – to my department (73% agree)
- Sense of belonging – to the campus (73% agree)
- Connection to peers compared to courses without Inscribe (76% agree)
Spring 2025
In Spring 2025, NinerLink is being used in 11 courses (57 sections), by 20 instructors and 92 TAs, supporting over 3700 students.
Spring 2025 NinerLink Users
| Course | Total Sections | Faculty | Total Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1110 | 8 | Sam Suptela Shankari Somayaji Geneen Jones Farzana Ferdous Sara Kabir Daniel Kepple | 1040 |
| BIOL 2274 | 1 | Shankari Somayaji | 163 |
| ITSC 1212 | 11 | Adam Whaley | 528 |
| ITSC 1213 | 17 | Nadia Najjar | 816 |
| ITSC 1600 | 1 | Lauren Slane | 27 |
| ITSC 2214 | 8 | Aileen Benedict Lolo Aboufoul Matt Thayer Manuel Pérez-Quiñones Dale-Marie Wilson | 608 |
| ITSC 3146 | 5 | Harini Ramaprasad Marlon Mejias Matthew Thayer Rabbi Alam | 304 |
| GRNT 4366/SOCY 4366/ HLTH 4000 | 1 | Dace Brown | 35 |
| ESCI 1501 | 2 | Jamie Strickland | 144 |
| CTCM 2530 | 2 | Jamie Strickland | 70 |
| MGMT 3280 | 1 | Karen Ford-Eickoff | 50 |
| 11 | 57 | 20 | 3758 |
NinerLink Scale Up: Building Capacity
As NinerLink continues to grow, the CTL with NinerLink faculty champions are working diligently to identify the best design and moderation practices for a range of community needs on our campus through the NinerLink Community of Practice.
Want to Learn More?
Learn about NinerLink Student Support Communities.
See how the CTL is working with faculty champions to scale and build capacity for future NinerLink communities.
Learn about capacity building efforts.
See how the CTL is working with faculty champions to scale and build capacity for future NinerLink communities.
Interested in adding NinerLink to your course(s)?
Submit a help ticket for a NinerLink consultation.