CheerOn: An Online Social Support System for Project-Based Learning Teams

Novices learn innovation best through project-based learning (PBL), yet projects are complex and stressful. How might we design online systems that enlist external supporters to provide social support to motivate PBL students? Based on a needfinding study, we developed CheerOn, an online social support system that prompts novice teams to externalize progress allowing social support. We tested CheerOn with 3 PBL teams and 15 external supporters over a 6-week course. Social support increased novices’ perceived value of their work and community support, increasing motivation and help-seeking. Supporters offered social support when seeing clear indications of need; receiving gratitude; or feeling community connection. CheerOn increased the amount of social support provided by lowering the bar for coaches to provide social support and allowing space for students to externalize progress. Our findings suggest that online communities can facilitate the amount of social support coaches provide and create new mechanisms of social support.