Cohort

Why We Built Cohort

As we reviewed research, surveyed students, and conducted interviews, one idea kept appearing.

Students often said it was easier to stay focused when they knew other people were studying too. Academic research pointed in a similar direction, suggesting that social presence and accountability can influence attention and motivation.

That led us to a simple question:

Can simply knowing your friends are studying alongside you make it easier to stay focused?

Cohort is our first attempt to explore that question.

How It Works

A student creates or joins a study session with three to six friends. During the session, everyone can see who is present and who has marked themselves as focusing.

We're still designing and building, so what Cohort looks like may change as we go. The version students test this fall will reflect what we've learned by then, and the results will shape whatever comes after it.

Why We're Testing It

We want to understand what shared presence actually does for focus.

If it helps students stay engaged, that tells us something worth building on. If it doesn't, that tells us something too.

Either way, the evidence guides the next version.

Current Status

Cohort is currently in development.

This fall, we'll invite volunteer high school students to use Cohort during the exam period. Alongside testing the prototype, we'll collect feedback, observe how students actually use it, and compare the results with what we learned during our research phase.

Whether our hypothesis is supported or challenged, we'll publish what we learn on this website.

GitHub: Coming soonLive Prototype: Coming soon