Testing! Testing!

We are reaching a very exciting point in the app development process as we prepare to invite donors and supporters to join the Beta testing next month. Until recently, any testing has been carried out in-house by the app team, Circle staff, and Board members. During June we have extended that to some of our volunteer team who are currently helping us to look for any bugs we may have missed, and offering feedback on their experience of using the app as a daily tool for reading, study, and practice. 

It’s always a bit nerve-wracking when something you are working on is made available to a wider group, and we are delighted to say that we have received positive feedback so far. In particular, we are hearing that the search facility is proving incredibly useful, which is also our own experience.  

When he’s not fixing bugs and making further improvements to the existing functionality, Peter is working on the addition of the audio recording for each of the lessons in the Workbook, as well as the forthcoming Workbook module. The latter is being developed to help students practice the Workbook according to the detailed instructions provided in the Course itself. 

This is undoubtedly the most challenging aspect of the app as there are so many different combinations and practice period durations throughout the Workbook. Here at the Circle, we talk about the ‘Pyramid of Practice’ which incorporates all of the different types of practice - morning and evening quiet time, hourly remembrances, frequent reminders, and response to temptation.

Facilitating this level of detail within the app requires a lot of preparation and planning (thanks to Robert and Sandra for all their work) so Peter has a clear plan of what is required for each individual lesson and can program the app accordingly. There is more to do before this can be implemented and we believe that it will be well worth the complexity and effort and that the Workbook module will be a potential game-changer as practice partner. We look forward to sharing more about it in coming months. 

Between now and our next update, all donors will receive an invitation to take part in the Beta testing. If you would like to be involved, there is still time to make a (further) donation to help us fund the completion of the app, including the Workbook module. As this project is being entirely funded by the community, every single donation makes a difference. If you feel guided to be a part of this, please use the link below to visit the donation page. 

I’ll be back at the end of July with another update. In the meantime, thank you so much for your support and interest in this app. We really couldn’t do it without you. 

Sarah Knight
Circle of Atonement