The Packback Blog

Featured Articles

National University Launches Use of Packback to Strengthen Online Learning Experience

A recent story published by Betsy Foresman for EdScoop details National University’s decision to pilot the use of Packback in order to enhance the online learning experience. As an institution serving a large population of adult learners, National University hopes to offer a new level of support for a student body with diverse needs.

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Socratic Discussion and STEM: The Magic Formula

As a college mathematics instructor, Professor Violeta Kovacev-Nikolic is confident that few people would be able to guess one of her essential teaching tools for teaching math; online discussion. We sat down with her to discuss the “why” behind her philosophy.

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The Topic of Discussion: How specific online discussion methodologies affect outcomes

Creating online educational experiences that are effective and equitable has taken on new urgency over the past few months. Fortunately, our understanding of what makes for effective online discussion has grown along with the expansion of online and blended education, along with face-to-face courses that employ online discussion.

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Recent Articles

From Disenchanted with Discussion to Inspired about Inquiry: My Experience Adopting Packback

In this article, Professor Sarah Garman explores her experience teaching online for over a decade and the disenchantment she experienced with traditional online discussion after years of hard effort on her part never quite yielding the results she wanted. With that skeptical attitude, she tried Packback and found her excitement towards discussion reinvigorated through Packback’s inquiry-based approach.

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Wait! Aren’t you in my class?: Dealing with the loss of informal student interaction

Connecting with my students outside of class was always a part of my daily routine on campus. Not only did these conversations allow me to get to know my students as more than just faces in the classroom, but they gave me the unique ability to maintain a genuine, caring presence in their lives. Now, in a remote setting, making sure that these essential points of informal contact don’t become ancient history has become more important than ever.

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Leaders in Higher Education Come Together for Packback’s Academic Innovation Board

Packback has brought together leaders in higher education transformation for its newly formed Academic Innovation Board. Members of the Board include Eduardo J. Padron, President Emeritus of Miami Dade College, Marie Cini, Chief Strategy Officer at ED2WORK, and Rufus Glasper, President and CEO of the League for Innovation and Chancellor Emeritus at Maricopa Community College District.

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New Article from Inside Higher Ed Highlights Lessons Learned from Community Colleges During COVID-19

A new article by Xueli Wang for Inside Higher Ed highlights lessons learned from community colleges during a chaotic fall semester. As leaders in innovation serving widely diverse demographics, the takeaways from these institutions in light of COVID are essential for all of higher education.

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Recent Article by Ebony O. McGee Highlights Twelve Ways for Faculty to Better Support Black Academics

In a recent article for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Ebony O. McGee, associate professor of diversity and STEM education at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, highlights twelve ways white faculty can support Black academics department and campus-wide. One way to be an ally? Acknowledge power’s place in our institutions and adopt specific ways to dismantle that power long term.

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The Common Application Has Removed the Discipline Question Due to Racial Disparities. What Other Structural Barriers Stand in the Way of BIPOC Students?

The Common App recently decided to get rid of a question which asked students applying to college if they had been subject to disciplinary action in high school. Although the decision to get rid of the discriminatory question is a victory for inclusion and access in higher education, it raises an important follow-up question– what other barriers to entry exist for BIPOC in the “standard” college application process?

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Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) Signs Three-Year Contract with Packback as Result of National Research Study

A national study conducted on the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom has led to a three-year contract between HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, and Packback. Among findings from the study are improved student engagement and better discussion quality.

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