Packback Questions
Packback Questions is an inquiry-driven discussion platform.
On Packback, students ask the discussion questions, giving students a space to develop their ideas, take an active role in learning, and practice writing.
Packback’s A.I. Instant Feedback and Moderation ensure that the discussion stays on track, helping educators spend less time managing the discussion and more time engaging with students.
What’s inside Packback Questions?
The Packback AI-Enabled “Digital TA”
Packback acts as an instructor’s “Digital TA” to help them manage discussion communities with ease, so instructors can spend less time managing discussion, and more time engaging with students.
Powerful Engagement Tools for Instructors
Packback provides instructors a powerful set of features for engaging, guiding, redirecting, and celebrating their students through the discussion in online or face-to-face courses.
Best-in-Class Discussion Features
From flexible discussion editing tools, interaction features like “Sparks” and Critical Debates, to fun features like our avatar builder, Packback has been designed to create delightful discussions.
Packback’s “Digital TA” Capabilities
Instant Feedback
With Packback’s Instant Feedback, students receive feedback on their writing and post efficacy while they type, giving students feedback at the exact moment when it can be applied.
Content Moderation
Packback’s Digital TA supports instructors with content moderation to ensure the discussion community remains respectful and effective, saving instructors hundreds of hours every term.
The Curiosity Score
The Digital TA assigns each post a “Curiosity Score” using a proprietary algorithm that assesses post quality in four dimensions: curiosity, credibility, communication, and convention.
Dr. John Locke on Packback’s Instant Feedback:
Engagement Tools for Instructors
Custom Instructor Feedback
Instructors on Packback can leave public “Praise” feedback or private “Coaching” feedback on posts.
Praise feedback is visible to the whole class, so all students can see and learn from it, increasing the impact of the feedback.
Automated Participation Scoring
Grading discussion participation is simple on Packback.
Instructors can choose their participation requirements and deadlines, and have participation scores calculated automatically each assignment period for every student.
Insight Reports & Recommended Actions
Each deadline period, instructors receive a digest of insights about the performance of their discussion communities.
Along with these reports, Instructors receive suggested actions each week that make it easy to maintain high engagement throughout the term.
Dr. Jeffery A. Masters on the insights Packback provides instructors:
Best-in-class Discussion Capabilities
Counterpoints & Supporting Points
Students on Packback can reply to peers’ responses with “Counterpoints” or “Supporting Points” to constructively debate their peers.
The platform guides students with prompts to help them engage in effective and constructive debates.
Powerful, Accessible Post Editing Options
With Packback’s mobile-responsive, accessible editor, students can:
- Upload Images and GIFs (with prompts to add Alt text)
- Embed Videos and Images (with prompts to add Alt text)
- Insert Code Blocks
- Insertion formulae using LaTeX
Edit & Republish Option for Moderated Posts
If a student’s discussion post is Moderated, that isn’t the end of the road for the post!
Students receive a coaching email with feedback on what to improve in the post. They can then edit and republish for credit, supporting Mastery Learning.
Plus, a range of features designed specifically for supporting interaction and engagement on Packback, including Custom Avatars (custom profile image builder), Sparks (to show a student that their post ‘sparked’ your curiosity), the Learner Leaderboard, and more.
The Packback experience from the perspective of student and TA, Jaida Sloan:
Schedule a demo of the Packback Platform
Schedule a 1:1 demo with a Packback team member to see the Packback Platform through a personalized walk-through by video call.
Or if you prefer, you can create an account on Packback to explore the platform.