The Packback Blog

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 …

Campus Technology highlighted Packback’s new “Instant Feedback” feature

Packback recently released “Instant Feedback“, a major step forward in the responsiveness and range of the AI-based feedback provided to students while they write their discussion posts. Campus Technology recently covered the new feature in the story, “Online Discussion Platform Adds AI-Powered Feedback Tool.”

Packback mentioned in a recent OpEd by Dr. Rich Pattenaude about the future of online learning

Dr. Rich Pattenaude, chancellor emeritus of the University of Maine System and president emeritus of Ashford University, recently published an OpEd, “If Online is the “New Normal,” Fully Online Colleges Can Teach Us a Lot.” The piece covers what all institutions can learn from fully online institutions to successfully manage the semester ahead in a …

Research on Packback’s Efficacy Highlighted in Recent OpEd by Mick Starcevich, Former President of Kirkwood Community College

Mick Starcevich, former President of Kirkwood Community College, recently published on an editorial in The Evolllution on the urgency for instructors to begin planning for high leverage changes they can make to their courses now to help ensure their courses are ready for possible remote delivery come fall.

Packback Instructor, Dr. Thomas DeWitt, featured in Forbes

Dr. Thomas DeWitt, Marketing instructor at Michigan State University, was recently featured in a piece in Forbes to share his experience as an instructor transitioning to online instruction and how he is continuing to innovate under the new constraints driven by COVID-19.

Packback Highlighted by Dr. Kathleen Ives in Inside Higher Ed

Dr. Kathleen Ives, former executive director and CEO of Online Learning Consortium, highlighted Packback recently in editorial piece contributed to Inside Higher Ed. The piece, “Moving Classes Online Is Hard. Online Discussion Can Help.” explores research on the ways thoughtfully implemented online discussion can lead to improved student outcomes.