The Packback Blog

Tag Archives: EdTech

White Paper Reveals Findings From Study on Packback’s Efficacy Across 10 Institutions

The white paper, now available for download, highlights data from a study exploring the impact of the use of Packback on grade outcomes, student engagement, and discussion quality. 

New Article From Inside Higher Ed Highlights the Importance of Investing in Innovation

In a newly released article, Mick Starcevich, Former President of Kirkwood Community College and Academic Innovation Board member, addresses the need for colleges to consider making the “right investments”– especially in times of fiscal crisis.

Packback and Michigan State Team Up to Reimagine Online Discussion

Through a new partnership with Packback, Michigan State University is now giving instructors and students access to an inquiry-based discussion platform designed to increase engagement and boost academic outcomes, even in remote settings.

The Importance of Supportive Ed Tech at HBCUs

Dr. Tyra Gross is a professor of public health at Xavier University of Louisiana, a historically Black university. In her experience, she has found that HBCUs are often well-known for a few specific things (famous graduates, high-profile conversations with tech CEOs), but folks don’t know as much about what happens on campus day-to-day. As we […]

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.