The Packback Blog

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 …

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 …

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.

BIPOC Students and Bias in Higher Education: The necessity of unlearning biases to optimize outcomes for BIPOC students

The realities of bias against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students in our nation’s predominantly White colleges and universities are hidden in the ways we have been taught to give feedback and to regard race in the classroom. This article explores how this bias harms the way that BIPOC students are able to …

Research From Ivy Tech Partnership With Packback Will Aim to Identify Best Approaches for Engaging Students from Historically Underrepresented Backgrounds

In an article via Campus Technology, author Rhea Kelley writes about Ivy Tech’s recent partnership with Packback and its potential to close campus-wide equity gaps through research that aims to identify the best pedagogical approaches for engaging students from underrepresented groups.

AI-Powered Discussion Forums Give Students “High-Quality Experience” They Now Expect From Remote Learning During COVID

As students move past the unexpected turmoil brought on the spring semester by COVID-19, “high-quality” remote learning is the new expectation. In her recent article for the League For Innovation, Doreen Fisher-Bammer, Associate Provost of Virtual Learning at HACC, uncovers how artificial intelligence plays a key role in improving the online classroom when implemented thoughtfully.

As Engaging Online Programs Become a Necessity, WSU Tech Announces Partnership with Packback

WSU Tech recently partnered with Packback to support innovation in online learning. With COVID-19 forcing campuses across the nation to re-think effective online learning, WSU Tech’s decision will enable students and faculty to engage with each other in a more dynamic online setting.

The Largest Postsecondary Institution in Indiana, the Ivy Tech Community College System, has Partnered with Packback

The Ivy Tech Community College System has partnered with Packback to support engagement, especially in online programming. The partnership will make AI-powered online discussion an essential tool at the nation’s largest community college system, serving just over 90,000 students annually.