The Packback Blog

Recent Articles

Case Study: How Packback’s Instruct Tools Empower Educators

In the “post COVID” educational landscape we are currently in, educators are facing an uphill
battle and finding it increasingly harder to resonate with students. Educators are being asked to manage larger class sizes, with less resources, while still ensuring that each student receives the individual attention they need to succeed. The challenge of tracking student progress, providing personalized feedback, and fostering an engaging learning environment can be overwhelming and feel almost impossible, especially as class sizes grow and student needs diversify. This epidemic has led to many teachers leaving the profession and even more feeling burnt out and tired of the burden placed upon them.

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Case Study: How Packback Deep Dives is Transforming Writing

In the dynamic landscape of higher education, the ability to effectively evaluate and improve
student writing remains a pivotal challenge. Writing is not only a fundamental skill for academic success but also a critical tool for professional development and personal expression. At the same time, educators often find themselves overwhelmed by the time and effort required to provide detailed, actionable feedback on student writing, which is essential for fostering growth and improvement.

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Case Study: How Packback Helps Accelerate Student Achievement in Advanced Academics

Located in north central Florida, Marion County is a booming area within a fast-growing state. The county’s population has grown by nearly 60% in the past two decades. This dramatic growth is being reflected in the school system, which recently enrolled over 45,000
students for the first time in district history. This massive boom in enrollment has put a tremendous strain on the Marion County Schools and teachers throughout the district.

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Case Study: Helping Students Become Better at Writing Across the Curriculum with Packback

Lezlee Brinkman, a social studies teacher at Eisenhower High School in Houston, knows as well as any other educator that for many students, advanced history courses are a major step up in difficulty for students across a number of metrics. The complex and in-depth comprehension of the coursework is new to most students, and the reading and writing skills required to succeed in the course often requires a steep learning curve. Check out the below case study to see how Packback helped Lezlee’s students become better at writing across the curriculum.

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Case Study: Empowering Educators and Students – The Impact of Packback on Academic Achievement and Engagement

Evaluation of student work in higher education remains a cornerstone of academic progress tracking and skill development. Grades serve as a crucial metric for assessing student understanding, providing feedback, and guiding instructional strategies. However, as we prepare the next generation of practitioners and academics in our respective fields, the complexities of modern education in today’s economy demand an approach to evaluation that balances authentic assessment with measurable outcomes aligned to course objectives.

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Case Study: Enhancing Student Engagement, Sentiment, and Teaching Evaluations with Packback

One of the realities of teaching in higher education is that student evaluations are core to the tenure and promotion process, at least when it comes to assessment of teaching practice and course quality. It’s often a review committee’s only direct window into how your students perceive you, your quality as an instructor, and the efficacy of the courses you’ve created and executed. We know a few other things about them, too – good, bad, or ugly.

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How Instructional AI Feedback Can Improve Student Outcomes and Classroom Engagement

Often when you hear or read the words “AI feedback” you think of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc. that do the writing and thinking for students. These tools can be given a simple prompt and return answers sophisticated enough to pass the bar exam.

This however, is a common misconception. In fact, there are several other forms of AI feedback, like Instructional AI, that when used and implemented properly, can scaffold and support learning, while simultaneously acting as an extension of the teacher. These pedagogically sound AI feedback loops have even been shown to improve student outcomes, enhance writing skills, and promote better classroom engagement.

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Michelle Barton: Teacher Turned Packbacker

Hi! For those of you I haven’t met, my name is Michelle Barton, I’m a former teacher turned Packbacker. Ever since second grade, I knew I had a love for education and that I wanted to be a teacher (and believe me, everyone else around me knew it too). Teaching is something very near and dear to my heart, some would say I was born with the need to teach! 

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5 Spring Break Tips for Educators

On Sunday, February 2, 2024 our dear friend Punxsutawney Phil poked out of his hole and showed us his furry little face for the first time since 2023. As Philly Fahrenheit walked around that day, he saw many things, but one thing he didn’t see was his shadow. Which meant spring would be coming soon around the corner.

Fast forward to March, and as our friend Phil foretold, Spring is indeed here meaning we are inching ever closer to Spring break. For students, Spring break offers a chance to unwind, blow off some steam and forget their responsibilities for a week. However, Spring break means something different for educators.

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Request a Demo of the Packback Questions Platform

Curious to learn more? One of our friendly strategy consultants will be excited to meet you and discuss your course learning objectives. We will provide a free consultation to see if Packback would be a good fit for your class!

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