How the University of Alabama Revamped Writing Instruction and Improved Student Performance with Packback
Michael Barton, a criminal justice professor at the
University of Alabama, wanted to find a way to improve his students’ writing and critical thinking skills. He found that students often struggled with simple grammar and basic paper structure which led to a frustrating and long grading process, and even deterred him from assigning written assignments. He turned to Packback to provide a solution and began integrating Packback into his curriculum for several courses.
Key Takeaways
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5 -10% improvement in writing assignment grades
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84% of students said Packback improved their writing skills
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20% reduction in grading time
Situation
Michael consistently saw weak writing and minimal improvement, with most student grades hovering around 75-80%.
- Students struggled with grammar, paper structure, and original thought, leading to a frustrating grading experience.
- Feedback required too much red-pen correction, which deterred him from assigning more writing.
- When he transitioned from LSU to the University of Alabama, Michael saw an opportunity to try something new.
Action
To improve writing quality and reduce grading friction, Michael integrated both Packback Questions and Deep Dives across his courses.
- In undergraduate classes, Discussions led to stronger in-class discussions and more thoughtful student writing.
- He used the Featured Post function to highlight unique perspectives, encouraging peer-to-peer learning.
- In his graduate course, Deep Dives gave students structured feedback while they wrote, which led to more polished, meaningful submissions.
Result
Packback helped Michael build a more engaging and rigorous learning environment while making grading more efficient.
- Student writing scores improved by 5-10%, with stronger clarity and structure across submissions.
- Grading time dropped by 20%, allowing Michael to focus on content-level feedback instead of mechanics.
- Students became more confident communicators, citing Packback as a major influence on their writing growth.
- One student was so impacted that she purchased her own subscription to continue using Packback after the course.
“When my class was at a crossroads, I turned to Packback and it reinvigorated not only the students, but me too. Packback helped us find joy in writing again and gave my students the structure and support they needed to succeed.”
Michael Barton
Criminal Justice Professor, University of Alabama