CASE STUDYPima Community College

How Pima Community College Boosted Student Participation by 60% and Raised Discussion Grades with Packback

Pamela Lizardi, Victimology Professor at Pima Community College, has been using Packback since 2017 to increase engagement, academic rigor, and student success in her courses. What started as an experiment to improve online discussion in Victimology evolved into a broader instructional strategy that raised grades and participation across the board.

Key Takeaways

17% increase in discussion grades

2 white outlined chat Icons layered with blue background and a lighter blue circle in the top one

60% increase in student participation

60% of students improved their ability to cite sources

Situation

Before adopting Packback, Pam struggled with two interconnected problems: students rarely completed assignments, and the few who did submitted low-effort work.
  • Only 2–3 students regularly participated in LMS discussion boards, resulting in low engagement and one-dimensional conversations.
  • Submitted responses were often minimal and lacked depth, leading to poor grades and limited concept mastery.
  • Many students showed difficulty citing sources and articulating their understanding clearly in writing.

Action

Pam ran a side-by-side comparison: one Victimology course used the LMS discussion board; the other used Packback Questions.
  • Packback students consistently submitted longer, more thoughtful responses and moved from sentence fragments to full paragraphs.
  • Pam later added Deep Dives, assigning students structured, AI-supported essays requiring three academic citations, which strengthened their research and writing skills.
  • Packback’s real-time feedback helped students build confidence while improving source use and writing mechanics.

Result

Packback transformed both the quality and consistency of student engagement in Pam’s courses.
  • Participation jumped 60%, and the quality of discussion improved measurably, with students exploring deeper angles and perspectives.
  • Discussion grades rose by 17% in the Packback section compared to the LMS section.
  • More than half of students improved their citation skills, enhancing the overall academic rigor of the class.
  • Students reported that Packback helped them think more critically and write with greater clarity.

Real Impact,

Real Voices

Packback helps students engage with the material and each other in ways that I just couldn’t achieve through the LMS. The quality of their work, their critical thinking, even their ability to cite sources—all of it improved. It’s made a real difference in how my students learn.

Professor Pam Lizardi Pima Community College
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