Students Enjoy Online Discussion

March 6, 2020 Author: Read time: 2 min

Graphic of a spotlight on a red background shining onto the words "Faculty Spotlight"

Taurie Gittings Wheeler shares why her students say they enjoy using Packback

Taurie Gittings Wheeler knew students didn’t always love online discussion boards, so she was happy to hear her students sharing their excitement for Packback. They told her they enjoyed asking questions about topics that interested them as well as competing with their peers to see who could get the highest Curiosity Score.

“My students have been using Packback for the first half of the semester, and I have found that they are enjoying it,” shares Gittings Wheeler. “And since they’re enjoying it, I’m enjoying it.”

INSTITUTION

Miami Dade College

DEPARTMENT

Humanities

COURSE

Humanities

SIZE

33 Students

“What I hear in terms of feedback from my students is that they love the option of essentially creating an assignment for their peers as well as, they’re not finding it difficult to answer the questions. And not necessarily because the questions aren’t in-depth, but because they are able to offer their own insights and opinions, and then find resources via links or images or videos in order to back that up. Another motivating factor in, I think, having so many students engage with the program, and submitting their assignments on time, which is a plus, is the leader board. They are checking to see what their curiosity levels are and how to beat, not only whatever they had previously, but also to beat their peers. So it’s been a friendly [element] of competition that’s been added in these assignments. And so we’re enjoying it.”