The Packback Blog

Packback and Michigan State Team Up to Reimagine Online Discussion

Through a new partnership with Packback, Michigan State University is now giving instructors and students access to an inquiry-based discussion platform designed to increase engagement and boost academic outcomes, even in remote settings.

March 2021 Industry Conferences Featuring Packback

Dr. Rufus Glasper, Dr. Adam Fein, and Dr. Andrea Wade are among the panelists who will participate in three sessions during the upcoming Virtual Innovations and OLC Innovate conferences. Panel discussions will center a forthcoming study on the efficacy of inquiry-based discussion, innovating for scale in online learning, and how to cultivate an anti-racist pedagogy.

Former Chancellor of Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Highlights Packback as One Way to Encourage Stimulating Remote Learning

In a recent article for The EvoLLLution, John Cavanaugh writes about best practices for stimulating student curiosity in the age of remote learning. The key? Implementing solutions that encourage students to challenge themselves through critical analysis. Cavanaugh points out Packback‘s “thoughtful, creative approach to online learning” as one effective approach for engaging students.

#UndergraduateVoices: “Student Experience” Webinar Panelists Share Their Thoughts on Care in the Classroom in Recent Article

In a recent article for The Hechinger Report, panelists from Packback’s “Student Experience” webinar, Jaida Sloan and Austin Catania, share how their professors made a difference in their classes during a semester marked by a health crisis by emphasizing care. Sloan and Catania highlight Packback as one of the ways their professors showed “care through …

Packback Cited as One Way Institutions Are Making the Most of COVID-19 Relief Funding

In a recent article for the New England Journal of Higher Education, Richard Pattenaude, President Emeritus of Ashford University, addresses the recently passed Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. The article details the bill’s requirements and offers examples of how institutions are using funding in innovative ways.

National University Launches Use of Packback to Strengthen Online Learning Experience

A recent story published by Betsy Foresman for EdScoop details National University’s decision to pilot the use of Packback in order to enhance the online learning experience. As an institution serving a large population of adult learners, National University hopes to offer a new level of support for a student body with diverse needs.

Leaders in Higher Education Come Together for Packback’s Academic Innovation Board

Packback has brought together leaders in higher education transformation for its newly formed Academic Innovation Board. Members of the Board include Eduardo J. Padron, President Emeritus of Miami Dade College, Marie Cini, Chief Strategy Officer at ED2WORK, and Rufus Glasper, President and CEO of the League for Innovation and Chancellor Emeritus at Maricopa Community College …

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.

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.