CASE STUDYVirginia Commonwealth University

Transforming Analysis and Writing Skills in Humanities at VCU

Keith Hollowell, Literature Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, teaches writing-intensive literature courses with over 100 students per semester. A long-time advocate for Packback Deep Dives, Keith began using the platform during its pilot program in 2021 to address the growing challenges of grading high volumes of student writing while maintaining instructional quality.

Key Takeaways

50% reduction in grading time

Reduced average feedback turnaround time to 5 days

Situation

Before adopting Deep Dives, Keith found grading large volumes of student writing nearly unmanageable.
  • Weekly assignments ranged from 500 to 1,000 words and required detailed evaluation of grammar, structure, and analytical depth.
  • Grading each paper thoroughly could take up to 90 minutes, leaving little time for meaningful feedback.
  • Students often submitted formulaic essays lacking originality, a trend worsened by the pandemic’s effect on writing preparation.

Action

After consulting with his Packback Experience Manager, Keith integrated Deep Dives into his course structure.
  • The AI-driven feedback system coached students in real time on grammar, structure, and composition.
  • Keith used the time saved to focus on content-level feedback and engage more deeply with students’ ideas.
  • Deep Dives replaced generic five-paragraph essays with thoughtful, voice-driven analysis by helping students break away from rigid formats.

Result

Deep Dives transformed both Keith’s grading workflow and his students’ writing capabilities.
  • Grading time was cut in half, and feedback turnaround dropped to just 5 days.
    Students began writing with more originality, clarity, and confidence, resulting in significantly improved submissions.
  • The platform’s user-friendly grading tools allowed Keith to efficiently leave detailed, instructive comments.
  • Keith was able to showcase sample work in class to model strong writing, reinforcing learning outcomes and supporting growth.

Real Impact,

Real Voices

Deep Dives has been transformative—not just in how I grade, but in how I teach. I’m able to focus on student ideas instead of basic corrections, and students are learning to write with real voice and depth. It’s completely changed my course structure for the better.

Professor Keith Hollowell Virginia Commonwealth University
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