Provide Better Feedback with The Answer Pad

I can't go to bed tonight until I write about all the great things happening with The Answer Pad. As a TAP Champion, I sometimes get to preview some features of this excellent tool before they go live for everyone. Today the features that I will describe have gone live for everyone, so please check them out. You will be glad you did!

If you have read some of my other posts, you will know that I love this tool. The Answer Pad is two great services - one part student response system, one part digital answer sheet maker. Want to just ask some questions in class and see how well the students understand the lesson? The Answer Pad can help with that. Want to stop spending time grading tests? The Answer Pad can help with that too. With generous free features and very affordable premium features, this tool is one of the best values out there. This week a great tool got even better.

The newest feature is a feedback loop. Send a screen out to your students for feedback. I sent out a blank canvas and asked students to draw a molecule. Once the answers start rolling in, the teacher can provide some feedback. Colored dots (lower left in the picture above) can be sent out to the students to show them if they mastered the task, came close, or need another attempt. If they need another attempt, you can unlock individual student's work (lower right in the picture above) and send it back for another attempt. I previewed these features in class last week and one of my students said, "This was fun. Can we do another one?" Awesome!

Earlier this fall I took advantage of a different set of updates that work so nicely with this feedback tool. When students sign in, their names appear under the blue block that will contain their answers. There are two checkboxes above the student work that can take the tool to a new level when the work is projected. Uncheck the Show Names box and the student work becomes anonymous. Then students can see the answers of their peers, making for a great discussion of which are great and which need work. 

Don't want students to create an answer based on what they see? No problem. Simply uncheck the Show Answers box. When a student submits an answer, the class sees a little blue spy. Once all the answers are in, click the box to reveal everyone's answers at once.

The Answer Pad is a very easy and intuitive tool that requires little preparation or technical know-how to use and get great data and results. It works on all web-enabled devices and there are iOS and android apps. This week the tool got even better. If you want to try out something new in your classroom tomorrow, check this one out today!