Bluepulse 1.5 Revamps Formative Assessment to Boost Student Engagement

Explorance’s new version of Bluepulse offers faculty an anonymous, private, two-way communication platform which not only offers tools to improve teaching methods, but also enhances student learning results.

Montreal, Canada – April 22, 2015 – Explorance, the leading Learning Experience Management solution provider, announces the availability of Bluepulse version 1.5. The new formative assessment software is geared to boost teaching effectiveness and student engagement while ultimately enhancing the overall learning experience. Using social feedback, the new two-way communication platform is designed to offer faculty judgment-free, anonymous feedback conducive to self-improvement and continuous learning enhancement based on students’ articulated needs.

Given the decreasing graduation completion rates in the US, educational institutions are struggling to find ways to better engage their students. While educational organizations are attempting to adapt to the new generation of students by increasing the portion of online and blended courses, they face higher student disengagement rates. Ample resources are invested in addressing student engagement. The solution resides in a better learning experience based on enhanced communication between faculty and students.

Formative assessment is a key communication tool which provides learners opportunities to adjust or clarify their thinking prior to a summative assessment (i.e., exams), as illustrated in the Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) framework. Research has shown that the JiTT framework significantly contributes to increasing in-class teaching effectiveness, leading to better student learning outcomes. JiTT relies on creating feedback loops between classroom activities and coursework. Students answer brief questions before class, so instructors can adapt their curriculum based on the learning gaps revealed in the JiTT responses.

Bluepulse version 1.5 was designed to assist faculties in implementing the JiTT framework with their students. Through two-way electronic communication with their students, teachers can collect real-time feedback on specific topics mentioned in the summative review. Instructors are able to leverage the in-depth analytics to enhance teaching efficiency. All student information and communications are kept confidential. This provides a safe environment for candid feedback and gives even the shyest of students an equal voice. Without knowing their identity, teachers can assess students’ understanding of specific course topics on an individual basis and then create learning sub-groups based on responses to foster peer learning, or open one-on-one discussions (patent pending) to ensure no student lags behind.

The platform’s unique enhancements will enable teachers to improve their teaching effectiveness while encouraging active learning for enhanced student engagement. “We have been using Bluepulse as a self-controlled formative assessment tool. The tool gives faculty the chance to receive valuable feedback on how to improve the teaching process in real-time, at their own discretion,” says Michael Evans, Associate Dean of Digital Learning at Sheridan College, “Bluepulse 1.5 is a testimony to Explorance’s dedication to accommodating their solution to feedback from clients. We are looking forward to implementing the two-way communication between instructors and students for better learning results.”

By providing direct communication channels and in-depth analytics, Bluepulse 1.5 enables instructors to implement a cycle of continuous improvement within the classroom. To learn more about how Bluepulse 1.5 redefines the dialogue between students and teachers, view the brief video above or schedule a personalized product walkthrough.

Contact:
Gil Gruber Explorance, Inc.
(514) 238-7766
ggruber@explorance.com