Case Study: University of Arkansas improves student writing with Packback Deep Dives

University of Arkansas boosts student critical thinking 85% with Packback

The University of Arkansas faced a challenge in its large lecture courses, where student writing submissions were often poorly structured, lacked credible sources, and demonstrated weak grammar. Associate Professor Leigh Southward sought a solution to help students strengthen their research and critical thinking skills, as existing LMS tools provided little writing development support. To address this, the university implemented Packback's Deep Dives platform.

Packback's Deep Dives provided students with real-time, instructional feedback on grammar, structure, and citation use as they wrote. This solution significantly improved writing quality and research rigor. As a result, 85% of students felt the tool improved their critical thinking, and the average student grade rose by over half a letter grade. Additionally, the professor experienced a 30-40% reduction in grading time, enabling more writing assignments without burnout.

University of Arkansas