Teachers Assess Comprehension, Bolster Student Participation with Web App

GoSoapBox has introduced its new learning application, GoSoapBox, designed to encourage student participation and provide educators with a way to assess student comprehension of subject material. The customizable Web-based application is available via desktop or mobile device.

With GoSoapBox, students can ask—and respond to—questions during class. They can also vote for questions that they'd like the teacher to address. Questions receiving the most votes rise to the top of the page. Students respond via their computer, smartphone, or tablet. All interaction is anonymous.

Teachers can also use the app to create polls and quizzes. GoSoapBox provides real-time poll results in graphic form. All data can be exported into a spreadsheet.

Other features of the application include profanity filter, 24-hour access, and a Confusion Barometer, which enables students to alert the teacher when they're having trouble understanding the material.

More than 1,300 instructors have signed up to beta test the application, according to a statement released Tuesday by the company.

"What makes GoSoapBox so valuable is the fact that I get instant feedback on what students are grasping in my English class," said Christin Opreska, a teacher at Northern Lebanon High School in Fredericksburg, Penn. "GoSoapBox has been an incredible tool to pinpoint comprehension gaps when my students are reading independently."

Educators can register for a free 15-day trial or buy a subscription from GoSoapBox's Web site. Subscriptions are available for $15 per month or $90 per year.

About the Author

Kanoe Namahoe is online editor for 1105 Media's Education Group. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • SXSW EDU

    SXSW EDU 2025: Where K-12 Meets the Future of Education

    Join education's most passionate community this March 3-6, 2025 at a special 15th-annual SXSW EDU Conference & Festival in Austin, Texas.

  • students using digital devices, surrounded by abstract AI motifs and soft geometric design

    Ed Tech Startup Kira Launches AI-Native Learning Platform

    A new K-12 learning platform aims to bring personalized education to every student. Kira, one of the latest ed tech ventures from Andrew Ng, former director of Stanford's AI Lab and co-founder of Coursera and DeepLearning.AI, "integrates artificial intelligence directly into every educational workflow — from lesson planning and instruction to grading, intervention, and reporting," according to a news announcement.

  • group of elementary school students designing video games on computers in a modern classroom with a teacher, depicted in a geometric and abstract style

    Using Video Game Design to Teach Literacy Skills

    The Max Schoenfeld School, a public school in the Bronx serving one of the poorest communities in the nation, is taking an innovative approach to improving student literacy.

  • laptop screen displaying a typed essay, on a child

    McGraw Hill Acquires Essaypop Digital Learning Tool

    Education company McGraw Hill has announced the acquisition of Essaypop, a cloud-based writing tool that will enhance the former's portfolio of personalized learning capabilities.