How UC Davis Uses Tailored Feedback to Inspire Learning

All images courtesy of UC Davis

 The challenge

In an era where online education continues to expand, keeping students engaged and providing personalized feedback is more critical than ever. UC Davis' assistant professor of teaching, Dr. Debbie Fetter, leverages PlayPosit by WeVideo's interactive video tools in her large-scale online nutrition courses to help students stay engaged and succeed academically.

The solution

PlayPosit gave UC Davis an interactive video platform to help educators integrate feedback directly into video lessons and gauge understanding in real time. Dr. Fetter used WeVideo to:

• Embed questions at regular intervals: Questions appear every 4-7 minutes in Dr. Fetter's videos, helping to maintain student attention and focus in any learning environment.
• Create low-stakes assessments: Dr. Fetter makes video questions ungraded so that students can engage without the pressure of formal evaluation. However, similar questions often appear in graded quizzes, reinforcing the importance of watching the videos.
• Tailor feedback:  Dr. Fetter takes time to write specific feedback for both correct and incorrect answers, ensuring students walk away with a clear understanding of key concepts.

Dr. Fetter uses PlayPosit to deliver feedback as if speaking directly to students, reinforcing correct answers and clarifying why certain responses are incorrect. This approach not only personalizes learning but also helps students build confidence in their knowledge.

The results

Dr. Fetter's students reported high satisfaction with PlayPosit by WeVideo. In an anonymous survey:

• 96% agreed that embedded questions helped them understand the content better
• 94% found the tailored feedback to be helpful

Overall, PlayPosit's interactive elements and study tools positively impacted the learning experience.

Key takeaways

Using PlayPosit for targeted learning has shown:

• Enhanced Learning: More engaging and personalized learning environment.
• Effective Assessment: Validates PlayPosit as a collaborative engagement tool.
• Online Learning Potential: Promises for academic integration

Whether you’re teaching small groups or managing large, high-enrollment courses, WeVideo offers a scalable solution for improving engagement and outcomes through tailored feedback and interactive assessments.

Hear the full story

Watch Professor Dr. Debbie Fetter share her approach to using PlayPosit in UC Davis' nutrition courses, recorded during the PlayPosit Exchange summer event. Access the full session below.

Benefits of interactive video

• Triple engagement: Interactive questions embedded in course videos allow educators to identify and correct student misunderstandings. Track progress, identify learner gaps, and remediate as needed. 
• Create on-demand learning: Clickable elements like web embeds, multiple-choice questions, and fill-in-the-blanks promote engaging self-paced programs. 
• Target instruction: Regular feedback prompts keep students focused and encourage active participation. Timely insights ensures students receive relevant and personalized guidance.

Practical strategies for educators

• Design meaningful video questions: Coordinate questions with natural pauses and complicated concepts. This helps assess comprehension in real time.
• Target learning objectives: Align questions with your learning goals. Dr. Fetter's unit on body composition includes questions that reinforce key objectives, such as understanding weight stigma.
• Utilize data for continuous improvement: Analytics help instructors identify which questions students are struggling with, enabling real-time interventions. Dr. Fetter uses this data to send course announcements and further clarify difficult concepts. She also reviews questions and feedback with teaching assists and academic services to ensure clarity and effectiveness.