FeedbackFruits

FeedbackFruits is an extra platform for online learning that the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has licensed to support online teaching and learning. It is technically linked to Canvas so it is one of the teaching tools of Canvas.

FeedbackFruits enables you to Comment on learning materials and Answer to questions: providing thoughtful comments to learning materials and process information in learning materials. Research (1) shows that by annotating thoughtfully, you’ll learn more and get better grades; so here’s what “annotating thoughtfully” means: Effective annotations deeply engage points in the readings, stimulate discussion, offer informative questions or comments, and help others by addressing their questions or confusions.

Study together (formative use)

Your teacher can assign you to a groups of students or individually to study online learning materials together. You can make and respond to comments that help you and your fellow students to study the materials closely and to deepen your understanding. For example by asking clarifications, asking examples, explaining concepts more fundamentally etc. This assignment can be a free additional learning opportunity for a course.

Also, FeedbackFruits enables you to give comments to fellow students by commenting via so-called Rubrics. Rubrics are general descriptions of competence, quality or achievement that cover the quality and structure of a learning resource, or a resource uploaded by a fellow-student, that you can use to assess such sources in a structured way.

Gain credit (summative use)

Your teacher can also assign you the task to complete responding to text with comments, or to questions or to Rubrics as part of the grading scheme. It can be used to count towards the final grade or as a prerequisite for a specific course section. This is comparable to assigning credit in for example regular individual or group work.

Further questions?

Problems using FeedbackFruits? Send an email to onderwijswerkplaats@vu.nl.

(1) Miller, K., Lukoff, B. King, G. & Mazur, E. (2018). Use of a Social Annotation Platform for Pre-Class Reading Assignments in a Flipped Introductory Physics Class. Frontiers in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2018.00008