Website: theanswerpad.com

Interactive (the student response system):

• Student engagement.  
• Formative assessment.  
• Immediate feedback.
• Back channel.

Answer Sheets (the grading solution):

• Helps teacher transitioning from paper to digital assessment.
• Saves teachers time by using existing paper resources ie tests and quizzes.
• Is an auto grading app supporting show your work.

Draw Capabilities in both Interactive and Answer Sheets: Gives students different ways to show what they know and demonstrate learning.

What grade and age range? K-12 but also seeing a growth in higher ed.

Is this core/supplemental/special needs/extracurricular/professional development or what?

Designed for use in all areas. As a platform for continual formative assessment, it can be incorporated into any lesson to support all learning in core, supplemental, special needs etc. Interactive also works really well for PD sessions.

What subject, topic, what standards is it mapped to?

Interactive can be used for any tool and any standards. Answer sheets, our grading solution, come with pre-loaded CC standards for Math and ELA, but any standards can be imported so that quizzes in any subject area can be graded.

What lesson time does it use?

The Answer Pad is designed to be used throughout the class period, teachers can use Interactive whenever they would like the students to participate and show what they know. Depending on the class, this could be once or twice, or 25 times. It can also be used  for quick checks for understanding or to work collaboratively through multi step problems. We envision the tool being used for continual formative assessment, throughout the class period.

What is the pricing model? A very comprehensive free version and a paid school version but it also enables individual teachers to upgrade to the school version without everyone being onboard. Higher-ed pricing model where cost is passed to the students.

Are there services around it? It is a free standing, web based, content agnostic tool. Online video tutorials are available in the Learn Library, and online demos can be scheduled. TAP can help teachers to import custom standards if necessary.  Short videos are also available on our YouTube Channel .Train the trainer PD is also available for school purchases.

What makes Answer Pad unique?

The Answer Pad is a formative and summative platform for teachers. It combines two powerful functionalities: it is both a student response system B.Y.O.D. and 1:1 classrooms.

Interactive requires little or no preparation time for teachers. It can be easily used on the fly to check understanding.

Premade background images are available, together with likert scale, free draw, and the usual select response questions.

Teachers can send immediate feedback to the student once the response has been submitted and can unlock the interface so the student can re try.

Broadcast allows teachers to send one student’s response to all for working collaboratively.

All drawings and responses can be stored, building up digital student portfolios.

The grading solution has a unique approach of creating digital answer keys for paper quizzes.

The auto grading app supports over 10 different question types including essay and multiple correct.

Students can show their work for each and every question on  the quiz. Teachers can upload the paper test for a paperless solution.

Teachers can monitor live progress as students progress through the assignment.

All reports are standards based.

Teachers can monitor students’ progress live during the assessment.

A description of the characteristics--how is it designed for user interface, user experience? What instructional design principles are at work here?

The teacher is always browser based and can register at The Answer Pad for a free account., Students can be on a browser or on a free iOs or Android app. The student interface is mobile friendly and uniform on all devices. Using Interactive, students can either join via Quick Connect code, or they can register for an account. For Answer Sheets the students must be registered. Registration is quick and easy, via import or self registration. If teachers try the tool before using it in class, be sure to either use a different device for teacher and student, or, if on the same device, use different browsers.

The student response system continually gives teachers immediate data about their students level of comprehension and gives teachers an opportunity to provide feedback at the point of instruction. Research shows that timely feedback if extremely effective. The portfolio stores student work and can track progress by standard, or topic providing a different perspective. The Answer Sheets reuse teacher created tests, quizzes in the back of a textbook,  and transforms these tests into a digital experience, gives the student an opportunity to show work to support their answers. This is a huge time saver for teachers and an easy way to transition to digital assessment.