Problem and Solutions

From skipping materials and surface-level responses to active learning and more meaningful peer-to-peer engagement

Ever noticed that students are either skipping learning materials or giving surface-level responses during peer review? Although it’s obviously less than desirable, it is a common challenge for instructors. Which is why educators at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh were seeking better ways to foster student engagement, especially in asynchronous courses where participation and interaction are often limited. 

Tools built into their LMS, were often seen as clunky and ineffective. In addition, instructors struggled to maintain quality feedback and hold students accountable without overwhelming their own workloads. And on top of that, institutional restructuring and uncertainty made faculties hesitant to try new tools—an adoption barrier that Instructional Designer John Bellotti at UW–Oshkosh worked hard to overcome.

The solution came in the form of FeedbackFruits, which offered learning activities like Interactive Document, Interactive Video and Peer Review to encourage active learning, self-reflection, and more meaningful peer-to-peer engagement.

Improving student accountability and engagement with FeedbackFruits

The instructors that first jumped on board during the pilot were focused on building foundational skills through interactive, student-centered learning. In their writing courses, the goal was to develop students’ ability to read critically, give meaningful feedback, and collaborate effectively—skills seen as essential for both academic and professional success. In Accounting, the priority was guiding students through core concepts and helping them build confidence through low-stakes practice before moving into graded assessments.

Scaffold participation without overcomplicating the learning experience

While the goals were clear, implementing activities that actually led to deeper learning wasn’t easy. Instructors needed tools that were easy to use, adaptable to asynchronous formats, and capable of delivering real-time insight into student progress. 

There was also a need to balance structured guidance with student autonomy, and to ensure that peer feedback was meaningful, not perfunctory. As Instructional Program Manager John Bellotti observed, poorly designed activities—such as videos filled only with multiple-choice questions—led to students clicking through rather than engaging. The design challenge was to scaffold participation without overcomplicating the experience.

Why FeedbackFruits?

FeedbackFruits stood out for its simplicity, versatility, and strong student response. After a successful campus-wide pilot, instructors began integrating small-scale activities that could grow over time. The platform’s ability to fit seamlessly into existing course structures made it a natural fit—particularly in asynchronous environments where traditional engagement methods often fall short.

Implementation: Activity Design  

Activity 1: Interactive Document to improve student discussion and Peer Review to improve peer feedback

Course: Creative writing course and others

Objective: Improve reading engagement and feedback quality

Learning Activity: Interactive Document

Activity design: 

In her first- and second-year writing courses, Alayne Peterson, Associate Professor of English at the School of Media, Arts, and Communications within UW–Oshkosh, used FeedbackFruits Interactive Document to support students’ engagement with assigned readings. She uploaded texts and embedded a mix of reading annotation prompts and discussion questions to help guide students’ understanding. These interactive documents were used both in face-to-face and asynchronous online classes. 

After implementing the Interactive Document course, she integrated Peer Review. To facilitate the review, her students were asked to provide qualitative feedback on higher-order concerns (e.g. quality of argumentation) and provide a rating on lower-order concerns (e.g. tone clarity and grammar). 

By streamlining the peer feedback and guiding the peer feedback process, Alayne noted a significant improvement in the quality of feedback provided as compared to when she implemented it in Canvas.

Results: 

The Interactive Document significantly increased student engagement and the quality of peer discussion. Alayne reported that students gave more thoughtful, detailed comments—sometimes even full paragraphs of encouragement and critique—compared to previous peer review formats in Canvas. 

FeedbackFruits helped foster a sense of accountability and collaboration, making students more invested in each other’s success. As a result, Alayne noted improved participation, more on-time submissions, and stronger peer-to-peer learning in her asynchronous writing courses.

Alayne was one of the first instructors to start using FeedbackFruits during the pilot. She became particularly fond of using reading annotations in her writing courses and said “the feedback gotten from students about the use of it has been overwhelmingly positive.”

“When John invited us all to come and watch the demonstration of a couple of [Learning Activities], the Interactive Document and Interactive Video, I could immediately see applications for teaching writing. So I've been using FeedbackFruits in both my face-to-face classes and my asynchronous online classes. The feedback that I have gotten from students about their use of it has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Activity 2: Interactive Video to encourage participation in online learning

Departments: College of Business

Objective: Improved engagement in asynchronous classes

Learning Activity:  Interactive Video

Activity design: 

To improve engagement in her asynchronous financial accounting course, Jill Halverson used FeedbackFruits' Interactive Video. She uploaded short lecture videos covering key concepts, then embedded multiple-choice and open-ended questions throughout the recordings to guide learning.

These low-stakes activities were clearly mapped out for students and structured as part of a weekly routine alongside readings and exercises, forming the foundation of an enhanced learning experience.

‍Results: 

Before using FeedbackFruits, many students skipped the video lectures entirely. With the interactive video activities, Jill saw a dramatic increase in participation. Students were more likely to watch the videos, engage with the material, and complete the embedded questions—often earning full scores. 

While the activities counted for a small portion of the grade (just 4%), they played a key role in encouraging preparation and self-paced learning. Jill also noted how the Learning Activity helped reduce her need to prompt students: participation became automatic, and the assignments felt manageable and even enjoyable for students.

“I really don't have to prod my students too much to use FeedbackFruits. It's easy. And it's kind of fun, right? It's a little bit gamified. If they don't get the answer correct, they can try again.”

Building momentum through simple adoption

As the Instructional Designer behind the FeedbackFruits pilot, John Bellotti played a central role in implementation. His initial goal was to create more interactive learning experiences while also providing a buffer against increasing concerns around AI-generated work. 

“I think overall we just needed some more interaction in classes, whether that was online or in person. Because especially with AI in the past year, it's easy for students to just bypass doing any of the work at all. Although technically you could use AI to complete these assignments, it's probably not going to be worth your while because they're really based on your own personal preferences and opinions—and AI isn't generally going to do that for you.”

By encouraging instructors to start with just one or two FeedbackFruits Learning Activitiesand scale from there, John saw a ripple effect:

“It’s easy to set up. Once they start using it, then it just becomes like a little bit of a watershed moment.”

John also emphasized the value of combining multiple-choice and open-ended questions in activities to prevent superficial engagement and support deeper learning. His vision is to create a culture of experimentation, where faculties feel empowered to try, iterate, and evolve their use of the platform.