Professor Success Stories

How does Piazza help you in your large chemistry class?

I have 500 students. I can’t fit that many people into any room on campus. There is no amount of office hours that would allow me to connect with them all. Many of the students who ask questions on Piazza just wouldn't get the opportunity to ask them otherwise. Maybe they couldn’t make it to office hours; maybe they didn't get the chance to talk to a TA because it was so crowded in class. Now they can get answers to their questions 24 hours a day online. Hundreds of them are using Piazza. Some read every post on there—I see them having ‘post feuds’ (laughs). So they enjoy it. They definitely take advantage of it.

What makes Piazza different from other forums?

There are two key differences: First, the piazza platform is very intuitive to use so it’s easy for TAs and students to start using it right away. Second, I also really like the ‘wiki’ format where everyone contributes to one common answer – this is what really saves time because...

How does Piazza help you in your large chemistry class?

I have 500 students. I can’t fit that many people into any room on campus. There is no amount of office hours that would allow me to connect with them all. Many of the students who ask questions on Piazza just wouldn't get the opportunity to ask them otherwise. Maybe they couldn’t make

it to office hours; maybe they didn't get the chance to talk to a TA because it was so crowded in class. Now they can get answers to their questions 24 hours a day online. Hundreds of them are using Piazza. Some read every post on there—I see them having ‘post feuds’ (laughs). So they enjoy it. They definitely take advantage of it.

What makes Piazza different from other forums?

There are two key differences: First, the piazza platform is very intuitive to use so it’s easy for TAs and students to start using it right away. Second, I also really like the ‘wiki’ format where everyone contributes to one common answer – this is what really saves time because...

How is Piazza different from other tools you use?

I’ve been using iclickers for seven or eight years, and that’s a technology that takes a lot of time. It can also go wrong, and it’s a big nuisance when it does. I have a part-time person hired just to do the record-keeping! But Piazza is not like that at all. It’s largely invisible. You make a few decisions when you set it up and then it’s pretty straightforward—not time-consuming, energy-draining, anything like that.

Were you worried about trying another new technology?

Well, here at Berkeley we’re close to Silicon Valley, so we’re used to trying new things. But I was a little bit worried about being flooded with emails and notifications. It just hasn’t turned out that way at all, though. Piazza has been totally nonintrusive. I was able to choose how frequently I receive emails—I chose every four hours or something. So I very much like that feature.

How is Piazza different from other tools you use?

I’ve been using iclickers for seven or eight years, and that’s a technology that takes a lot of time. It can also go wrong, and it’s a big nuisance when it does. I have a part-time person hired just to do the record-keeping! But Piazza is not like that at all. It’s largely invisible. You make a few

decisions when you set it up and then it’s pretty straightforward—not time-consuming, energy-draining, anything like that.

Were you worried about trying another new technology?

Well, here at Berkeley we’re close to Silicon Valley, so we’re used to trying

new things. But I was a little bit worried about being flooded with emails and notifications. It just hasn’t turned out that way at all, though. Piazza has been totally nonintrusive. I was able to choose how frequently I receive emails—I chose every four hours or something. So I very much like that feature.

What makes Piazza different from other forums?

Well, one thing I really like about it from a math perspective is that it supports LaTeX. It’s hard to type a formula or equation using regular characters; there’s no integral sign on the keyboard. That’s why every math paper is now written in LaTeX. Having a collaborative tool like Piazza that supports LaTeX is wonderful. It’s easy to learn, doesn't require much effort from students, and makes everything much more readable. When you try to type a formula into an email, it can be confusing. But with Piazza, I really understand what my students are asking.

Anything else you’ve found helpful for math, specifically?

I like that it’s collaborative, Wikipedia-style. Students can answer each other’s questions, and everything is nicely grouped based on tags for easy searching. No one has to wait for my next office hours to get hints or answers, and I don’t have to deal with a deluge...

What makes Piazza different from other forums?

Well, one thing I really like about it from a math perspective is that it supports LaTeX. It’s hard to type a formula or equation using regular characters; there’s no integral sign on the keyboard. That’s why every math paper is now written in

LaTeX. Having a collaborative tool like Piazza that supports LaTeX is wonderful. It’s easy to learn, doesn't require much effort from students, and makes everything much more readable. When you try to type a formula into an email, it can be confusing. But with Piazza, I really understand what my students are asking.

Anything else you’ve found helpful for math, specifically?

I like that it’s collaborative, Wikipedia-style. Students can answer each other’s questions, and everything is nicely grouped based on tags for easy searching. No one has to wait for my next office hours to get hints or answers, and I don’t have to deal with a deluge...

Why did you first start using Piazza?

Well, I had been communicating with students through my own website, which was a pain in the neck. My class had a lot of downloads and generated a lot of student feedback, and I was doing things through mechanisms that were not really intended to be used the way I was using them. But in the last few years, Piazza has replaced my entire website, which is now dormant. I post homework assignments, lecture slides, demonstration code, all that stuff on Piazza, and answer students’ questions. It really has been a big change in terms of organization. I don’t have to wonder, Did I post that homework properly? Did I answer all those emails? I can also find out very rapidly if students aren't understanding a particular concept, and either post a detailed explanation on Piazza or cover it in a lecture.

Do you use it in conjunction with other tools provided by the college?

I use only Piazza for my class communication in both directions. The one exception is if a student has...

Why did you first start using Piazza?

Well, I had been communicating with students through my own website, which was a pain in the neck. My class had a lot of downloads and generated a lot of student feedback, and I was doing things through mechanisms that were not really intended to be used the way I was using them. But in the last few years, Piazza

has replaced my entire website, which is now dormant. I post homework assignments, lecture slides, demonstration code, all that stuff on Piazza, and answer students’ questions. It really has been a big change in terms of organization. I don’t have to wonder, Did I post that homework properly? Did I answer all those emails? I can also find out very rapidly if students

aren't understanding a particular concept, and either post a detailed explanation on Piazza or cover it in a lecture.

Do you use it in conjunction with other tools provided by the college?

I use only Piazza for my class communication in both directions. The one exception is if a student has...

How do you use Piazza?

It’s the center for communicating with my students at GW, for keeping everybody up to date and answering questions. Previously, before I ever flipped a class, I did the following, which was new at the time: I basically advertised my Piazza class outside of the registered students. I put a couple of announcements on relevant LinkedIn groups and opened up the class to any interested self-learner, from anywhere. So we had about 180 observers who joined our Piazza class, along with my registered students.

So what would we see if we were to look in on your Piazza classes today?

I post updates and feedback, debriefs for the students. They post questions and I post answers; we go back and forth. It’s a conversation where things are recorded and remain in one place. I’ll also post...

How do you use Piazza?

It’s the center for communicating with my students at GW, for keeping everybody up to date and answering questions. Previously, before I ever flipped a class, I did the following, which was new at the time: I basically advertised my Piazza

class outside of the registered students. I put a couple of announcements on relevant LinkedIn groups and opened up the class to any interested self-learner, from anywhere. So we had about 180 observers who joined our Piazza class, along with my registered students.

So what would we see if we were to look in on your Piazza classes today?

I post updates and feedback, debriefs for the students. They post questions and I post answers; we go back and forth. It’s a conversation where things are recorded and remain in one place. I’ll also post...

Are there any other tools you’ve tried in your classes?

I have 500 students. I can’t fit that many people into any room on campus. There is no amount of office hours that would allow me to connect with them all. Many of the students who ask questions on Piazza just wouldn't get the opportunity to ask them otherwise. Maybe they couldn’t make it to office hours; maybe they didn't get the chance to talk to a TA because it was so crowded in class. Now they can get answers to their questions 24 hours a day online. Hundreds of them are using Piazza. Some read every post on there—I see them having ‘post feuds’ (laughs). So they enjoy it. They definitely take advantage of it.

So are you planning to teach the class mostly online with Piazza again this spring?

Yes, I’m teaching it with the same university in Sweden, though I’m actually looking for a few other partners, too. I want to expand this model. I could never imagine teaching this class in a classroom again. It would just be too boring.

Are there any other tools you’ve tried in your classes?

Well, I’ve tried Blackboard, because my university uses it. But it is—especially for software engineers—just so embarrassing. Even if I could get students from Sweden on it, which I can’t, it’s so difficult to organize a discussion, and the navigation is just painful. The way that Piazza sets up the folders

is much more convenient. Not to mention the editing and formatting facilities, with HTML and LaTex in particular, and the ability to go back and modify postings. Students can even work together to modify the same posting, which is just a terrific idea that helps discussion come alive.

So are you planning to teach the class mostly online with Piazza again this spring?

Yes, I’m teaching it with the same university in Sweden, though I’m actually looking for a few other partners, too. I want to expand this model. I could never imagine teaching this class in a classroom again. It would just be too boring.

Why do you use Piazza? How did you first hear of it?

I’m never a fan of tools unless they’re really, really spectacular. But I noticed that a colleague of mine who teaches an infamous programming language—it’s one of the most rigorous programming language courses around; he uses a textbook he wrote himself—was using it. And he’s not a believer in tools, either. But I was like, Wait a minute, if this guy is using Piazza, and I trust this guy with my life, maybe I should look into it. I don't trust a lot of people, but this guy is just really smart. I forget which class I first used Piazza for. But I loved it. Immediately.

How do you feel that Piazza has changed your students’ experience?

It does a lot of things very, very well, not only for my teaching but for the students. In addition to using it for Q&A, I use it as a medium for classroom participation. I think one of the problems we’re seeing right now is that we have an education system where students are afraid to ask questions.

Why do you use Piazza? How did you first hear of it?

I’m never a fan of tools unless they’re really, really spectacular. But I noticed that a colleague of mine who teaches an infamous programming language—it’s one of the most rigorous programming language courses around; he uses a textbook he wrote himself—was using it.

And he’s not a believer in tools, either. But I was like, Wait a minute, if this guy is using Piazza, and I trust this guy with my life, maybe I should look into it. I don't trust a lot of people, but this guy is just really smart. I forget which class I first used Piazza for. But I loved it. Immediately.

How do you feel that Piazza has changed your students’ experience?

It does a lot of things very, very well, not only for my teaching but for the students. In addition to using it for Q&A, I use it as a medium for classroom participation. I think one of the problems we’re seeing right now is that we have an education system where students are afraid to ask questions.

Why did you decide to try Piazza as a humanities professor?

The great thing about Piazza is it's very light, very text-based. And the students found it very easy to understand and to use. It structured our class discussion. There is no other software platform I'm aware of that would make that easy to do. If people are actually actively engaged in it, and it's a part of their syllabus, then it can be quite powerful. In fact, then it can be way more powerful than classroom discussions alone. I was disappointed to discover that not many professors in the humanities used it.

How did you first discover Piazza?

There are two key differences: First, the piazza platform is very intuitive to use so it’s easy for TAs and students to start using it right away. Second, I also really like the ‘wiki’ format where everyone contributes to one common answer – this is what really saves time because...

Why did you decide to try Piazza as a humanities professor?

The great thing about Piazza is it's very light, very text-based. And the students found it very easy to understand and to use. It structured our class discussion. There is no other software platform I'm aware of that would make that easy to do.

If people are actually actively engaged in it, and it's a part of their syllabus, then it can be quite powerful. In fact, then it can be way more powerful than classroom discussions alone. I was disappointed to discover that not many professors in the humanities used it.

How did you first discover Piazza?

I first heard about Piazza when I read the New York Times article. I had been researching other platforms like Blackboard, but when Nick from Piazza came to Columbia and showed me the product, I loved it.

How did students respond?

It’s been really interesting. I don’t know of another course, or another service, that connects high school students to people outside their school buildings like this, including to independent learners. We had a student in Syria whose university was shut down, so he was taking the MOOC. We had a professional developer in the UK who had just never learned Java, so he was taking the MOOC. I think those independent learners really elevated the conversation—their tone, their professionalism...For us, it really was a great experience.

Did you use any of Piazza’s statistics?

Yes, the statistics were helpful. They let us see how many students were on the forum, and with what frequency. Knowing the average response time was also very helpful, since this forum is new to coaches and schools. Now we can come armed with data and analytics from last year’s course, and talk about our current average response time, and how many students are asking questions...

How did students respond to Piazza?

It’s been really interesting. I don’t know of another course, or another service, that connects high school students to people outside their school buildings like this, including to independent learners. We had a student in Syria whose university was shut down, so he was taking the MOOC.

We had a professional developer in the UK who had just never learned Java, so he was taking the MOOC. I think those independent learners really elevated the conversation—their tone, their professionalism...For us, it really was a great experience.

Did you use any of Piazza’s statistics?

Yes, the statistics were helpful. They let us see how many students were on the forum, and with what frequency. Knowing the average response time was also very helpful, since this forum is new to coaches and schools. Now we can...