As teachers moved into remote instruction, the Listenwise platform updated to reflect new teaching needs for remote and hybrid learning.

We have a lot of great new Listenwise features to give educators more insight into their remote/hybrid learning and allow more student self-direction within Listenwise.

Remember to try our 30-day free trial of Listenwise Premium when you sign up or access from your dashboard (you will continue to access the free version of Listenwise after your trial ends) to explore all the new features and find remote learning instructional support resources here.

New Listenwise Features

Quick and Easy Assignment Options for more Control and Efficiency

We heard requests for more flexibility in scheduling when students could access assignments, more clarity about when assignments were due, and a faster process for making written assignments.

New Listenwise features:  

• Assign to multiple classes at the same time
• Improved Google Classroom integration for written assignments
• Schedule assignment availability in advance
• Set due times (not just dates)

Read all the details in our new assignment features blog post.

Embracing Student-Directed Learning

In this remote learning environment students are doing more self-directed work and teachers have been in need of high-quality engaging content, especially for their asynchronous learning time. We’ve expanded opportunities for students to select content that is meaningful to them. We want to help foster student agency and allow greater student choice.

New Listenwise features: 

• Student-selected quizzing – Students have long been able to search and browse the Listenwise library, but submitting work has required an assignment from a teacher. Now students will be able to both choose a story and take a quiz on their own! This opens the door to more flexible instruction and routines, encouraging student choice or assigning specific lessons or quizzes, depending on your teaching goals. 
• Personal progress reporting on dashboard – Student-directed learning includes self-reflection on one’s own progress. But data is needed to do that effectively. Now students will be able to review their own progress across Listenwise quizzes and reflect on their performance on key listening skills such as identifying the main idea or making inferences – all right from their student dashboard. 

Read more details on our new student-directed learning features in this blog post.

Monitoring Progress at a Distance

It’s harder to monitor student progress at a distance when you are not with them for most of their work time. You cannot see the struggle, confusion, or disengagement in their eyes. Technology is not perfect for all of this, but we can do more, including helping students monitor their own progress.

New Listenwise features: 

• Student Progress – Listenwise has always provided tools for teachers to monitor their most recent assignments. Now we have added a student-centered view of data on our new “Student Progress” tab. You can look at the most recent performance by a student compared with their average performance and quickly identify students who need additional support with our red/yellow/green indicators. 
• Tracking time spent on assignments – Did students spend 2 minutes or 20 completing their Listenwise assignment? Now you’ll know. And that is extra valuable when you can’t observe students doing their Listenwise work in your classroom. 

Read all the details in our blog: Monitoring Progress at a Distance on Listenwise.

So how will these features change the way you use Listenwise? Any that you have been waiting for? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below.