Yellowdig Reviews & Product Details

What passed for online discussion in my Canvas discussion boards made me question the value of online learning. From the first day of class after adopting Yellowdig, I have been amazed and encouraged by what is possible when students take the lead. And, not having to grade discussion posts has really freed me up to use the platform to do what I love to do, which is share my passion for philosophy and connect with learners in my class. I’m having the most fun I ever have teaching online. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It's hard to think of a downside to using Yellowdig. There are definitely challenges to learning a new platform and getting students on-board with trying something new, but not only was it far less difficult to learn than I expected, Yellowdig has an amazing support team available to assist with the entire process. If only learn any new tech tool could be so effortless! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Where to start? Yellowdig allows my students to interact in an authentic way - the way they would in an in-person class - in an online format. I first used this as a student and loved it! It allowed me to get to know my classmates on a personal level that's rarely possible in a traditional discussion board.

It also makes my life easier and richer as a teacher. It is self-grading, but that doesn't mean you can ignore it. While you don't have to grade it, best practice is to monitor the conversations, award accolades for exemplary posts, and occasionally contribute. This allows me to understand my students on a deeper level, what they know, what they need, adn how they grapple with the course content.

When deployed appropriately, the result is a interactive learning community. Rather than answer specifc questions and respond to a limited number of their peers, students are free to post whatever they want related to the course content. This allows them to continue the conversation past the expirary date of the unit.

Some of the cool features include:

- You determine the value of posts based on word count and additional content like video files.

- You determine the accolades you want to award and their point value (there are some to get you started as well).

- Both you and the students can set notification preferences so you don't miss a thing.

- The layout purposely mimics a social media app with the newest content posting to the top of the feed. This format is familiar to many students.

- Yellowdig provides a certification course to familiarize new users with the functionality and to educate them in best practices.

- Students never have to create an original post. This makes it easier for students with anxiety about using the tool. They can ease into it in a way that feels safer and less vulnerable. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The things I don't love about Yellowdig are primarily related to the users rather than the app. You and the students have to get out of the mindset of "post once, reply twice." this can be harder than it sounds. I find it helpful to refer to it as their learning community and to encourage them to use it like they would social media. Though not recommended, students consistently request prompts. I do provide them, but in a limited way.

The other issue I have found is that some students, despite your best effort, are not going to see the value in it. They see it as busy work. There was a student in the course where I used it who copy and pasted a meaningless response until he earned his points. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The courses I teach normally meet once per week, and Yellowdig is a great tool for keeping students engaged with eachother and our course content between meetings. I love that they build their own community, and how easy it is for them to share both linked and uploaded content. Best of all, automated grade passback means I have more time to do the rewarding parts of my job - interacting with my students! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It can be difficult for students to get in a rhythm of making meaningful contributions at first. I wish there was a better way for them to get rolling, but broader adoption of the platform would solve for this. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

One thing I really like about Yellowdig is that, as an instructor, you can prepare posts ahead of time! I also like how it is more like a game and tracks points. This seems to encourage more participation and thoughtful interaction between students. The platform also allows for more engaging visuals and the ability to be more creative with posts than a typical discussion through platforms like Canvas. I wish All the colleges I teach at used Yellowdig. It is more entertaining and easier to use for online interaction between students. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I cannot really think of anything. Setting up parameters is easy, making adjustments for points is easy, and the training in how to use it is fantastic. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I can confidently say that Yellowdig has been an asset to my intercultural communication course. I have taught the class in-person and online. My in-person class was always more fruitful because students openly shared their perspectives and had intentional conversations. I knew I wanted to create a similar experience in my online class. Yellowdig was the solution. It is incredible to see students driving the interactions, sharing their experiences, and connecting with one another. I can confidently say that Yellowdig enriched the online experience for my students.

Above all, I have been impressed with the support provided by Yellowdig staff. My questions and concerns are always promptly addressed. I have always felt set up for success in implementing Yellowdig throughout the semester. Not to mention that the user interface is well designed and easy to use. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I have yet to encounter anything I dislike about Yellowdig. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I teach introductory courses online in the first 2 semesters of a nurse anesthesia program to highly motivated, graduate level students. The feedback from students the first two years of teaching this course was very positive - except for the discussion assignments. The students wanted to discuss and were frustrated as the LMS discussion board was filled with barriers to in depth discussion. The past 2 semesters, I switched to Yellodig and was met with an overwhelming positive response from students! I was amazed at the quality and depth of discussion in which these students engaged. I was also pleasantly surprised by the ability to 'let them go' while being able to gently redirect the conversation as needed. My fears of them just keeping the conversation at a surface level was totally unfounded - they went way deeper than I had planned for them. I was also amazed at the level of support I received from Yellowdig at the beginning and throughout the whole process. From the instructions to students they provide, the instructor's 'course' that I completed, and the personal virtual meetings....it really could not have been easier! Because of my great experience with Yellowdig the first semester and the support from their team, I decided to also try this platform as a mentoring opportunity between cohorts. It went great! Yellowdig was a platform that provided connection and support for the incoming class in a fun, easy, flexible way. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I have absolutely no downsides to list - as none of my fears about using Yellowdig were realized. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Using a traditional discussion board in an online platform can lead to very dull discussions. The model for traditional boards is to have students post a response to the discussion prompt and then respond to two students. It lacks opportunities for genuine discussion and community building. This is where Yellowdig shines. The focus is on providing opportunities for community and conversation. Students take ownership of their board and can explore various concepts. As a result of this student-led focus on learning, it lends itself to a more exciting discussion. Students can also create videos, use polls, draw pictures, etc., and have fun with learning. Overall, what I like best about Yellowdig is its opportunity for community and conversation, which is hard to establish with a traditional discussion board. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It can be a challenge for instructors, especially if they are used to using a traditional discussion model, to transition to allowing students to take the lead on conversations and explore various topics on the board. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Yellowdig has had a major impact on my climate change course. The course has over 400 students and I was looking for a platform to host a discussion board beyond what can be done in my course management system. Yellowdig has far exceeded my expectations for such a platform. For both students and professor, the interface is super user friendly and intuitive. This makes for a very fast learning curve for students, and I get very few questions about how the platform works. Posting, commenting on a post, and using emojis is seamless and from a professor’s point of view, it is super easy to screen, search for and filter posts and to track student performance. In addition, the bonus system whereby students can get extra credit for being especially active in a week, makes the professors life easier as there is no need for extensions for individual students. Accolades from the professor are crucial for students to learn what is valued and provides gentle peer pressure, improving the quality of posts. Students often comment in their reviews on how much they like the platform and how it one of their favorite parts of the class. Overall, Yellowdig effectively builds a community of learners and has become a critical part of my climate change course. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I think down the road the system will need to build in a ChatGPT checker. This is not a criticism because every learning platform is going to have to adjust to the realities of AI. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Yellowdig helps students and a professor create a unique community. The software did this by providing a format that introverted students as well as extroverts can contribute their lived experiences and reflections in response to thoughtful prompts. This technique expands the discourse and limits the conversation (usually) to discourse instead of emotive responses. Students compare and contrast ideas and responses and, with the help of a professor, identify shared experiences, solutions, hopes, and dreams. The professor serves as a “guide on the side”to shape and form the community. The software contributes to human flourishing together in a community in the classroom. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

There are some options in the set-up that I wish my peers would have showed me. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Toss a bunch of community college students into Yellowdig, all with wildly different ages, ethnicities, cultures, backgrounds, life stories, and future plans, and guess what? Everyone digs in. Some whip up drawings, others unleash their inner scribes, and a few even bring the noise with audio or video. And just about everyone throws in cool links and chimes in with enthusiastic comments, eager to earn those points and accolades. That's the magic of the multi-media, multi-topic Discussion platform with so many features: it's engaging for everyone, and a breeze to use. As an instructor, I was able to seamlessly weave/integrate YD into my Canvas class as if they were meant to be together. And if there ever (very rarily) is any issue, the customer service responds on the same day!

With YD, I don't need to remind students to participate in the Discussion ---they spend there so much time (even during their Thanksgiving break!) Most students would use it practically every day. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

There is really nothing I dislike. My students are happy because they earn nice grades while having fun! I am happy, as all those YD points get automatically converted into Canvas points.

So, what's not to love? Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.