Students' favorite features
While it might be hard for students to single out a favorite feature of theirs, the below features received lots of love from students:
LaTeX formula builder
Our built-in LaTeX formula builder allows students to generate and share mathematical expressions, formulas, and equations that include math symbols and notations. This saves students a lot of time, as instructors that use other platforms might ask students to generate these formulas using a web-based application and attach the formula as a picture that cannot be edited. Any mistakes in the formula will force students to redo the whole process, which is extremely time consuming.
Code Snippets
The code snippet feature allows students to share short programming codes with a formatting style similar to that of coding programs. This feature goes beyond the visual appeal, as these codes can be copied or edited if needed. This saves peers the hassle of retyping the code into their coding program to test/use it.
Multimedia
Yellowdig supports most multimedia formats. Students can share pictures, videos, audio recordings, drawings (using the built-in drawing tool), selfies (using the built-in camera tool), and much more. Including media in posts makes them more interesting to read, which tends to remarkably increase the level of interaction and engagement of a given post.
Automatic Grading
Instructors can either choose Yellowdig's default grading criteria or fine-tune it when setting up the community. With that, students get graded for their work in real-time, so they always know where they stand throughout the course. Their grades also get passed onto the learning management system used by the institution, so instructors do not have to worry about any manual work, it's all being done automatically and accurately.