Giving feedback is one of the most important parts of teaching. But giving it fast enough to make a real impact? That’s where things get difficult.
Between planning, meetings, grading, and everything else that fills a school day (and most evenings), there’s rarely enough time to respond to every student, every time. And when feedback finally arrives days—or even weeks—later, the moment has often passed.
That’s the challenge we set out to help with: not just saving time, but giving teachers a way to close the feedback loop while it still matters.
We know feedback is essential to learning. That’s not new. But when it’s given can make all the difference. Immediate feedback helps students understand what they got right, where they missed the mark, and what to do next while the content is still fresh and they’re still engaged.
When feedback arrives too late, it’s just a grade. Maybe a note in the margin. By then, the student has moved on. Whatever confusion or mistake happened? It sticks.
But if a student finishes an assignment and instantly hears, “You almost had it—here’s what to change,” they’re more likely to try again, absorb the correction, and get better. That kind of momentum builds confidence. It also builds better habits.
And while that might sound ideal, it’s hard to do consistently without burning out. That’s where technology can step in—not to replace your feedback, but to help you scale it.
We designed these tools to work quietly in the background, offering students quick, meaningful feedback while freeing teachers up to focus on instruction, connection, and support. Here’s how each piece fits in:
Whether it’s a short written answer or a spoken response, students get immediate results after they submit. No waiting. They see what they got right, what they missed, and in many cases, why. They can reflect on their performance while it’s still top of mind—and try again if needed.
For teachers, that’s hours of grading off your plate. For students, that’s feedback that matters.
Speakable uses transcription in two distinct ways to support students' speaking development:
Listen & Repeat Cards: These activities compare what the student says to the model provided by the teacher. The goal is comprehensibility. The tool transcribes the student’s speech and checks if it matches the expected phrase closely enough to be understood. Students know immediately whether they were clear and can retry if needed. These cards don’t capture audio recordings—they’re designed for low-pressure, repeated practice.
Spoken Open Responses: For longer, free-form speech tasks, Speakable transcribes the student’s full response. That transcript becomes the basis for feedback. The system highlights grammar patterns, points out areas for improvement, and gives students suggestions they can apply to future assignments. It’s less about drilling the exact phrase and more about helping students refine how they express themselves.
Both use cases give students timely insights into how their language is received—whether they’re practicing fluency or accuracy.
Speakable also provides grammar feedback for both written and spoken responses. As students submit their work, the system highlights issues with punctuation, sentence structure, and usage. Rather than giving all the answers, it surfaces areas that need review and offers suggestions.
The goal isn’t perfection—it’s revision. Students are encouraged to take ownership of their edits and improve over time. For teachers, it means fewer red marks to make and more time spent coaching instead of correcting.
When students complete a written or spoken task, the system can estimate their proficiency level. For English learners, we align to WIDA; for world language students, to ACTFL. These estimates give students a sense of where they are, and help you spot trends across the class or over time.
You can choose whether to include that as part of the feedback—or just keep it in your back pocket to track progress and guide support.
Immediate feedback taps into two key ideas:
This kind of learning loop builds fluency, not just in language, but in how students learn. Instead of guessing or waiting, they engage in an ongoing process of reflection and revision. That’s the goal.
You’ve probably seen this in action. A student gets something wrong, sees why, fixes it, and moves on with more confidence. The challenge is creating the conditions for that to happen—especially when you’ve got 30 students, 5 classes, and a to-do list a mile long.
That’s the gap these tools are built to fill.
Here’s how real teachers are putting instant feedback to use:
In a science class, students answer open-ended questions about food webs. As they submit their responses, they get immediate feedback highlighting missing explanations or confusing logic. Instead of waiting for a graded paper days later, they revise and resubmit while the topic is still active in class.
In an ELL classroom, students practice for the speaking portion of the ACCESS test. After submitting a response, they see how their answer aligns with a WIDA-aligned rubric. They get pointers on vocabulary, structure, and clarity—all while building the skills and confidence they’ll need on test day.
In a Spanish 1 class, students practice repeat-after-me cards. The system listens, transcribes, and gently flags mispronunciations. Students see what went wrong and try again. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s comprehensibility and improvement, step by step.
These aren’t just one-off exercises. They’re part of a feedback culture that builds independence.
All of this is about one thing: helping you do more of what matters.
You’re still the one setting the tone. You’re still deciding what to focus on, how to guide students, when to step in, and when to push them to try again.
We’re just here to make sure feedback happens when it matters—and to keep students engaged while you do what only a teacher can.
Instant feedback isn’t about going faster. It’s about making learning feel alive. When students know where they stand right away, they stay connected to the process. They don’t just complete assignments—they improve. And when teachers don’t have to do it all by hand, everyone benefits.
One teacher summed it up this way:
“My students are more engaged because they know what to improve right away. It’s helped them build confidence—and it’s saved me a ton of time.”
That’s the kind of impact we’re aiming for.
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