Introducing Formative Assessments: Using AI to Boost Learner Engagement on HeatSpring 

When Brian, the Co-founder of HeatSpring, first broached the subject of incorporating AI into our platform a few years ago, I’ll admit I was skeptical. No way are we going to actually be able to use any of this stuff, I remember thinking. Oh, how wrong I was!

Fast forward to today, and we’re not just dipping our toes into AI – we’re diving in headfirst. We’re integrating AI tools into our workflows to increase our capacity, build accurate and vetted content faster, and engage more deeply with our learners. It’s an interesting, rapidly evolving new world, and we’re excited to be experimenting with all the possibilities.

One of our most exciting AI-driven innovations is a new formative assessment feature we’re rolling out across HeatSpring courses. We call them Knowledge Checks, and they’re set to boost how you interact with our course content.

In the following series of videos, HeatSpring’s Director of Enterprise Learning & Development (and as I like to think of him – Human Liaison to the Robots), Brick Maier, walks us through how we’re harnessing AI to enhance your learning experience.

Unlike traditional quizzes on the platform, these assessments are:

• Quick – Typically taking 2-3 minutes to complete
• Contextual – Appearing right after relevant video lectures for immediate application
• Low-stakes – Optional and skippable
• Informative – Providing feedback for both correct and incorrect answers

These bite-sized assessments are designed to reinforce your learning as you progress through our courses, helping you build knowledge incrementally and confidently.

In the videos that follow, we’ll dive deeper into how Knowledge Checks work, the AI magic behind them, and how you can make the most of this new feature in your learning journey.

Summative Assessments vs. Formative Assessments  

We’ve covered some of this already, but here Brick explains the key differences between summative assessments (what we have historically offered on the platform) and the new formative assessments.

How We Use AI to Build Formative Assessments 

Get a glimpse into how we leverage AI technology to create relevant and accurate assessment questions from course lectures.

Demo of Formative Assessments 

Watch a demonstration of how Knowledge Checks appear in our courses and how learners can interact with them.

Student Feedback and Making Improvements that Benefit Learners and Instructors

We initially created formative assessments based on feedback from HeatSpring learners who wanted new ways to reinforce their understanding of the material. Then, we refined the workflow with our instructors in mind, ensuring our approach prioritized efficiency and accuracy at scale. Tune in to hear about how our community shapes the platform.

Thanks for tuning in! Please reach out to us at support@heatspring.com if you have any feedback or questions on formative assessments.