Exploring Snorkl AI: A New Approach to Formative Assessment in Education

Introduction to Snorkl

Traditional assessment tools primarily focus on whether students arrive at the correct answers, leaving the thought processes behind those answers largely unexamined. Snorkl takes a fresh approach, prioritizing student explanations and outcomes through a web-based formative assessment platform. By encouraging students to express their reasoning via speech, drawings, annotations, or written text, Snorkl aims to provide a deeper understanding of student cognition and learning.

How Snorkl Operates

Teachers can craft or select from pre-existing activities on Snorkl, prompting students to showcase their understanding. The platform facilitates a variety of response methods, including:

• Drawing and annotating on a digital whiteboard while explaining verbally
• Providing audio explanations
• Submitting written responses or uploading relevant images and diagrams

Upon submission, students benefit from AI-generated feedback targeting their explanations. This feedback includes identification of strengths, suggestions for clarification, and invitations to expand their thought processes. Importantly, this feedback loop encourages revisions, facilitating continuous learning as students reflect on their work in real-time.

Key Features of Snorkl AI

Unique Recording Capabilities

The ability to record explanations while using a whiteboard is one of Snorkl's standout features. This capability allows educators to evaluate both verbal reasoning and visual representation in real time. For instance, a mathematics teacher might ask students to solve a problem and explain each step; a science educator could utilize diagrams while students describe the relationships illustrated.

The recordings, lasting up to 20 minutes, come with time-stamped feedback that connects to specific moments in a student’s explanation, providing detailed insights into their thought processes.

Activity Creation and Customization

Educators have the flexibility to design activities from scratch or adapt them from Snorkl's extensive library. Activities can be modified to suit classroom needs, allowing teachers to refine prompts, criteria, and instructions. Snorkl's AI even assists in drafting task descriptions and evaluation parameters, though these should ultimately be reviewed for relevance and clarity.

Scoring Explanations

Snorkl evaluates student submissions on two key criteria: the correctness of the answer and the clarity of the explanation. The scoring scale from 0 to 4 allows educators to differentiate between nuanced reasoning and mere answer accuracy. This dual assessment approach highlights aspects often overlooked in traditional quizzes.

Insights for Educators

As students engage with Snorkl and submit their work, teachers gain access to a comprehensive view of student performance. Responses can be sorted according to various metrics, including correctness and completeness, enabling targeted insights into class-wide understanding. This function also supports teachers in identifying common misconceptions or areas needing further instruction.

Practical Applications Across Subjects

Mathematics

For math classes, students are encouraged to resolve problems while articulating their process. The ability to demonstrate reasoning visually alongside verbal explanation creates a richer understanding of mathematical concepts.

Science

Science teachers can leverage Snorkl by having students describe experimental processes or analyze graphs while labeling relevant components, thereby deepening comprehension of subject matter.

Social Studies

History students might annotate documents or construct supported arguments based on evidence, with criteria geared towards understanding context and source evaluation.

Language Learning

Language educators find Snorkl useful as it accommodates oral assessments and pronunciation practices. With multilingual functionalities, students can receive feedback in their chosen language, enhancing their learning experience.

Writing

In writing assignments, the platform allows for drafts and revisions based on feedback, reinforcing the writing process and essential skills.

Formative Assessment

Snorkl can function effectively as an exit ticket where students summarize concepts in their own words, providing insight into their understanding beyond selecting correct answers.

Accessibility and Multilingual Features

Snorkl promotes diverse means of expression, allowing students various methods to represent their understanding. This flexibility can accommodate a range of learning styles and abilities. The translation features further bolster accessibility, although teachers should verify the appropriateness of translations in context.

Pricing Options

As of October 2026, Snorkl offers a free plan that includes numerous features and a premium option for schools which expands capabilities significantly. Specific pricing for the premium plan requires direct inquiries as pricing may vary.

Privacy Considerations

Snorkl prioritizes student data security by anonymizing personally identifiable information before sharing with any third parties. Educators are encouraged to review Snorkl's privacy policy, particularly given possible personal content in student responses.

Strengths of Snorkl AI

• Efficiently captures reasoning through varied modes of expression.
• Timely feedback supports immediate student reflection.
• The design encourages iterative learning through multiple attempts.
• Allows customization of feedback criteria, enhancing relevance.
• Separates evaluation of correctness from explanation clarity.
• The library of activities aids in lesson planning.
• Multilingual functions cater to diverse learning populations.
• Insights help educators assess and address learning gaps.

Potential Drawbacks

• The quality of AI feedback may at times fall short, necessitating teacher review.
• Feedback effectiveness is tightly linked to precision in teacher-defined criteria.
• Narrative scoring could oversimplify complex reasoning.
• Recording capabilities depend on reliable technology and classroom conditions.
• Time investment for reviewing recorded student responses is considerable.
• Multilingual feature outcomes require careful evaluation by teachers.
• Free versions have limitations on activity creation.
• Institutional pricing details are not publicly disclosed.

Should You Use Snorkl?

Snorkl excels in settings where explanation and reasoning are essential aspects of learning. Its AI capabilities offer meaningful feedback while still placing the onus on educators to guide the learning objectives and refine criteria. For classrooms prioritizing the articulation of ideas, Snorkl is undeniably a tool worth investigating.