Snorkl is the result of using generative AI as a means to offer students direct individual feedback, while saving teachers on time.
The idea here is to have students explain their working process on a particular problem, which can result in a better understanding.
Crucially, this is an example of an AI tool that actually makes it tougher for students to use Google or AI as a way to find an answer. They have to explain how they arrived at it aloud themselves, challenging their understanding on a deep and meaningful level.
This guide aims to explain all you need to know about Snorkl for education.
What is Snorkl?
Snorkl is an app-based digital tool that uses generative AI as a way to grade student work with direct feedback.
This offers a space for teachers to set tasks for students, who are able to respond in that space for both to see. Crucially, this requires verbal explanations that allow students to speak as they work on a problem.
The AI is able to give direct feedback as it can be prompted by the teachers when setting out the task. That means it can be given guidance on how to respond, allowing for an instant response for students, as the teacher would do only when the student is working outside of class.
How does Snorkl work?
Snorkl features a web-based platform that can be accessed from most devices. Students who have access are able to carry out tasks on a variety of subjects.
Teachers create a question, problem, or prompt, and then students are able to respond. They do this by solving the problem, perhaps using a keyboard and mouse, while also speaking into the microphone as they talk through what they’re doing.
The AI is then able to mark the actual answer, but more importantly, it responds to the explanation of how it was resolved. It can then help to explain what’s been done well along the way, but also what could be improved and why that is, based on the thinking process of the student.
In this way, a student may get the answer wrong, but understand the basics of what is being asked of them — so they can still get some positive responses even when getting it wrong, helping them confidently progress.
What are the best Snorkl features?
Snorkl uses AI in a way that is well-balanced so the teacher can tap a button to auto-generate an AI response to the question they’ve created. This then completes the way it will respond and teachers can then adjust that, if needed, for the perfect response that students will see.
The fact that Snorkl responds to a student’s working process, rather than simply to output, is crucial here. A student who gets the answer right but shows no process clearly will still get lower marks as this is all about understanding and mastery, not just getting to the answer.
In the feedback section teachers are able to see all student responses from one place. Usefully, this also offers an Insight tab that uses AI to spot trends in the responses, ideal for identifying areas of weakness that need to be addressed in class.
Teachers can try a question with their own response as a way to test the AI and see how it responds — ideal for perfecting and tweaking to attune this to specific teaching goals as needed.
Sharing these tasks is also easy, with a single click to share with a class group. Or copy and paste the link and share that via any platform you already use as a way to have students taken straight to the assessment in the device they’re using.
How much does Snorkl cost?
Snorkl offers two tiers with the first aimed at teachers and the second for school- and district-wide use in which extra features are enabled.
The Teacher plan is free to sign-up for and gets you full access to your own class room with instant AI feedback for students on tasks you set.
The School and District plan is charged at a bespoke rate and adds unlimited access, a Snorkl coach, an admin dashboard, and more.
Snorkl best tips and tricks
Use the AI
Let the AI suggest answer responses, and edit if needed, as a faster way to build out your assessments.
Work with the class
Carry out a task in class to show students how the process being spoken while typing on screen works before setting tasks.
Go face to face
Students who get the right answer but are not using the correct process may need face-to-face time to see what they’re not getting, helping them reach mastery.