Here are some frequently asked questions from students about Heartbeat.
What's Heartbeat?
Heartbeat is your personal space to reflect on the experiences that make you unique. Heartbeat is not an academic assessment or a psychological test. In other words, you won't be graded or labeled here.
Why are you asking me this stuff?
Every element of our lives affects how we learn, and every question in Heartbeat connects to those elements. For example, you might wonder why we ask if you listen to loud music, but did you know 1 in 5 American teenagers experiences hearing loss? If you can’t hear your teacher, it’s tough to learn, right? Check the Insights in your Pulse to see how each topic connects to your academic experience.
Some of these questions are weird or don't relate to my life.
That's okay! Nobody will relate to every question, but every question will relate to somebody. If a question feels weird for you, imagine what life might be like for somebody who does relate to that question. Thinking about others can help you practice emotional awareness. If you don't want to answer a question, you don't have to! Just skip it and move on to questions that are more of your style.
Will my teachers see my answers? Creepy.
Nope! Your teacher has their own set of Insights to help them understand your Pulse, but nobody else but you can see the answer you choose for any particular interaction. Heartbeat is a safe space for you to answer honestly—without worrying that your teacher will know if you got a good night's sleep before a test or whatever. Nobody wants that.
I feel like I need to explain my answers.
That's awesome! You're already practicing self-awareness skills that Heartbeat's designed to help you build. These interactions and insights are just the beginning of the conversation, not the end of it. The Food for Thought questions at the end of each Insight can help you explore a topic deeper.
I feel like my Pulse doesn’t match my answers.
Heartbeat’s algorithm is pretty cool, but it's just a bunch of 0s and 1s trying to give you meaningful feedback. Sometimes we get it wrong. If an Insight doesn't feel true for you, reflect on the Food for Thought questions instead. You're a human being with a pulse outside of our Pulse, and you’re the expert on your life. Heartbeat is one tool in your toolbox to help you understand yourself.
P.S. It's also possible answering more questions will give you a more accurate Pulse—or you've found a problem with our scoring. If you've spotted a bug, report it and we’ll investigate!