McGraw-Hill Connect Blog

Connect Maintenance Announcement

April — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:13:46 +0000

Your Connect user experience is of the greatest priority for us, and we would like to make you aware of an upcoming maintenance release scheduled for Saturday, May 4th, 5am until 7am EST, during which time Connect will be unavailable.

The good news is that during this upgrade window we will be releasing several key usability improvements!

- Institutional offers will be recognized at schools using the Blackboard building block

- Ability to partner with schools to deliver all course materials as part of tuition and fees

- Fixes for a few known issues

Thank you for your continued commitment to McGraw-Hill Connect. If we can be of any further assistance during this time, please let us know.

Students, SmartBook is Here!

April — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:07:25 +0000

You’ve been hearing a lot about a Learning Revolution… Now we are delighted to announce that SmartBook is available! If you are using ConnectPlus, you can experience SmartBook, the first and only adaptive reading experience, for the rest of the semester.

What is SmartBook? SmartBook is the first and only adaptive reading experience. It’s fueled by LearnSmart, the most widely used and intelligent adaptive study resource available today. By blending LearnSmart with an interactive eBook, SmartBook is designed to help you maximize your study time.

How can I get SmartBook? If you’re using ConnectPlus, there will be a SmartBook button available as soon as you enter LearnSmart. (Check this list of available titles to see if your title has SmartBook.) You can play around with it, or use LearnSmart as usual without clicking the SmartBook button – the choice is yours!

How does SmartBook work? SmartBook collects the same data points that LearnSmart uses (e.g. confidence rating, degree of correctness, time on task, etc.) and then determines what material you need to read the most. Just like LearnSmart, SmartBook is designed to help you make the most of your study time.

• Preview – You’ll see a thumbnail view of the chapter and get an understanding of the basic organization of the material.

• Read – Your eBook has been “highlighted” to show the most important content you should focus on. No more wondering what’s important or highlighting every sentence!

• Practice – This section is just like LearnSmart. You’ll get questions to solidify your mastery of the content and identify areas you need to focus on.

• Recharge – SmartBook is so smart, it knows what information you’re going to forget and when you’re going to forget it. Recharge shows you that content at the exact right time to help you keep it fresh.

What do I do first? You can Preview the content first to build a foundation. Then you can Practice (LearnSmart) or Read. After spending some time with SmartBook, you can Recharge. But the path you take is up to you.

Is the regular e-Book going away? No. The current eBook will remain and function as is.

SmartBook Is Here!

April — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:29:07 +0000

Dear Connect Community,

We are delighted to announce that SmartBook is now available! You and your students who are using ConnectPlus can experience SmartBook for the rest of the semester.

What is SmartBook?
SmartBook is the first and only adaptive reading experience. It is fueled by LearnSmart, the most widely used and intelligent adaptive study resource available today. By blending LearnSmart with an interactive eBook, SmartBook is designed to help students maximize their study time.

Does my title currently have SmartBook?
Check this list of available titles to find out if your title has SmartBook.

As an Instructor, do I need to modify any of my LearnSmart assignments?
No – SmartBook is designed as a student study resource. Students will continue to access LearnSmart assignments the same way as they do today. However, once they are in the LearnSmart assignment, they can click on a SmartBook button to launch SmartBook.

How does SmartBook work?
SmartBook collects the same data points that LearnSmart uses (for example confidence rating, degree of correctness, time on task, etc.) and uses that information to determine what content will be most beneficial for the student. Just like LearnSmart, SmartBook is designed to maximize a student’s study session by focusing their efforts on what he or she needs to learn.

SmartBook uses four stages – Practice, Read, Preview and Recharge – to ensure students spend valuable time with content. The four stages are described in further detail below.

What happens in the Preview stage?
During the Preview stage, students see a thumbnail view of the chapter providing them with an understanding of the basic organization of the material. This allows students to build a framework of the content they are about to learn, which helps to organize the content in their brain.

What happens in the Read stage?
During the Read stage, students are presented with an eBook that has been “highlighted” to show the content they should focus on. The highlighted content is determined by the authors and the LearnSmart data for that particular product. This is “critical” content because it is basic concepts needed for course success as well as areas of known difficulty. As the student progresses through the Read and Practice stages (see next FAQ), the highlights adapt to focus students on the content they need the most based on their individual needs.

What happens in the Practice stage?
The Practice stage of SmartBook functions just like LearnSmart. Based on what the student has read in the “Read” stage, SmartBook presents questions that will solidify his or her mastery of the content and identify areas that the student is struggling with.

What happens in the Recharge stage?
Just as LearnSmart does, SmartBook determines what information the student is most likely to forget (and when they are most likely to forget it). During the Recharge stage, SmartBook presents students with that content along with any other material that he or she needs to know in order to master what they don’t know.

How would an instructor use LearnSmart assignments and SmartBook together?
LearnSmart powers SmartBook. Instructors assign LearnSmart and the students who have access to SmartBook (within ConnectPlus) benefit from the adaptive reading experience. Students who have just Connect (w/o eBook) will have access to LearnSmart. Students are held accountable for the probes in both cases, not the amount of time spent with the eBook.

What determines the highlighted section of the textbook that students see in SmartBook?
Initially, it is population data collected from LearnSmart for that product. The highlighted sections in SmartBook are based on the data that we use today to help authors and subject matter experts see difficult topics based on existing student performance and data. As students Practice in SmartBook, the highlights will adjust to highlight the content that is most beneficial to them.

What is the recommended workflow for a student who is using SmartBook?
There is no set workflow for students to follow. Ideally, they should Preview the content to build a foundation to learn from. Then they can either Practice (LearnSmart) or Read. After spending some time with SmartBook they can then Recharge. That said, a student can proceed in a number of paths. Once students start using SmartBook we will share best practices.

Will the regular ConnectPlus e-Book be going away?
No. Two eBooks will live in ConnectPlus. The current ConnectPlus eBook will remain and function as is (tied to assignments, read it from Library…). SmartBook is available with LearnSmart and it is designed for students to use as an additional study tool.

What reports will be available for instructors?
The same instructor reports that are available for LearnSmart will be available for SmartBook.

What reports will be available for students?
The same student reports that are available for LearnSmart will be available for SmartBook.

For additional information about SmartBook, please contact your McGraw-Hill representative and visit: http://learnsmart.prod.customer.mcgraw-hill.com/learnsmart-advantage/smartbook/

Instructors Talk About McGraw-Hill Digital Products

April — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:32:32 +0000

In the winter of 2013, over 40 professors from Biology, Nutrition, Anatomy and Physiology and Microbiology, gathered to discuss best practices in today’s classroom. Together with McGraw-Hill Education, they explored solutions to common challenges. This is what they had to say….

Footer Connect Logo

admin — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:48:46 +0000

Live Twitter Chat – Adaptive Technology: A Revolution in Learning

April — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:26:56 +0000

Adaptive learning technology is causing a revolution in learning as we know it.
By personalizing learning for each student, adaptive is taking higher education by storm.

Join our live Twitter chat on adaptive learning technology featuring Dr. Ulrik Christensen (@juulchristensen), CEO of Area9 and the co-creator of several of McGraw-Hill Education’s adaptive learning tools, and Chris Dawson (@mrdatahs), education technology writer at ZDNet.

Wednesday, April 24
3pm ET

Ask questions and join the conversation by using the hashtag #adaptivechat

Add this event to your calendar through EventBrite!

Expanded Support for Connect

April — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:44:19 +0000

As you and your students gear up for final exams and summer term classes, we are committed to ensuring that you get the support you need when you need it. We’re proud to announce that the Customer Experience Group will be expanding support hours for Connect on Saturdays for the end of the spring semester and start of summer courses. Starting the week of April 8th through June 15th, our hours of operation will be as follows:

• Monday – Thursday, 8am to 11pm
• Friday, 8am to 6pm
• Saturday, 10am to 4pm
• Sunday, 6pm to 11pm

Note: All times are CST

Thank you for your continued support! You can contact our Customer Experience Group here.

New Video Series: McGraw-Hill LearnSmart Reports

April — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:05:25 +0000

Professor Igor Dolgov of New Mexico State University is back, giving you a tour of the reports in LearnSmart that you can use to understand what students are struggling with and how they are progressing through your course!

Full Playlist: McGraw-Hill LearnSmart Reports

- Overview
- Most Challenging Learning Objectives Report
- Metacognitive Skills Report
- Missed Questions Report
- Module Details Report
- Practice Quiz Reports
- Progress Overview Report

Premiere Lecture Capture Service – Available in Your Connect Course!

April — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 18:56:50 +0000

Did you know that your Connect course access includes the market’s premiere lecture capture service at no additional charge?

That’s right! Tegrity® lecture capture service is a fully automated lecture capture solution used in traditional, hybrid, ‘flipped classes” and online courses to record lesson, lectures, and skills. Its personalized learning features make study time incredibly efficient and its ability to affordably scale brings this benefit to every student on campus. Patented search technology and real-time LMS integrations make Tegrity the market-leading solution and service.

Incredible ease-of-use and completely transparent operation lets you focus on what you do best – teaching.

Learn more about Tegrity lecture capture at www.mcgrawhillconnect.com.

New “Success in the Classroom” Video Series

April — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:49:02 +0000

Life science instructors come together to discuss the challenges they and their students face, and how they meet those challenges. Hear them on topics like connecting learning tools to student learning, preparing students to succeed in the course and what it means to be a “great educator.”

Watch and share the Success in the Classroom Series here.