Do you know how your students manage the pressures and responsibilities of their college courses? In a recent survey of thousands of college students, we asked students, “After completing assigned coursework, what else do you do to ensure college success?”
North Carolina is serious about raising standards in its public schools to meet the needs of 21st century learners and prepare them to succeed in an increasingly technology-based society. One way the state is accomplishing this objective is by implementing a rigorous Quality Matters (QM) certification program, a faculty-centered, peer review process designed to verify the quality of online courses and online components. Attaining QM certification—a coveted stamp of approval—is no small feat, so when North Carolina’s Rowan-Cabarrus Community College received a perfect score for a College Success course based on MindTap®, there was good reason to be pleased.
In this case study, you’ll learn why Jenny Billings and others at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College believe MindTap was a key to getting the certification for the College Success course.
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When students take the Freshman orientation course, they’re hoping to learn the skills that will help them succeed in college. With MindTap, you can help them know what it takes to achieve those goals! Instructors who make MindTap count for at least 20% of their students’ score see higher engagement and improved outcomes in their Freshman orientation courses.
How do you motivate the students in the courses that are part of your College Orientation program? When MindTap counts for at least 20% of their grade, students are engaging in course material more and performing better.
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A Study of MindTap in Post-secondary College Success, Criminal Justice, Medical Terminology, and Psychology Courses
MarketingWorks and SEG Measurement, two independent research firms, conducted a comprehensive study of faculty and student perceptions of MindTap in the fall of 2014.
In a national, semester-long study, a majority of instructors and students in college success, criminal justice, medical terminology, and psychology courses judged MindTap to be effective in helping to teach students the content of their courses. In addition, students using MindTap in psychology courses showed significantly greater growth in psychology knowledge and skills than students who did not use MindTap but did support their learning with other digital tools.
Cengage Learning wanted to understand the experience of first time MindTap users to identify best practices and opportunities for future improvement. To achieve this, Cengage Learning recruited four instructors and twenty students to participate in a semester-long journaling project for the Fall 2014 who documented their experience with MindTap throughout the semester. Both students and instructors completed bi-monthly journals.
Instructors provided insights on how they and their students were using MindTap’s tools and assignments, as well as what differences they noticed with regard to student engagement. Students provided insights into how they were using MindTap and if they found it beneficial to their studies. The courses taught during this study were English, History, College Success, and Western Civilization.
Colleges and universities of all types understand the importance of transitioning new students into the rigors of higher education. Cengage Learning sponsored many events at the recent Conference on the First Year Experience (FYE) in Dallas, Texas, where 1,800 attendees discussed how to facilitate student success. Colleges sent faculty, first-year experience program managers, directors of student success and academic services staff. The conference ran sessions on topics including seminars, orientation and common read programs for incoming freshmen, transfer students and military veterans. Attendees could choose from among many sessions over the two and a half days. Innovative Read More…
Cengage Learning’s College Success Factors Index 2.0 (CSFI 2.0) is an online resource that assesses students’ patterns of behavior and attitudes in areas that have been proven to affect student outcomes for success in college.
Are you and your students using CSFI this term? Gather helpful tips for getting started in the videos featured below.
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Recently, the time-consuming grading of students’ handwritten assignments, along with the desire to add a technology component to College Success courses, motivated Tina Willhoite’s department at San Jacinto College District to adopt Cengage Learning’s MindTap™ and move away from using only a printed textbook. Built upon the content in her Cengage Learning textbook, MindTap is an interactive online learning experience that combines learning resources—readings, multimedia, activities, and assessments—into a learning path that guides students through their course. MindTap has already proven to be a smart move. In this Success Story, you’ll read how MindTap has led to increased student engagement and success in Tina Willhoite’s course. You’ll also learn how it has made course materials more accessible to both instructors and students, and how it’s increased instructors’ efficiency at grading time. Read More…
