McGraw-Hill Education Makes LearnSmart, Leading Adaptive Study Tool for Higher Education, Available to High School Students

NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- McGraw-Hill Education today announced that it will make McGraw-Hill LearnSmart, its adaptive study tool, available for students in high school, providing teachers and schools with a digital solution that has been proven to increase student engagement and improve learning outcomes. LearnSmart, originally developed by McGraw-Hill Education with Area9 for the higher education market, will assist schools and teachers in overcoming one of K-12 education's biggest challenges: better preparing students for their current coursework as well as success in college and their future careers.

LearnSmart seeks to personalize learning by using algorithmic technology to continually assess students' knowledge, skill and confidence levels and design targeted study paths based on the resulting data to bolster students' understanding in the areas where they need to improve the most. By allowing students to focus their outside-of-class study time on the topics and concepts that are most challenging to them, LearnSmart has been shown to help students study more efficiently, develop greater proficiency and earn better grades. According to a study released last year, college students using McGraw-Hill LearnSmart were transformed from C students to B students, and B students into A students – a true testament to the power of adaptive learning technology and LearnSmart's ability to help students study smarter.

"We've seen how LearnSmart's adaptive technology has benefitted millions of college students and professors – raising grades, allowing instructors to use lecture time on higher level topics – and we are confident that it will give high school students and their teachers a similar edge,"  said Dan Caton, president of McGraw-Hill School Education. "With 40 percent of students graduating from high school not prepared for the rigor of college, we have an acute need to better prepare our students for success not only in high school but in college and their careers, and we think that personalized learning through adaptive technology will go a long way toward accomplishing that goal."

LearnSmart's ability to adapt to students' individual learning needs and styles stems from the vast amount of student data already in the system. Since the launch of LearnSmart into the higher education market in 2009, more than 1 million students have already answered more than 1 billion questions through LearnSmart, giving McGraw-Hill Education a deep understanding of how students learn and perform within an adaptive learning environment.

LearnSmart also supports the popular "flipped classroom" model of education. Because it is assigned as homework to help students strengthen their knowledge in areas where they demonstrate weakness, it encourages students to come to class better prepared to focus on higher-level learning. By doing so, LearnSmart allows teachers to focus more on leading rich class discussions or facilitating collaborative learning experiences – a hallmark of higher education. With direct access to students' LearnSmart progress, teachers can use the results to tailor their lessons accordingly at the class and individual level. 

At launch, LearnSmart will be available for Biology, U.S. History, Spanish, and a wide variety of AP* & Honors level subjects, with additional courses to be added in the coming months. At the high school level, LearnSmart is available on any computer and accessible via McGraw-Hill Education's ConnectED platform.

For more information about LearnSmart, please visit: www.mheonline.com/learnsmart.

*AP is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

About McGraw-Hill Education
McGraw-Hill Education is a digital learning company that draws on its more than 100 years of educational expertise to offer solutions that improve learning outcomes around the world. McGraw-Hill Education is the adaptive education technology leader with the vision for creating a highly personalized learning experience that prepares students of all ages for the world that awaits. The Company has offices across North America, India, China, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions available in more than 60 languages. For additional information, visit www.mheducation.com.

Contact:
Brian Belardi
McGraw-Hill Education
(212) 904-4827
brian_belardi@mcgraw-hill.com

SOURCE McGraw-Hill Education