Tennessee College To Offer All Biology Course Materials Via Mobile Devices
Starting
this
semester, all class materials — resources, content and assessments — for
biology students at Walters
State Community College in Tennessee will be
available in digital form, accessible by mobile device.
The
new
arrangement is the result of a partnership between the community
college,
which has about 10,000 students and four campuses throughout the state,
and McGraw-Hill Education.
This
is
the most recent development in Walters State's three-year-long mEngage
mobile
learning initiative that has allowed the college to be named
an Apple
Distinguished program twice.
| |
Walters State has been named an Apple Distinguished program twice because of its ongoing mEngage mobile learning initiative. |
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McGraw-Hill
will
provide the teaching platform, Connect, and each student in a biology
class will have a SmartBook, LearnSmart Labs and Anatomy &
Physiology
Revealed. All of the digital materials will be integrated with Walters
State's
learning management system, Desire2Learn, and can be loaded onto
students'
mobile devices. There will also be offline options for students with
limited
wireless access.
All
assignments
will be aligned with previously established student learning
objectives and instructors will be able to use Connect Insight to
analyze
student progress and organize assessments.
Among
other
things, offering digital access to course materials should lower costs
for students, for whom printed scientific course materials can be quite
expensive.
"We
strive
to provide our students with innovative technology that enriches their
learning experience," said Lori Campbell, vice president for academic
affairs. "By
purchasing all of their course materials in a digital format, our
biology students
will not only have access to a more engaging learning platform, but will
also
realize significant cost savings."
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.