Distance Learning | News

Texas University Expands Access to Online College Readiness Program

• By Tim Sohn
• 12/17/12

One member of the Texas state university system is partnering with an educational publisher to provide access to online courses and materials to its 15,000 undergraduate students in an effort to improve student performance.

Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX, has selected Pearson's MyLab and Mastering, which includes access to online courses in 80 subjects, including MyMathLab, MyReadingLab, and MyWritingLab. These courses, which supplement Pearson textbooks, are intended to help students with college readiness and developmental skills as they enter the university.

Undergraduate students participating in the university's Student Success Initiative have already been using MyLab and Mastering products. The initiative includes nine components: UNIV 1301: "Introduction to Collegiate Studies" class, Freshman Learning Community, New Student Convocation, Bearkats Read to Succeed program, First-Year Experience, The FORWARD Project, Veterans, Transfer Students, and Student Lingo Online Student Success Workshops. However, beginning in January, participants in the initiative will be provided access to the corresponding MyLab and Mastering online materials.

Features of Pearson's MyLab and Mastering include:

• Tools for creating customizable content for online, classroom, and blended learning;
• The ability to develop, import, and manage online homework, tutorials, and other content;
• Instantaneous assignment feedback; and
• An automatic gradebook.

MyLab and Mastering also integrates with Blackboard Learn and includes real-time evaluation and diagnostics tools.

"At Sam Houston State University, we're committed to student success and providing the best educational learning tools, in conjunction with instructors' support, to improve their performance," said Bill Angrove, associate vice president for distance learning at Sam Houston State University. "Through our partnership with Pearson, we have relieved the financial burden from students, allowing their sole focus to revolve around course work and achievement."

Sam Houston State University has 18,400 students enrolled in 80 undergraduate, 59 master's, and six doctoral-degree programs at six colleges. It offers 20 bachelor's and master's degrees that can be completed entirely online.

For more information about MyLab and Mastering, visit pearson.com. Go to shsu.edu to learn more about Sam Houston State University.