Theme: Improves Student Performance, Support Student Learning

Since using Connect, the grades for Financial Accounting became significantly higher overall, with far fewer students needing to repeat the course. Virtually every student using Connect now passes the course, with the majority earning either an ‘A’ or a ‘B’ grade. Before using Connect, it was rare for students to earn an ‘A’ grade, and there were many more students who were barely passing the course.

“The students really appreciate the system because they do much better with it.”- Professor Diane Bonneau

Theme: Better Student performance, Easy-to-use digital platform, High engagement with pre-reading

Building a course based on student feedback has definitely been a success for Alejandra with an award nomination under her belt, rises in performance, and boxes ticked in terms of implementation and ease-of-use.

“Now my students get their reading done ahead of time, and we have one lecture where we focus on working out problems together. This affords me closer interactions with my students, and I can see the challenges they face and the things they are struggling with.”– Professor Alejandra Ramos

Theme: Better quality and reliable course content over open educational resources (OER). Improves student engagement and grades.

Dr Sousounis found Connect very helpful for the course and mentioned that the student analytics that Connect is able to provide is one of the most valuable aspects of the programme. The average mark achieved for the module increased by 8-10%, while the overall pass rate increased by around 10%.

“Connect offers a blend of access to the textbook matter, formative assessments/quizzes and learner analytics that addresses all the challenging areas we had identified in the modules’ delivery. Plus very effective technical support.”Dr Panos Sousounis.

Theme: Enhancing Student Engagement and Academic Performance with McGraw-Hill Education's Practice Marketing Software.

Coventry Business School aims to improve students' employability by providing practical experiences and fostering digital literacy. They integrated McGraw-Hill Education's Practice Marketing software into their Sports Marketing and Event Management program, enabling students to apply marketing theory in real-life scenarios. As a result, student satisfaction and engagement soared, and academic performance saw significant improvements.

“Practice Marketing has truly transformed our courses. It offers students a unique blend of interactive learning, real-world application, and detailed analytics that addresses the evolving needs of the job market. We've seen remarkable improvements in student performance and engagement, making it an indispensable tool for preparing our students for the future." Dr. Ian Webster, Senior Lecturer at Coventry Business School.

Theme: Elevating Student Engagement and Learning Outcomes Through Innovative Teaching at Henley Business School.

Henley Business School, renowned for its global business education, partnered with McGraw-Hill Education to invigorate its marketing courses. Dr. Irute Daukseviciute, a lecturer and MSc Marketing Programme Director, sought interactive and engaging teaching methods, adopting McGraw-Hill's Connect and LearnSmart. This innovative technology personalised learning, improved student performance, and reflected the school's commitment to cutting-edge teaching.

"In one of the courses I taught to undergraduates I noticed that in the multiple choice section of the exam around 70% of students gained a distinction, and in the essay section there were more merits after using Connect. A year before using Connect, the average mark was 57%, whereas it’s now in the high 60%. Albeit that was with a different cohort and lecturer, but nevertheless I would definitely put some of that improvement down to Connect." Dr. Irute Daukseviciute, Lecturer at Henley Business School.

Theme: The Importance of Feedback and Practice in Enhancing Student Learning.

The case study explores the critical role of feedback and practice in elevating student learning. Dr. Angela Short, a lecturer at Dundalk Institute of Technology, emphasises the value of Practice Exams in improving student performance, particularly through detailed feedback and reflection time.

“For my most recent student group, the Practice Exams were completed by 74 of her 119 students, representing 62% of the group. The graph shows that the average mark from the 1st to the 2nd attempt rose by 23.12%, showing that the feedback and reflection time was valuable for those learners who took the second practice exam. Students who use the second (and sometimes third attempt) increase their scores incrementally and often dramatically.” Dr Angela Short, Lecturer at Dundalk Institute of Technology.

Theme: HCT's adoption of McGraw-Hill Education's Connect® facilitates personalised and efficient learning, with a particular focus on Mathematics and Statistics courses.

A growing concern emerged at the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) as they witnessed a decline in mathematical proficiency among their students, especially those in Mathematics and Statistics courses. In response, they turned to McGraw-Hill Education's Connect® for a solution. Connect's adaptability empowers strong students to swiftly master content while challenging weaker students to practice until they achieve proficiency, thereby effectively addressing these academic challenges.

“In short, Connect and its features save us time and effort so that we can concentrate on our students and their progress.” Ziad Rafhi, Maths lecturer at HCT

Theme: Enhancing Nursing Students' Understanding of Biology with McGraw-Hill Education Connect

Plymouth University's Faculty of Health and Human Sciences recognised the need to improve students' understanding of essential biology concepts, especially among Year 1 nursing students. As part of a curriculum update, the faculty introduced the Biology for Nursing module for both Adult and Mental Health Field nursing students. With increasing student numbers and limited biology knowledge in many first-year students, they aimed to find an interactive, adaptable biology resource that could cater to individual learning needs. Their solution was McGraw-Hill Education Connect®.

“We’ve since achieved a 95% pass rate for this module and near 98% usage throughout the entire module.” Maria Bennallick, Module Leader

Theme: Fostering Student Engagement and Performance in Biology at the University of Pretoria with Connect®

Faced with a diverse and growing student body, the University of Pretoria harnessed McGraw-Hill Education's Connect® to enhance student engagement, self-regulation, and academic performance in their Molecular and Cell Biology entry-level course. The adaptive learning system not only streamlined lecturers' workloads but also empowered students to take responsibility for their learning, achieving better results and a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

Theme: Enhancing Continuous Assessment with Connect

The University of Liverpool, a prominent Russell Group member, sought to enhance continuous assessment for its Life Sciences students. By adopting McGraw-Hill Education's Connect, they provided students with timely feedback, thereby improving their learning experience.

“The best thing about the LearnSmart tool is that when a student gets a question wrong, the software changes and asks more and different questions about that topic.” Peter Alston, lecturer.

Theme: Enhancing Learning Outcomes Through Digital Transformation

The University of Milan, with its commitment to fostering student engagement and learning gain, sought innovative solutions to overcome challenges in teaching and course content. In collaboration with McGraw-Hill Education, instructors Roberto Cerbino and Federica Compostella introduced Connect and SmartBook to improve student engagement, course quality, and overall performance. By transitioning to a more interactive and digital approach, they witnessed remarkable improvements in pass rates and student achievements.

“Seeing the improvements in the students’ performances definitively paid for the initial effort that we had to put in switching to Connect. Once you get acquainted with the system, it turns out to be very easy to handle, and the students were more engaged.” Federica Compostella, Lecturer.

Theme: Embracing Digital Innovation and Adaptive Teaching for Student Engagement.

Dr Francesco Del Giudice at Swansea University highlights the evolution of engineering education, addressing changes in student behaviour and leveraging digital tools like Connect. He employs a flipped classroom method, encouraging active participation and allowing students to familiarise themselves with concepts ahead of classes. 

“With a group of 600 students, this data is so important. The “At Risk” report is so valuable especially for me at the start of the course. Early on, I can now see who isn’t engaging and I can step in quickly, not just at the end of the course when it’s too late.” Dr Francesco Del Giudice, Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering

Theme: Transformation of Mathematics Program

Avans University of Applied Sciences, established in 2004 and ranked as the top large university of applied sciences in the Netherlands, faced a challenge in getting students up to speed with mathematics, particularly those with limited prior mathematics education. With the implementation of ALEKS, an adaptive learning system, they saw signs of improvement in addressing this issue.

“We see ALEKS as an asset in transforming our mathematics program. It offers us as teachers the possibility to concentrate our efforts more and more on what matters most: the application of mathematics in the professional context. We, therefore, believe in this approach and continue along this path” Hans Vrijmoeth, Teacher of Mathematics Academy for Building and Infrastructure, Avans University for Applied Sciences.