Dive Summary:
- E-textbook provider CourseSmart is piloting a new technology called CourseSmart Analytics that enables educators to track student reading habits at U.S. universities including Texas A&M-San Antonio, Clemson, Central Carolina Technical College and Stony Brook University.
- CourseSmart's technology may change how teachers measure student engagement and progress; the program provides educators with "engagement indexes" and data that reveals how much time students spend reading the course material.
- CourseSmart, which is owned by Pearson, McGraw-Hill and other publishers, currently plans to implement the technology more widely this fall.
From the article:
"... Adrian Guardia, a Texas A&M instructor in management, took notice the other day of a student who was apparently doing well. His quiz grades were solid, and so was what CourseSmart calls his 'engagement index.' But Mr. Guardia also saw something else: that the student had opened his textbook only once.
'It was one of those aha moments,' said Mr. Guardia, who is tracking 70 students in three classes. 'Are you really learning if you only open the book the night before the test? I knew I had to reach out to him to discuss his studying habits.' ..."
