There are many parallels between StudyMate Class and a traditional, face-to-face study group. Both are based on the concept of collaboration, where students pool their notes and efforts for a common goal (i.e. to do well on the test!).  Both offer a vetting process where classmates correct or augment the materials contributed by others.  In fact, it’s the similarities between traditional study groups and StudyMate Class that allow students and faculty to use the software with little or no training.

	StudyMate Class integrates seamlessly with the CMS and provides simple templates for entering content from the course.
	Students view the material by selecting from 8 Flash-based activities ranging from simple flash cards to more elaborate game shows

But what makes StudyMate Class “the ultimate study group” is how it differs from the traditional type. For starters, StudyMate Class is a web-based, collaboration tool that appears within your course management system. Teachers and students use three simple templates to enter content from the course, such as facts from lectures, glossary terms, or sample multiple-choice questions. The study group can then view the material by selecting from a variety of Flash-based activities that range from simple flash cards to more elaborate game shows.

To illustrate how StudyMate Class differs from a traditional study group, we’ve provided two scenarios -- one based on a traditional study group, and one where students and the instructor use StudyMate Class to prepare materials for a midterm exam.

The Traditional Study Group
Andy’s study group from his Biology 110 class struggles to find a quiet place to meet and a time that works for everyone’s busy schedules. When they finally gather, they spend a lot of time deciding how to start. One member of Andy’s study group is very outspoken. She wins the argument over how the materials should be compiled and reviewed, not realizing that people have different learning styles. Another member of the group barely speaks a word and seems to not be paying attention at all. After a few false starts, the group creates 50 flash cards containing biology terms, but then gets sidetracked talking about the school’s basketball team. The study group ends with only a portion of the midterm content covered. Andy wishes he joined a different study group or simply studied on his own. 

The Ultimate Study Group
With StudyMate Class, Andy’s study group doesn’t have to meet at the same time or in the same place; they can all work from their laptops, at any time. Their instructor provides structure by making Andy’s group the “class experts” on three chapters from the textbook and two weeks of lecture notes. (Three other study groups in the class are given similar responsibilities for the remaining materials.)  Andy’s group uses the “Term/Definition” template in StudyMate Class to enter the glossary terms from each chapter. They use the “Fact” template to enter key points from lectures.  The instructor requires each group to create 20 questions using StudyMate Class’s “Multiple Choice” template, so Andy’s group divvies up this task by making each person responsible for five questions.  The members of Andy’s study group then review, correct and augment each other’s entries. In the final days before the test, Andy uses StudyMate’s “Flash Cards” activity to review the glossary terms entered by all the groups in the class.  Another member of Andy’s study group uses the “Pick A Letter” and “Fill in the Blank” activities to learn the same materials. Along the way, the instructor monitors the content created by students and makes occasional corrections or additions. When the instructor reviews the statistics on the grade tab, she learns that three students didn’t create or edit any items, so they were given no credit for the study group project. For the midterm, the instructor selects five of the best multiple choice questions created by the students, including one that was written by Andy, and copies the questions directly from StudyMate Class to the question pool in Blackboard.

See the tools Andy’s classmates used by visiting Respondus.com/studymateclass. There you can view screenshots of StudyMate Class, see a feature list, read about sample student activities, and even sign up for a pilot license. Contact us for more information or to request a live, personalized demonstration.

Source: Respondus, Inc. (www.respondus.com)
Originally Published: November 19, 2008

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