We rang in the New Year by announcing the general release of StudyMate Class. With StudyMate Class, teachers and students can create study materials and self-assessments in a web-based environment. Unlike a traditional study group, StudyMate Class lets students collaborate without having to arrange meeting times and locations. Instructors can participate at varying levels too, making this the "ultimate study group" for students.

The initial release of StudyMate Class is for institutions using the Blackboard Learning System (Enterprise 6.3+, Vista 4.0+, or CE 6.0+).

How StudyMate Class Works
StudyMate Class revolutionizes how students study together and how they interact with course materials. Simple templates are used by students and instructors to enter items such as glossary terms, facts from lectures or multiple choice questions. Students then view the materials using a broad range of interactive learning activities, from simple flash cards to full-featured game shows. Instructors choose their level of participation which might range from general oversight to actually creating and editing materials. Student participation and contributions can be easily monitored, and grades are automatically stored in Blackboard's gradebook.

Feedback on StudyMate Class
Over 60 higher education institutions are currently piloting StudyMate Class. The response from users has been tremendous. Students like being able to develop study materials in a collaborative environment, while still having the flexibility to study independently and use whichever StudyMate activities they prefer. For example, one student might want to learn glossary terms using the Flash Cards activity, while another student might choose the Pick-A-Letter game.

Instructors like the seamless integration with Blackboard and how easy it is to get started with the system. One aspect that especially resonates with instructors is the ability to copy student-created multiple choice questions directly from StudyMate Class to the assessment tool in Blackboard. This adds an entirely new dimension to courses and gets students excited about creating questions that might later appear on their own assessments.

For more information on StudyMate Class, or to sign up for a free 3-month pilot license, visit
http://www.respondus.com/studymateclass.

Related Articles:
Spice Up Supplemental Readings with StudyMate Class
What Makes StudyMate Class the "Ultimate" Study Group?
The Top-10 Reasons to Use a Respondus Product

Source: Respondus, Inc. (www.respondus.com)
Originally Published: January 27, 2009

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