New Media Technology News
New Media Technology News

Academic Social Networks are Allowing Students to Learn From Each Other In Hundreds of Universities Across The U.S.

The Open Access movement, ushered in by MIT OpenCourseWare, marked a significant shift in the way academics leverage the web to spread knowledge. This trend is set to grow and reach a tipping point among college students in the next academic year.
“Last semester, as thousands of students at hundreds of universities across the US started using GradeGuru, we quickly realized the potential for building a leading community within the academic social web,” said Emily Sawtell, Director of New Business Ventures at McGraw-Hill Higher Education and Founder of GradeGuru.com, a notes-sharing community where college students are sharing class notes, improving their study skills and building their academic portfolios.

“Today’s born digital college students are already heavy social media users with wikis, blogs and online communities forming part of their daily routine,” said Sawtell. “GradeGuru is attracting Facebook and YouTube users who want to leverage social media to built their academic reputation.”

Student and Academic Feedback:

“Note sharing creates critical bonds between students and allows them to build on each other’s strengths in ways that raise the performance level of the entire class,” said Dr. Noelle Stout, Associate Professor of Anthropology at New York University.
“I am glad I contributed because it has improved my study habits” says Mrugesh Patel, a student from the University of Michigan when talking about GradeGuru’s peer review and star rating feedback system.
“GradeGuru makes studying a lot easier because you can check out notes from students at all different schools taking the same class as you,” says Katherine Rambough from Lehigh University. “It gave me a lot more insight into the concepts I was learning.”
For an interactive walk-through of our site and information on our expansion plans for this semester please do not hesitate to contact me. To schedule a phone interview with professors or students using the academic social web, or Emily Sawtell, a thought leader in open access learning, email [email protected].

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *