The Story Behind Connect
To create a truly innovative teaching and learning experience, we needed to know how instructors and students today work, study, learn, and communicate. That�s why we went beyond traditional research methods to create modern solutions for today�s classroom needs. The result is an information-rich environment, a visually engaging interface, and powerful learning tools designed to make teaching and learning more effective than ever. McGraw-Hill Connect® reflects the way you teach and the way today�s digital generation learns.
Our research comprises four separate in-depth studies:
Ethnographic research
How do college freshmen study? What is the freshman experience like? How do students today prepare for tests? If you ask students how they study, you�ll get a much different answer than if you actually observe. We partnered with cultural anthropologists to witness freshman student behavior first hand, both in and out of the classroom. But we also went a step further and followed them into their dorm rooms, homes, cars and hang-out spots. This research study gave us a holistic understanding of how students study, how they actually use educational resources, and what they really want from those resources. To date, McGraw-Hill Education is the only publisher conducting this type of research.
Contextual inquiry
We took field trips to campuses all around the country to see how instructors prepare for and teach their courses. By observing and talking with instructors while they worked, we gained an understanding of the workflow from the inside out. We worked closely with you and your students testing both prototypes and real designs to ground our product in real user work practices. Using that knowledge, we implemented a design that could help instructors take students where they want them to go.
Instructor symposia and focus groups
Knowing how to best serve instructors� needs requires a deep understanding of their areas of study and the content and resources they demand. We conducted intensive focus groups with instructors from two- and four-year institutions to discover the unique needs of instructors and students, make product improvements and identify new tools to enrich the learning experience. These in-depth studies in different disciplines provide us with the insight to deliver innovative resources that help you teach effectively.
Broad-based surveys
We have surveyed thousands of students about their study and textbook-buying habits. The survey was one of the most in-depth and thorough studies of its kind, providing us with a more complete picture of modern work behavior that influenced our convenient, powerful design.
