GradeGuru
| File:GG small logo with slogan 180w.png | |
| Company type | Subsidiary of McGraw-Hill_Companies |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | New York City (2007) |
| Headquarters | New York City |
Area served | US, UK |
Key people | Emily Sawtell |
| Website | http://gradeguru.com/ |
GradeGuru.com, a McGraw-Hill Education start-up, is a free study network where college students can share and find class-specific study notes, learn collaboratively and build their academic reputations to earn rewards, internships and career opportunities.
GradeGuru’s university- and class-specific communities provide a social learning environment for students from over various universities.[1]
Content on GradeGuru is shared by students from various disciplines. GradeGuru rewards students who share their notes with points and Status Badges. The better a students rating, the more their status grows within the community. The more views each file shared by a student receives, the more points a student earns, which can be traded in for rewards in the GradeGuru rewards store.
Students can also search for study materials shared by a fellow classmate to help them improve their understanding of classroom concepts, offer them the opportunity to see a variety of study methods, and work out what's best for them.
History
GradeGuru was started in Great Britain in August 2007, as a study tool offered by the McGraw-Hill Companies. The concept was based on the findings of research[citation needed] into how students study, conducted using methods of ethnography. The site was launched in the United States in June 2008. Just as MIT Open Courseware marked a shift in the way academics leverage the web to spread knowledge, GradeGuru was created to support the concept of Open Access by facilitating an environment where students can engage with one another and offer peer-feedback while accessing study materials that support their learning styles. GradeGuru's development was also based on a status system, recognizing students for their thought leadership and involvement with the GradeGuru community by awarding them status badges. Status badges are publicly displayed and also grant the student access to exclusive Guru Privileges. Guru privileges includes access to GradeGuru's Guru Careers Program, which connects students with recruiters and organizations for internships and entry level positions.
Since exiting its beta stage, Gradeguru has implemented features within the platform to continue fostering student collaboration and knowledge sharing.[citation needed] GradeGuru launched its University Specific Community Pages to offer students the ability to search for school specific study materials, school specific courses and classmates to form online study groups.
GradeGuru has also introduced GradeGuru Tools, a free digital apps store, as an additional resource center for students and academics alike. Offered in the GradeGuru Tools app store is the GradeGuru Citation Manager which manages references for papers, essays and assignments: Citation Manager automatically captures a students citations as they use online resources at the click of a button. As well as GradeGuru Link List, a time-saving tool for instructors and students. Instructors can easily create annotated reading lists with a single shortened URL to share with their students. Students can then access the assignment with one link. Students can create reference lists with notes to share with group members or to track their own references while doing research.
Disciplines Covered
Architecture, business and management, chemistry and physics, computer science, culture, gender & sexuality, earth sciences, education, engineering, history, journalism, media & communications, languages & linguistics , law, library & museum studies, life sciences, literature, mathematics, medicine and health sciences, other sciences, philosophy, psychology, public affairs & administration, religion, social sciences and services, space sciences, visual & performing arts.
Rewards
Students who upload their study materials earn points every time their files are viewed by members of the community. The more popular the notes are, and the better ratings they receive, the more points they get.[2] They can then exchange these points for rewards. Rewards include gift cards from vendors like Best Buy, iTunes, and Starbucks, and they can also be used to make a charitable donation.
Legitimacy of content
Reviewing process
Similar to many Web 2.0 sites, GradeGuru’s content is monitored by its users. Its members review and rate the information for the benefit of the community. The top-rated notes have a higher chance of being returned by the search engine so that students can easily access the most prominent resources.
Plagiarism concerns
Plagiarism is a serious concern for academic institutions and for students. GradeGuru’s Community Standards are clear on this issue, emphasizing that it should not be done under any circumstances. GradeGuru offers free advice on its web-site for students about plagiarism – what it means and how to ensure all sources are correctly referenced. In order to combat the potential for inappropriate use of the site’s content, GradeGuru is working with TurnItin, the leading anti-plagiarism detection tool.[3] GradeGuru also emphasizes that all content must be 100% student created.[4]
References
- ^ http://mcgraw-hill.presslift.com/gradeguru-on-campus
- ^ Himeles, Sara. "Note-sharing site lets students cash in on class notes". Retrieved January 20, 2009. Template:En icon
- ^ Sharon. "GradeGuru – notes sharing by students, for students". Retrieved May 9, 2008. Template:En icon
- ^ Fabel, Leah. "Growing number of Web sites offer students money for class notes". Retrieved February 5, 2009. Template:En icon