Blackboard Assessment & Accreditation Solution vs. McGraw-Hill Connect vs. WileyPLUS

For institutions and students who do not want to own books or engage in a majority of in-class only lecture material. Ideally it makes course material cheaper as digital assets, but some people still prefer the more tangible assets. Participants will like the product if they want a more online learning experience.

Incentivized

It's a good platform that has some very good content. We use Canvas as our learning management platform. It is nice to be able to integrate some of the pre-build WileyPLUS course modules into our Canvas course. Other publishers are good too and they sync with Canvas, but I find Wiley's Canvas modules easy to use and customize.

• Integration with Canvas is seamless and easy to use.
• Assignment completion, for students, is straightforward and easy to use.
• The SmartBook allows students to read as they are tested with questions and this helps them learn the material easily without having first trying to read, memorize a chapter and then answer questions.

Incentivized

• Auto-grading- provides immediate feedback to students.
• Adaptive assignment- helps the students see their weak areas.
• Video, videos, and more videos! There are solution walk-through videos, interactive tutorials, and real-world videos.
• Tech support- I get help when I need it, right away!

• The ebook is not a real ebook, it's really just a web page, or a series of webpages. It can only be accessed through MH Connect, therefore, when logging into the system. A real eBook would be able to be accessed as such-- on a Kindle or other e-Reader, or on a desktop eBook reader. The interface for this is also not very dynamic, just kind of obnoxious and Web 1.0.
• Limited learning tools beyond simple exercises, at least from what I saw.
• Terrible customer service. Long wait times with representatives who do not seem to understand their own product and cannot seem to answer very basic questions.
• Hard to get resolution for basic problems.

• There are a few errors in the homework answers.
• Some questions could be worded better to help students better match the formatting expectations when they change throughout the chapter.
• The offline PDF of the text should always be included in any online package.

Reliable effective tool.

Incentivized

There is quite a steep learning curve in effectively navigating the site and using the resources. MGH seems to discourage integration with other sites, by only allowing links to their site rather than full assignment integration with grade pass back. Resources for teachers and students is good, but presentation format is different than many other programs, forcing both to learn another system.

Incentivized

It is so easy to pick up and students have no issues learning to use it.

Personally, I did not encounter McGraw-Hill support. However, I worked with colleagues who needed support and were able to receive in a timely manner. Overall, McGraw Hill Connect is user-friendly (at least from teacher interface) and easy to navigate, which minimizes the need to reach out for support. The help button is useful and provides plenty of immediate support.

Incentivized

24-7 support is available by phone, chat, or email. They also hold annual events which I have been blessed to attend twice. The staff is excellent. They are knowledgeable and genuinely care about you and your students. There are online forums for instructors to collaborate, learn, and have fun. Instructors receive gift cards for their participation too!

Incentivized

McGraw-Hill is the most user-friendly and teacher-friendly for students and teachers. McGraw-Hill provided the online portion of learning that helped teachers provide the resources to students that were needed. Additionally, even though McGraw-Hill is wordy in its descriptions in the workbooks it was the least "wordy" of the other options provided to teachers, such as, Go Math.

Incentivized

WileyPLUS is far better than one competing product I have used and noticeably better than a second competing product I have tested. I prefer not to name the other products. It is much easier to operate from an instructor perspective. Given the low level of questions it generates from students, I am certain it is easy for students to pick up and the level of Wiley support given to me and to students is great.

• Improved efficiency from analysts looking to speed up the time it takes to do certain tasks.
• Less waste on searching and researching how to do certain concepts.
• Negative impact is use by individuals that can learn better through other methods that don't require activities.

Incentivized

• Decreased, significantly, my grading time. No more manual grading of work. It is more of a review that allows me to target specific areas and specific students.
• Students now have resources to help them learn the content when they are away from class.
• Students get immediate feedback (depending on instructor settings) on problem areas and the ability to learn from their mistakes without having to wait for the instructor.