Cengage MindTap vs. Freckle by Renaissance

We started using the application optimally at the beginning as a digital learning and consultation platform. In it we imported all kinds of bibliographic material so that students could access them with the ease of a tap. The application is perfect for those instructors who are not beginners in HTML. In that case, the application very practically allows them to create a complete course in the shortest possible time because it has a state-of-the-art instructional design. It was excellent for unifying all the basic course plans between teachers teaching the same subject, giving the advantage that all courses at the same level would have exactly the same information and nothing would be overlooked

Incentivized

Freckle is a fantastic online learning platform. I think it works well in multiple learning environments. Last year I used Freckle in a distance learning model and this year on individual iPads in class. I love that it is a quick platform to assess student achievement. I haven't experienced a scenario where Freckle would fail however, lack of access to the internet is always a factor.

• digital textbook platform with accessibility tools (read-aloud, note taking)
• interactive exercises and practice tools
• assessments including self-check quizzes and customizable exams
• LTI integration to pass grade information to learning management system
• excellent support for faculty

Incentivized

• Freckle does a great job adapting lessons.
• Freckle does a great job motivating students and participation.
• Freckle is very interactive with students and teachers to support continued participation.
• Freckle provides DOK challenge questions that support students' understanding after standards are met.
• Student inquiry and problem-based questions are also new additions to Freckle that help support led activities.

• The biggest issue our first-time users have with Mindtap is that ad/pop-up blockers often stop the tool from opening. (Mindtap typically opens in a new window vs inside the LMS) This leads to a lot of initial frustration amongst the students early in the course.
• MindTap lacks a really strong set of roles outside of Instructor and Student. There is no Teaching Assistant role or and IT/Course Builder role. Additionally setting up students workers as TAs in one course while they may be a student in another concurrently has been more than a little cumbersome.
• The UI is a bit dated and it doesn't implement many responsive web design features, though this can typically be worked around by downloading the free app.
• The mobile app experience is not as strong for Instructors as it is for students.

Incentivized

• My students get bored with just answering questions the whole time. They complain about having to get on to Freckle.
• I would like to see open ended or open response questions.
• I would like for Freckle to be able to assess fluency.

It's hard to imagine not renewing it as the professors would not want to go back to the way their courses were previously populated. The only thing that would cause us to change would be in the textbook changed and the new company offered a better tool

Incentivized

Freckle is an excellent educational tool. The platform supports students and provides them with the opportunity to be successful in mathematics.

Very easy to use.

Incentivized

user friendly

Incentivized

The effort from them always feels strong - I'd just recommend they be more prepared for OS (mac) and LMS (blackboard) upgrades

Incentivized

Such an excellent program that is a hidden gem at no cost for teachers to use with students.

Incentivized

It worked seamlessly with Blackboard

Incentivized

MindTap is the only learning software I currently use, but in the past I have used Pearson and McGraw Hill learning content. All of these companies are progresses at a similar rate and making great improvements to their educational materials. MindTap, in my opinion has the best customer service support and representatives in the business. Our rep. has been very responsive.

Incentivized

We have used IXL for many years at our school and always liked it and the kids enjoyed it. We used this program as it worked with the testing results we would get from MAPS testing (our previous standardized testing platform). I would say Freckle by Renaissance has exceeded our expectations when we were relating it to IXL. Freckle by Renaissance is much more engaging and entertaining for the students and in turn they want to use it more and therefore learn more. IXL is very redundant and has the same layout and overall look for all questions and subjects. We have been greatly impressed with Freckle by Renaissance when comparing it to IXL.

Incentivized

• The positive impact is to help students practice statistics to solve business problems.
• The negative side is that the pricing might be too high compared to other free options available, even though the free options might not have the same features MindTap has.

Incentivized

• I used Freckle in the free version and was very pleased with the opportunities it offered my students and the engagement is achieved.
• I currently use Freckle premium and continue to enjoy the benefits that Freckle provides to my student's growth, more so it now provides weekly reports and other analytical reports to support students.