Item: Cengage MindTap
Rating: 9
Author: Mariann Hawken

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

MindTap is a third-party publisher integration used by many faculty to support teaching and learning in their courses. It is bundled with textbooks and added as a "plugin" to our learning management system (Blackboard) for easier sign-in and course content integration. MindTap provides digital textbooks, interactive exercises, videos, practice quizzes, exams, flash cards, and other learning assets to support student learning outcomes.

Pros and Cons

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

lots of clicking required to navigate through content or set-up
inconsistent student experiences for Original vs. Ultra courses in Blackboard
challenging to remove excessive/duplicate gradebook columns when cloning/recycling a course

Return on Investment

reduces faculty workload with assessment & content creation
increases faculty workload with gradebook management
provides students with quality content to support learning outcomes

Alternatives Considered

McGraw-Hill Connect, Pearson Revel and WileyPLUS

MindTap is one of the better/best publisher integrations. The textbook platform alone is exceptionally presented. Most publisher integrations suffer from clunky interfaces or force faculty/students to click through to using their proprietary tools after signing in. MindTap offers the illusion of seamless integration by providing deep links to content, which allows faculty to customize their courses. Only one or two publishers do this, and it really makes a difference when faculty have this kind of flexibility.

Key Insights

Do you think Cengage MindTap delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Cengage MindTap's feature set?

Yes

Did Cengage MindTap live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of Cengage MindTap go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Cengage MindTap again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Collaborate, Cisco Webex Meetings, Google Classroom, Google Jamboard, Panopto

Likelihood to Recommend

MindTap is one of the best publisher integrations. The textbook platform is thoughtfully designed to support a variety of learning preferences including reading and listening. Note taking tools, flash cards, and self-check quizzing along with videos and supplemental exercises (depending on course content) help students practice what they are learning. However, MindTap can suffer from content bloat. It's easier to embed content in one's LMS course to the point where there are too many links to make the course or its gradebook functional. Faculty want a seamless content experience, and MindTap delivers, but it's often at the expense of the student who has to navigate through dozens of links to keep up with course content.

Supporting Student Learning Outcomes with MindTap's Flexible Digital Textbook Platform

Overall Satisfaction with MindTap