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More than 1.2 million students and professors nationwide are now using McGraw-Hill Connect - an advanced all-digital teaching and learning exchange for higher education.

Customize Instruction, And Engage Online

Since the online platform was introduced last fall, colleges and universities across the country have embraced this 21st century learning tool, which enables professors to easily customize instruction and allows students to master content and succeed in courses.

With Connect, students are now engaged with course content outside the classroom - from wherever they are and from whichever device they use to access the Internet. In fact, a recent survey of Connect users shows that more than 90 percent of students access Connect frequently at home or in their dorm rooms, helping them remain engaged with class content throughout the day, week and semester.

With this increased access to course content, nearly 3/4ths of the students using Connect feel better prepared for exams and assignments, according to a McGraw-Hill research study.

"Connect is an extremely effective and powerful tool for 21st century teaching and learning," said Ed Stanford, president, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. "We're very pleased that Connect is yielding excellent results in college classrooms across the country, enhancing faculty productivity and driving greater student achievement."

Instructors and students cite key benefits of Connect:

• quality of content,
  
• ease of use,
  
• integration with text,
  
• the ability to reinforce classroom material 24-7
  

Of the professors surveyed by McGraw-Hill, 80 percent stated that they are using Connect to improve student learning and retention.  

Surveyed students said that Connect helps

• reinforce classroom concepts through practice tests and quizzes,
  
• prepare them for success on assignments and exams,
  
• master course content.
  

"Connect is a great product, and now I cannot imagine teaching my class without it. My students like the feedback and the practice they get from doing the homework," said Jerri Buiting, Professor of Marketing at Baker College in Flint, Mich. "Connect really helps keep my students engaged."

26 academic disciplines

Connect currently covers 26 academic disciplines and about 15 more will be added this year. To view more information about Connect, visit www.mcgrawhillconnect.com.

About McGraw-Hill Higher Education:

McGraw-Hill Higher Education, a unit of McGraw-Hill Education, is a provider of teaching and learning solutions for 21st century post-secondary and higher education markets worldwide. Through a comprehensive range of traditional and digital education content and tools, McGraw-Hill Higher Education empowers educators and prepares professionals and students of all ages to connect, learn and succeed in the global economy. McGraw-Hill Education, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE:MHP) , has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 65 languages. Additional information is available at http://www.mheducation.com/.

Source: McGraw-Hill Higher Education; McGraw-Hill Connect

Nationwide, more than 100 majors, minors or certificates were created in 2009 in energy and sustainability-focused programs at colleges big and small, says the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

That's up from just three programs added in 2005.

Two factors are driving the surge:

Students want the courses,
Employers want the trained students

The Obama administration has estimated that jobs in energy and environmental-related occupations will grow 52% from 2000 through 2016, vs. 14% for other occupations.

Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University.

Illinois State University in Normal, Ill. has 65 majors in renewable energy, a program started in 2008 with help from a $1 million Department of Energy grant.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In September it launched a minor in energy studies. A student survey said 43% of freshmen and sophomores were very or extremely interested.

University of California-Berkeley.  The Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laborator has seen student interest in its introductory energy class explode from 40 or so students ten years ago to 270 today.

SOURCE: USA Today

"This first-in-the-nation initiative will reduce education costs ... and help ensure every California student has access to a world-class education." (Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, 5/6/09)

Continuing his commitment to find savings in these challenging budget times while improving California's education system, Governor Schwarzenegger today will highlight his first-in-the-nation digital textbooks initiative at Calabasas High School. The Governor introduced this initiative as way to provide schools and students a new way to access textbooks that is less expensive, easier and lighter.  The first phase will bring high school math and science classes access to free digital textbooks by fall 2009 - with additional content to follow.

Governor Schwarzenegger's first-in-the-nation digital textbook initiative puts California on the road to a technologically advanced, higher quality and lower cost education system.

• High School Students will have access to science and math digital textbooks by the beginning of the school year. A list of standards-aligned digital textbooks for subjects such as geometry, algebra II, trigonometry, calculus, physics, chemistry, biology/life science and earth science courses will be released this August.
  • Digital books and content has already been submitted and will soon be reviewed. All content developers can submit materials to the California Learning Resources Network by June 15 in order to be reviewed in time for this upcoming school year

• Phase two of the initiative is currently being developed. This includes making digital textbooks available for all grades, incorporating interactive content and eventually creating a statewide web site highlighting available books.

This initiative has the potential to save California's schools millions of dollars. The average textbook costs about $75 to $100 per student.  For a school district with about 10,000 high school students, the use of free digital textbooks in just science and math classes could save up to $2 million dollars.

• Switching to digital textbooks will free up funds for other spending priorities. Last year, the state's share alone for school books and other instructional materials was $350 million, this is funding that can be used elsewhere after free, digital textbooks are made available.
• Schools can take advantage of this program and save money even without computers or laptops. Teachers can print out material and it would still cost a fraction of the price of a traditional textbook.

Digital textbooks will allow students to learn on new and multiple levels. Traditional hardbound textbooks are adopted in six-year cycles, meaning six years of missing information. Digital textbooks can be updated much more easily, allowing students to learn about current discoveries and technological advances as they happen.

• Frequently updated digital textbooks will better prepare California's students to compete in the global economy. Knowledge is power - the more students have, the greater opportunity they have to succeed.
• Digital textbooks open the door to more interactive learning. Students will be able read about a science experiment then watch a video demonstration - giving them more than one way to digest the information.

With a deep recession and a deep deficit, California is doing everything possible to help schools do more with less.