The Georgetown Independent is asking students to “Shake off the dust from those old notebooks and mid-terms from last semester because they might be worth something.” Following GradeGuru’s growing popularity among Georgetown University students, student reporter Will Vogt sought to dive deeper into the academic and student points of views in regards to the note sharing platform.
LINK: The Georgetown Independent – A Penny (or More) For Your Notes
Students at Duquesne University are finding GradeGuru to be a good source for extra cash. In the article, Students earn cash for sharing good notes, student reporter Kalifa Augustus writes:
“Most college students are always looking for extra money, and most find it through part-time or odd jobs. But some students have been making money recently just by attending classes, taking notes and then uploading them to a Web site called GradeGuru.com.
GradeGuru is a Web site sponsored by McGraw-Hill Higher Education that allows students to upload and share relevant, well-structured notes online with other students who may be taking the same courses. It was launched in the United Kingdom last spring and in the United States last fall.
Students who upload notes that moderators find to be exceptional are rewarded monetarily. The sum of money rewarded depends on the quality and quantity of the work. Students who upload notes from one lecture are paid $3, and students who upload an exam study guide for one course may earn $10. ”
In his post, Business Model: P2P Class Note, Dr. Keith Hampson, higher education director and founder of Higher Education Management blog/LinkedIn Group, discussed how GradeGuru stands to leverage the web to help students manage the traditional process of note sharing. Dr. Hampson provides a brief analysis of the higher education market and how note-sharing platforms might fit into the equation of standardized education.
“From a business perspective, the degree to which content in higher education is common across schools is of fundamental importance. If much of the content is generic (and/or students believe it is generic), then it is possible to offer content-based commercial services to the higher education market. It’s scalable, in other words.
The textbook industry has long relied on the significant degree of commonality in higher education curriculum. It is the basis of their business model. The first large textbook providers emerged in the 19th century when governments sought to standardize education; who can teach, what they teach, and so forth.”
About The Higher Education Management Group
Higher Education Management Group is a LinkedIn Group. Initiated in the summer of 2008, the group is for management professionals working in the higher education industry. HEM Group focuses on the people, organizations, and issues that operate at the intersection of business and higher education. The group offers opportunities for networking and information sharing. Members include consultants, industry research/analysts, vendors and managers in textbook publishing, technology, recruiting, colleges/universities, and development (fundraising) professionals.
Picture Credit: Erin Sunderland
Craig Smith from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review interviewed Emily Sawtell, GradeGuru founder, as well as students and professors to provided some perspective into web note-sharing platforms. Issues of ethics and plagiarism are addressed.
LINK: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review – Site offers Pitt students cash for class notes
“With this new resource in our hands, we should take full advantage of its academic offerings,” writes The Pitt News, The University of Pittsburgh student newspaper. University of Pittsburgh is one of our ambassador schools. We will be hosting events and other initiatives along with our U.Pitt GradeGuru student ambassadors. Here’s another excerpt from the article:
“Gone are the days when you need a study buddy in your lecture or you’d be out of luck to get the notes for that class you missed. A new Web site, GradeGuru.com, allows students to upload notes from a class to the Internet. In exchange for contributing material, students are monetarily compensated. After the Web site’s staff scans uploaded material for quality and quantity, students can be paid from 75 cents to $50.”
Are you using GradeGuru in your university? Let us know.
LINK: The Pitt News – Editorial: Students Shoul Embrance the Good in GradeGuru
