MakeUseOf has posted GradeGuru’s Top Ten Student Tools for 2010, a compilation of online student technology and tools that students will find useful this upcoming year, regardless of field or level of study.  The list covers all aspects of study, including chat, note-taking, collaborating on assignments, and even maximizing dorm space.

You may be familiar with a few of the tools, such as Skype and Chegg, but the list includes several newcomers as well, including:

• StudyRails, a planner which allows students to plan their study time in order to complete assignments on time. StudyRails helps students manage their time effectively through features such as blocking distracting websites, and will even send you text message reminders when it’s time to get to work!
• Study Tracker – the iPad app. by GradeGuru that helps student track their performance – students can record their study time and grades per class to monitor their effort and outcomes

These tools offer the ability to manage all aspects of your academic career, from brainstorming and quizzing yourself to scheduling dates with the library. It’s time to start planning for the upcoming year. Will you be prepared?

For the complete list of tools, visit: GradeGuru’s Top Ten Student Tools for 2010

ABC News released an article today about the trend towards college students sharing notes through online knowledge-sharing networks such as GradeGuru. The article, “More Students Paying for Class Notes,” explores the future of university level note-sharing in a world where students are increasingly using social media and online networks as tools for academic support and peer collaboration.

The article cites GradeGuru’s growth to over 300 universities in two years as an indicator of the rapid rise in demand for online communities centered on student collaboration. It highlights communities such as GradeGuru as not only serving as a note-sharing center, but also a forum where students can “build online communities, form study groups, and give feedback by rating each other’s notes.” GradeGuru is unique from the other sites mentioned in that all content on the site is available for free.

Skepticism of student online communities is addressed in the article, as some instructors believe students use note-sharing services as a substitute for going to class. GradeGuru founder Emily Sawtell said that based on McGraw-Hill Education’s research, students who use GradeGuru don’t attend class any less, instead using study materials found on GradeGuru as additional support. Further debunking the idea that students use collaboration tools as a substitute for doing their own work is cited support from academia, including GradeGuru’s recent selection as a 2010 CODiE Award Finalist.

As for GradeGuru’s success, Sawtell states, “I’d like to think it’s [successful] because it serves a need. It really taps into an activity that students wanted to be able to do, and it makes it now more efficient and gives students more reason to be open and collaborative with their peers.”

For the full article, visit: More Students Paying for Class Notes

GradeGuru will be presenting this week at the annual Campus Technology conference, the nation’s premier higher education technology conference where leaders in higher education discover and share the latest in applications, social software, and immersive platforms.  Held at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston from July 19-22, GradeGuru will join organizations and universities including Oracle, Elluminate, University of Michigan, Harvard Business School, among others in focusing on technologies of strategic interest to the mission of higher education.

The speakers, presenters, and panel members at the Campus Technology conference are “technology visionaries and thought leaders in higher education,” according to the organization’s About Us.

Kevin Cafaro will represent the GradeGuru team at the conference and host a presentation titled “Digitizing Student Learning Through Collaborative Networking.” The session, held Wednesday, July 21 at 2pm, will delve into how social media and web 2.0 collaboration technologies have the potential to influence student behavioral patterns and transform the way instructors educate by empowering students to help themselves and each other.  If you are in the Boston area, feel free to stop by and check out GradeGuru’s Poster Session!

For a list of other Campus Technology 2010 presenters, visit CT 2010 Poster Sessions.

GradeGuru has just been recognized as an Effective Practice Award Recipient by the Sloan Consortium, an association of institutions and organizations of higher education engaged in online learning.  The award will be presented at the conference, held on July 21 in San Jose, California.

The  Sloan-C Effective Practice award recognizes educators, institutions and organizations for effectively innovating to realize the potential of online learning in higher education.   Candidates for the award are judged based on strict criteria including demonstrating researched evidence of a significant impact on learning outcomes, broad scope and application in multiple learning contexts, and an overarching test of agreement that “Every institution should be doing this!”

Emily Sawtell, GradeGuru founder and Senior Director of Student Innovations at McGraw-Hill will be accepting the award on behalf of the GradeGuru team and will present at the 3^rd Annual Sloan Conference on “Ushering in the academic social web to enhance student engagement and increase retention.”

“The GradeGuru Team is honored to be an Effective Practice Award recipient. We are thrilled that our work to help students help themselves and each other is being recognized by the academic fraternity,” said Sawtell.  Recognition  of the Sloan-C Effective practice award demonstrates GradeGuru’s ability to facilitate the practice of collaboration, knowledge sharing, peer review and support and online study groups among college students.

For more information, visit: McGraw-Hill’s Knowledge Sharing Network GradeGuru Wins Sloan Consortium’s Effective Practice Award

The University of Delaware’s fashion magazine UDress, keeps their readers updated over the summer through their online blog.My post about GradeGuru and my summer internship experience was recently featured on the site. The post highlighted my first day as an intern and recapped the projects I have worked on, including social media research, personal and professional outreach and the revamp of the Fall 2010 Campus Brand Ambassador program.

The post is the first of a three part blog, so you and UDel readers will be able to follow my experience here at GradeGuru over the next few weeks!

For the full blog post:

http://udressmag.com/real-wide-world/347-intern-in-the-nyc-part-1.html

Ray Schroeder,  Professor and Director for the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service at the University of Illinois at Springfield recently featured GradeGuru in his Education Technology blog.

In the post Professor Schroeder highlighted the change from traditional study groups and their speculated nonexistence due to the uprising in new digital technologies.  The post also mentioned the reviving of traditional study groups through tools like GradeGuru that offer social networking and the opportunity for students to take study groups online.

To see the full post visit: Education Technology-GradeGuru

Your notes got you through the semester… now they can get you through the summer…

Share your notes on GradeGuru

this week only for

50 bonus points

Then cash-in your points for $ and prizes this summer through our rewards partners:

Share your notes from any semester for 50 bonus points. Offer ends Sunday, June 20^th at 11:59am EST. Valid notes must be free of copyrighted materials like tests, images or anything taken directly from your professor or the internet. Maximum of 50 points awarded per user, despite quantity of notes shared.

My name is Elyssa Noblesala and I am a rising junior Mass Communication major with a concentration in Public Relations and an Interactive Media minor at the University of Delaware. I’m from Queens, NY and am very much looking forward to working in the City all summer!

This past spring, I worked as a Campus Brand Ambassador and learned a lot about social media, PR and marketing. I loved the balance of working individually and with a team that is both personable and proactive. I am really excited about joining the GradeGuru team as an intern, especially because I think GradeGuru is such a great resource for college students.

This summer, I am hoping to gain more experience in social media and PR, and help increase awareness of all that the site has to offer. Social media is a new, fresh way to enhance academic engagement and I look forward to utilizing tools like Facebook, Twitter and blogs, to increase understanding about how the GradeGuru network can help college students build a strong academic foundation.

Edu-Tastic recently featured 25 e-Learning & Education start-ups that are having a significant impact on education today. Among those featured was GradeGuru.

Check out some excerpts from the piece below:

One of the ways technology is changing the world is do with the way we learn. Online universities provide opportunities for learning from the comfort of your home. Indeed, so many people are interested in learning online, that there are a number of schools and businesses designed to cater to distance learners.

GradeGuru: This is a start-up from McGraw-Hill Education. It is a social network that allows college students to connect and share their knowledge. It gives new meaning to “study group”, as students from around the world can collaborate, share class notes and establish an academic reputation. Functions as a game as well, allowing you to earn rewards and build your status.

For the Full article: 25 e-Learning & Education Start-ups That Could Change the World

Elise Heilman, Junior at Lehigh University recently secured an internship with us here at GradeGuru. Check out what Elise has to say about landing her position through our Guru Careers Program!

1. Why did you apply to a position through GradeGuru Careers?

I have used GradeGuru over the past few years as a way to both share study guides I have made and to compare my notes with other students’ while preparing for tests. After receiving an e-mail from GradeGuru Careers describing the marketing internship, I got really excited at the opportunity to combine my interest in marketing with working at a relevant and growing online community.

2. How do you think an internship will benefit you in your major/field of interest?

The internship will help me to apply concepts I learn in the classroom to a real-life setting, as well as teach me things that you can’t learn in class. Specifically, I am excited to have the opportunity to see firsthand the changing role of technology and the internet in achieving a company’s business goals. I want to see how the use of social media (such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) can help companies target, and stay relevant with, their intended demographic. These are things that can really only be learned firsthand and will definitely help me in my future marketing courses.

3. How was applying to GradeGuru Careers different than applying to other internship and job opportunity sites?

Applying to GradeGuru Careers was different than other opportunities because the GradeGuru team is very hands-on and personable. They are friendly and always available to answer any questions, which made the process of finding an internship less intimidating.

4. Do you have any additional tips/recommendations you’d like to share with the GradeGuru community or other students seeking internships?

My advice for anyone looking for internships is to follow up. Don’t think that the process ends after you have sent off your resume, because the deciding factor for recruiters could be the level of interest you have shown in their company. Also don’t be discouraged, you will find the right opportunity if you don’t give up!

Interesting in internships and career opportunities? check out our Guru Careers Program and learn how you can secure a position! Guru Careers Program