Chad Parmentier

This information has been very helpful. I think this would be an added resource for students especially if integrated into moodle at our institution. The only concern I have left is that we are distance learning, and our math and English classes that would be using this are not hybrids but full online courses. If mymathlab was an added feature I think it would be good, however I would be concerned if less motivated instructors at our institution used mymathlab as a stand-alone course. The specific course that would be piloting would be a pre-calc class and English writing. The two separate LMS systems might not be a problem because we have control over how our LMS navigation and important elements are set up so we could stream-line it with the look and feel of MMlab.

Im warming up to the idea.

Can mymathlab integrate into the current LMS whether it be moodle, BB, or Webct? From a design standpoint we really didnt want multiple LMS's. A student for instance would have Mymathlab which is based on Blackboard, and say moodle for governemt-101 online.. and so on. not to mention that our distance learning charges a 125.00 online class fee for support and distance learning really cannot do anything with mymathlab. I guess Im just a little leary. I looked at those statistics in that document posted above and am still going over it.

Interestingly, I guess I should have mentioned this before, Students Bear the cost by purchasing the book. They are roughly 150.00-170.00. Pearson has a monster installation of Blackboard(they are partners or something) and they enroll students in preformatted course shells. Students get an access code with the purchase of a book and instructors are assigned an instructor access code free of charge. I estimate that Pearson generates about 100.00 per student that is enrolled in a course and essentially does not have to do anything more with it. Its up to instructors to post discussions.

Thanks for your replies. The main thing I was concerned with or questioning is why Pearson doesn’t treat this more as a plug-in suit for Moodle or any other LMS. The other concern had to do with autonomy, learning communities, student inquiry and collaborative learning? The instructors seem tempted to rely completely on the hard core content and not create their own interpretations, lectures, and explanations of content. In other words if I was to take the online component out of the equation the equivalent would be an instructor who tells the students to read chapter one, answer the practice questions, and text book test on Friday. It seems very static, which is an important part but cannot stand alone.

Also thanks for the technical reference I will be considering that as well, I know for sure that all of the coursecompass software fails at accessibility which is a problem here in the U.S because we are federally funded. Overall bottom line is Pearson is using colleges to push their academic programs and the college's only function to provide an instructor to babysit if you will and to give credit to their course. This is all kind of under the radar, but I feel it directly affects Moodle users because colleges that are put under siege by Pearson no longer have a use for any institutional LMS. Because Instructors at the college have academic freedom they are falling into the hands of Pearson and signing up, which is undermining the institutional LMS and distance learning programs. Today at Five o’clock I will meet with the Pearson rep’s and hopefully have strong arguments which will site their product as good but not a stand alone solution to education. I sure hope they leave K-12 alone. Again thanks for any further thoughts, and those who have already posted.

Im not sure if there even is a forum for this but what the heck. Im an instructional technologist at a community college, and a long time moodle advocate and user. Recently Pearson Learning has began approaching our departments with the coursecompass package specifically mymathlab and mycomplab i.e English and Math departments. They have a blackboard powered system with media driven flash activities, complete with ready-wrapped content aligned with their textbook. Pedagogically I don't agree with this system that seems not to even need an instructor but our instructors think it is wonderfull, most likely because they would not need to create content or do much in the online course. If anyone can offer some draw backs to pearson education on a pedagogic level or even a technical level I would sure appreciate the help. Pearson education may very well eradicate distance learning and our online cohorts.