Instructor-Fueled Learning
This report demonstrates the success instructors and students achieve when integrating MindTap into their courses.
Using MindTap, instructors are free to teach their own way, crafting learning experiences that reflect their unique passion and priorities. Students then digitally immerse themselves in instructor-curated content that neatly fits into their lifestyles, driving both engagement and content mastery. Learn about MindTap.
The statistics in this report were compiled by analyzing MindTap studies between 2016–2019.
The winning MindTap recipe targets individual student needs and produces:
It’s the passion and commitment of instructors and students who collaborate to deliver better learning outcomes. MindTap technology effectively empowers their learning excellence. View Methodology.
Grades are a gateway to a better future. But students need to believe good grades are possible, and see evidence along the way, for them to convert those aspirations into achievement.3
Students who frequently use digital are more confident learners.4 Digital learners are also more likely to expect good grades and course success vs. those who only occasionally, or never use digital.5
Customization is key to this success. With MindTap, educators can infuse their personal style into course materials, making them more relevant and engaging for students.
Weak concepts can be further strengthened with a combination of visual, verbal and active instruction methods. This approach promotes active cognitive processing and meaningful learning.6
Knowing this, professors use interactive homework, quizzes and assessments in MindTap to focus students on concepts needing extra attention. They also monitor performance using analytics and intervene where it can make a positive impact. Students are further empowered to track their own progress and engage professors directly with questions.
Not surprisingly, instructors and students using MindTap enjoyed steep performance improvements—and confident students stay in school.
71% of students said MindTap made them more motivated to learn.7 But with increasing demands, how can educators keep up with the increasing guidance modern students need to excel?
Smart use of MindTap can help. MindTap creates the “personalized and connected learning experiences”8 recommended by the US Department of Education. With MindTap, instructors nurture students by sharing notes and highlighting ebook text directly within the platform.
71% of students said MindTap increased their confidence in understanding course materials. Academic success has even inspired students to tackle careers they previously thought impossible.
Data show students using digital platforms to study have more frequent interactions with instructors and peers vs. those not using digital platforms.9
Digital users were also more likely to be heavy studiers, who studied regularly throughout the semester and were significantly less likely to have missed class.10
With 48% of adults ages 18-29 stating they are "constantly online"11, facilitating study on mobile devices increases opportunities for students to engage instructors and complete course work.
Given this heavy mobile reliance, the Cengage Mobile App offers students on-the-go MindTap access to read, listen and study—24/7—all in the palm of their hands. With flashcards, practice quizzes and notifications, students forged stronger connections with instructors and were more engaged in coursework.
Conclusion
For this generation of digital natives, guidance is key to student confidence and engagement. MindTap inspires professors to craft unique learning experiences that capture—and hold—student attention. It saves grading and prep time, freeing instructors to spend more time directly engaging students.
This personalized attention motivates students to take a more active role in learning, made easier with on-the-go access to their coursework. The Cengage Mobile App makes studying whenever and wherever possible—improving students' course engagement and preparedness.
Methodology
Quantitative and qualitative data from Fall 2016 through Spring 2019 from 100 institutions and over 10,000 students from 52 separate studies. These included course grades, tests and assignment scores as well as learner and instructor surveys and interviews. Most studies also collected data from non-MindTap users, allowing for direct comparisons on the impact of MindTap on academic outcomes.
1 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, Reimagining the Role of Technology in Higher Education: A Supplement to the National Education Technology Plan, Washington, D.C., 2017.
2 Mohr, Kathleen A. J. and Mohr, Eric S. "Understanding Generation Z Students to Promote a Contemporary Learning Environment, "Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence: Vol. 1 (2017): Iss. 1, Article 9.
3 Usher, E. L., and Pajares, F. Sources of self-efficacy in school: critical review of the literature and future directions. Rev. Educ. Res (2008): 78, 751–796
4 Student Confidence Survey Analysis, Cengage, 2017
5 Ibid.
6 Learning Styles as a Myth, Yale Center for Teaching and Learning, http://ctl.yale.edu/LearningStylesMyth
7 Student Confidence Survey Analysis, July 2017, Cengage
8 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, Reimagining the Role of Technology in Higher Education: A Supplement to the National Education Technology Plan, Washington, D.C., 2017.
9 Student Confidence Survey Analysis, July 2017, Cengage
10 Ibid.
11 About three-in-ten U.S. adults say they are 'almost constantly' online, Pew Research Center, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/07/25/americans-going-online-almost-constantly/