GradeGuru
 | |
| Company type | Public (NYSE: MHP) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | New York City (2007) |
| Headquarters | New York City |
Area served | US, UK |
Key people | Emily Sawtell |
| Website | http://www.gradeguru.com |
GradeGuru.com, owned by McGraw-Hill Education, is a free knowledge sharing network that brings the traditional concept of study groups to the social web. GradeGuru gives college students an opportunity to publish their study materials and class notes online to receive peer feedback, academic recognition and rewards including cash, gift cards and internship opportunities. GradeGuru has recently been covered on Fox News for being an innovative new study tool for college students. [1]
It is a multi-school database that contains thousands of study notes, lecture materials, and outlines created by students, for students. Students can find notes created by other students from their specific class or from other universities on any academic major of study.[2]
Content is uploaded to the site by students from diverse disciplines. In order to encourage student contributions, GradeGuru rewards students based on how often their files are viewed by other members of the site. The higher the quality of their notes and the more popular they are, the more they receive.[3] Contributors can then convert their points into rewards that range from PayPal cash transfers to gift certificates at major restaurants, hotels and theme parks.
Other students can search those notes in order to supplement their own coursework. Files can be found through both basic and advanced search fields.[4]
History
GradeGuru was started in Great Britain in August of 2007, as an innovative study tool offered by the McGraw-Hill Companies. The concept was based on the findings of extensive research, conducted using methods of ethnography, into how students study. After reporting success and steady growth throughout the academic year, the site was launched in the United States in June of 2008.
Disciplines Covered
Architecture, business and management, chemistry and physics, computer science, culture, gender & sexuality, earth sciences, education, engineering, history, journalism, media & communications, languages & linguistics , law, library & museum studies, life sciences, literature, mathematics, medicine and health sciences, other sciences, philosophy, psychology, public affairs & administration, religion, social sciences and services, space sciences, visual & performing arts.
Rewards
Students earn points upfront for every file they upload, and then earn additional points each time other site members rate and use those notes.[5] They can then cash those points in for rewards. Rewards range from cash transfers through PayPal.com, to gift cards for major restaurants, hotels and theme parks.
In addition, recent press has stated that GradeGuru will be offering a $1,500 Guru Grant for Academic Excellence for the Spring Semester of 2009. The student who uploads the most high quality notes will receive the grant.[6]
Legitimacy of Content
Reviewing Process
Similar to many popular Web 2.0 sites, GradeGuru’s content is monitored by its users. Its members review and rate the information for the benefit of the community.[3] The top-rated notes have a higher chance of being returned by the search engine so that students can easily access the most prominent resources.
Plagiarism Concerns
Plagiarism is a serious concern for academic institutions and for students. GradeGuru’s Community Standards are very clear on this issue, emphasizing that it should not be done under any circumstances. GradeGuru offers free advice on its web-site for students about plagiarism – what it means and how to ensure all sources are correctly referenced. In order to combat the potential for inappropriate use of the site’s content, GradeGuru is working with leading anti-plagiarism detection tools.[7] GradeGuru also emphasizes that all content must be 100% student created.[8]
Other Learning Social Networks
References
- ^ Fox News. "Fox News live interview". Retrieved Aril 19 2009.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|dateformat=ignored (help) Template:En icon - ^ Chakravarthy, Monisha. "Take good class notes – and get paid for it". Retrieved November 19 2008.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|dateformat=ignored (help) Template:En icon - ^ a b Livingstone, Daniel. "Grade Guru – Facebook for Learning?". Retrieved May 7 2008.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|dateformat=ignored (help) Template:En icon - ^ Gold, Michael. "We test drive GradeGuru.com". Retrieved November 20 2008.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|dateformat=ignored (help) Template:En icon - ^ Himeles, Sarah. "Note-sharing site lets students cash in on class notes". Retrieved January 20 2009.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|dateformat=ignored (help) Template:En icon - ^ TuBoston. "GradeGuru Offers Students Cash for their notes". Retrieved February 3 2009.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|dateformat=ignored (help) Template:En icon - ^ Sharon. "GradeGuru – notes sharing by students, for students". Retrieved May 9 2008.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|dateformat=ignored (help) Template:En icon - ^ Fabel, Leah. "Growing number of Web sites offer students money for class notes". Retrieved February 5 2009.
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