What is SmartBook?SmartBook is the first and only adaptive reading experience. It is fueled by LearnSmart, the most widely used and intelligent adaptive study resource available today. By blending LearnSmart with an interactive eBook, SmartBook is designed to help students maximize their study time.Â
How does SmartBook work?
SmartBook collects the same data points that LearnSmart uses (for example confidence rating, degree of correctness, time on task, etc.) and uses that information to determine what content will be most beneficial for the student. Just like LearnSmart, SmartBook is designed to maximize a student’s study session by focusing their efforts on what he or she needs to learn.
SmartBook uses four stages – Practice, Read, Preview and Recharge – to ensure students spend valuable time with content. The four stages are described in further detail below.
What happens in the Preview stage?Â
During the Preview stage, students see a thumbnail view of the chapter providing them with an understanding of the basic organization of the material. This allows students to build a framework of the content they are about to learn, which helps to organize the content in their brain.
What happens in the Read stage?Â
During the Read stage, students are presented with an eBook that has been “highlighted†to show the content they should focus on. The highlighted content is determined by the authors and the LearnSmart data for that particular product. This is “critical†content because it is basic concepts needed for course success as well as areas of known difficulty. As the student progresses through the Read and Practice stages (see next FAQ), the highlights adapt to focus students on the content they need the most based on their individual needs.
What happens in the Practice stage?Â
The Practice stage of SmartBook functions just like LearnSmart. Based on what the student has read in the “Read†stage, SmartBook presents questions that will solidify his or her mastery of the content and identify areas that the student is struggling with.
What happens in the Recharge stage?Â
Just as LearnSmart does, SmartBook determines what information the student is most likely to forget (and when they are most likely to forget it). During the Recharge stage, SmartBook presents students with that content along with any other material that he or she needs to know in order to master what they don’t know.
How would an instructor use LearnSmart assignments and SmartBook together?Â
LearnSmart powers SmartBook. Instructors assign LearnSmart and the students who have access to SmartBook (within ConnectPlus) benefit from the adaptive reading experience. Students who have just Connect (w/o eBook) will have access to LearnSmart. Students are held accountable for the probes in both cases, not the amount of time spent with the eBook.
What determines the highlighted section of the textbook that students see in SmartBook?Â
Initially, it is population data collected from LearnSmart for that product. The highlighted sections in SmartBook are based on the data that we use today to help authors and subject matter experts see difficult topics based on existing student performance and data. As students Practice in SmartBook, the highlights will adjust to highlight the content that is most beneficial to them.
What is the recommended workflow for a student who is using SmartBook?Â
There is no set workflow for students to follow. Ideally, they should Preview the content to build a foundation to learn from. Then they can either Practice (LearnSmart) or Read. After spending some time with SmartBook they can then Recharge. That said, a student can proceed in a number of paths. Once students start using SmartBook we will share best practices.
