CengageBrain.com Enhances Website, Introduces Innovative Applications that Make Studying More Engaging
Website includes fun, intuitive features to help students save money, connect with study partners, and improve learning outcomes
STAMFORD, Conn., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Cengage Learning, a leading global provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions, launched an enhanced version of its direct-to-consumer website, CengageBrain.com, offering new features for students and instructors. The website, which allows students to purchase or rent textbooks, eBooks or individual eChapters and download study tools, features a more intuitive interface that connects students to many of the site’s value-adds, as well as a section specifically designed for instructors. The website also easily connects to the CengageBrain Facebook page where students can find the Br@iniac application, which locates virtual study partners for students.
“We created CengageBrain to offer students an easy way to obtain high quality course materials that meet a wide variety of learning styles and budgetary needs,” said John Barnes, Executive Vice President, Consumer Markets. “With its new features and easier-to-use interface, the website has evolved from a place where students can go to rent or purchase course materials into a destination that can help improve their overall learning and studying experience.”
The enhanced CengageBrain site highlights the many offerings available to students when it comes to saving money and making the most of their textbook purchase. The page details the various format options students have for the course material, highlights shipping options and costs, and includes a digital hub with instant access to study tools, eChapters and homework tools, such as Aplia. When instructors assign a package of materials, including multiple books and digital learning materials, students now have the option to rent the textbook portion on CengageBrain.com to save money on the total package.
The homepage also easily connects students to its interactive social media offerings. The Twitter feed provides an opportunity for direct interaction with the brand and regular CengageBrain news, coupons and other promotions. With the iPhone/iTouch application, students can instantly access free study materials. Additionally, the Facebook fan page features regular updates and discussions, as well as the Br@iniac widget, which connects students taking similar courses or using the same textbook so they can become virtual study partners. This tool can help foster interaction and collaborative learning between students at the same school or with others across the country.
In addition, the site now includes a section specifically for instructors, which helps illustrate the benefits of the various format options available on CengageBrain.com, allowing the instructor to choose the appropriate course materials that will best suit their students’ needs. The instructor-specific page also features the recently launched “Engaging Today’s Classroom” podcast series. This series features interviews with instructors, textbook authors and thought leaders, focusing on trends in the higher education classroom and ways instructors can better engage their students. To date, the series includes interviews featuring top-notch educators, including Greg Mankiw of Harvard University, Bob Hall of Stanford University, Alan Blinder of Princeton University, Richard N. Aufmann of Palomar College and William Vining of SUNY Oneonta.
Cengage Learning was the first higher education publisher to offer a full-choice, direct-to-consumer online retail outlet, and also the first to offer a rental option directly to students and to sell e-textbooks by the chapter. The site launched in December 2009 offering several hundred titles for rent, and currently has more than 3,000 rental titles available on the site.
For more information about Cengage Learning’s direct-to-student retail offerings, visit www.CengageBrain.com.
About Cengage Learning
Cengage Learning is a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide. The company’s products and services are designed to foster academic excellence and professional development, increase student engagement and improve learning outcomes. Cengage Learning’s brands include Heinle, Gale, Wadsworth, Delmar, Brooks/Cole and South-Western, among others. For more information on Cengage Learning please visit www.cengage.com.
SOURCE Cengage Learning
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