Free Online Question Platform Provides the Missing Piece for Open Textbooks

PASADENA, Calif. and NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 20 Million Minds Foundation (20MM) has partnered with Learningpod™, a new startup backed by Kaplan, to support the addition of a critical piece to the adoption of open textbooks  – a platform that provides companion question sets for free.

"Learningpod is filling a huge void in the open community with this free collaborative tool that gives students various opportunities to master content," said Dean Florez President & CEO of 20MM.  "By providing a platform where textbook and course aligned practice questions can be authored and shared with the world, Learningpod is tremendously growing access to resources proven to improve student performance."  

Learningpod already offers one of the largest collections of high-quality questions online, with over 30,000 questions available for practice and reuse. However, the collection continues to grow as more educators who have adopted open textbooks create and assign Learningpod question sets, called "pods," to their students based on textbook chapters and daily lessons.

"The use of customized pods in my physics class has been a game-changer for many students," says professor Erik Christensen of South Florida State College, and expert reviewer for OpenStax College's College Physics, an initiative from Rice University. "The practice pods are helping build confidence in their problem-solving abilities, which helps them better understand the concepts and improve their exam scores."

To accelerate this process, Learningpod has implemented its Open Textbook Program, which converts textbook questions into an interactive format and makes them available online to students and teachers at no cost. In addition, The 20 Million Minds Foundation is sponsoring a grant program for instructors and departments interested in authoring chapter aligned questions for open textbooks while using Learningpod in their courses.

"We know that practicing questions is one of the most effective ways of learning," said Jean Seok, the company's CEO. "That's why we're working with educators and partners to build the largest free collection of practice questions in the world."

About Learningpod

Learningpod makes learning accessible and efficient through the power of questions. The company is dedicated to making it easy for educators to deliver practice questions online and give students instant access to the extra practice they need. For more information visit www.Learningpod.com and follow @Learningpod.

About 20MM

The 20 Million Minds Foundation (20MM) is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing higher education into the digital age through public and private partnerships that increase access, affordability, and student success.  For more information visit www.20MM.org and follow @20MillionMinds.

CONTACT: Reid E. Milburn
Tel. (626) 396-7071
Cell: (916) 969-6171
[email protected]

SOURCE The 20 Million Minds Foundation