Learning Science Proves Practice Does Make Perfect

Low student engagement with assigned course materials and unpreparedness for class are two of the top pain points for instructors. But, what if you could ensure that every student understood and completed assignments and came to class confident and ready to participate? You’d get back valued class time to focus on teaching instead of reviewing.

VitalSource is committed to creating products that are based on learning science, and we fulfill that mission by developing and studying new technologies and partnering with instructors to identify impactful implementation practices. Bookshelf®, VitalSource’s premier digital content platform, recently introduced a new built-in power feature, Bookshelf CoachMe™, that is designed to improve the overall study experience for students by helping them discover what they already know so they can focus on what they need to learn. The foundation of VitalSource’s learning technology is rooted in innovative cognitive and learning science research that helps students become active participants in their own learning process through the Doer Effect. It is through this method of learning that instructors are given an advantage in the classroom. So, what exactly does Bookshelf CoachMe offer?

Q. What is Bookshelf CoachMe?

A. Bookshelf CoachMe is a new feature within Bookshelf that is designed to boost student engagement by providing embedded practice questions while they read their etext. This Learn-by-Doing approach, based on learning science, improves the overall study experience by helping students discover what they know and where to focus next. As the name suggests, it’s like a free, built-in study coach available to students whenever they need it.

Q. What is the Learn-by-Doing approach?

A. Did you know the old adage, practice makes perfect, is based on learning science? The Doer Effect is the learning science principle that proves students who do practice questions while reading have higher learning gains than those who only read. Our research team¹ analyzed data from courseware being used at a major four-year public university, which showed a correlation between the amount of practice students did and their summative quiz scores. The more practice students did, the better their learning outcomes were.

[1] R. Van Campenhout, R., Jerome, B., & Johnson, B. G. (2020). The impact of adaptive activities in Acrobatiq courseware: Investigating the efficacy of formative adaptive activities on learning estimates and summative assessment scores. In: Sottilare R., Schwarz J. (eds) Adaptive Instructional Systems. HCII 2020. LNCS, vol 12214. Springer. pp 543–554. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50788-6_40

Q. What do students get out of Bookshelf CoachMe?

A. Students benefit greatly by having access to this powerful study tool available to them 24/7 for no added charge. Bookshelf CoachMe offers a low-stakes, confidence-boosting learning environment equipped with knowledge checks, practice questions, and immediate feedback alongside the etext. The need to rely on multiple websites or purchase extra digital study tools is gone. Everything students need for effective studying is easily accessible within Bookshelf, helping them stay organized and focused.

Q. How does Bookshelf CoachMe differ from other digital study tools?

A. Bookshelf is the leading eReader with embedded study tools. Bookshelf CoachMe brings the added bonus of AI-generated questions designed to assist in prep, practice, and focus—providing students with everything they need, all in one place. Additional study tools include digital flash cards, personalized highlighters, note-taking and read-aloud functionality.

Q. How will I know if the questions are aligned to the course?

A. VitalSource’s team of learning scientists studied the creation and efficacy of questions generated through AI in an award-winning 2021 paper, proving that these questions are equally effective as human-authored questions. All questions are AI-generated by VitalSource’s Bookshelf platform and are aligned to the core etext. These AI-generated practice questions appear alongside the etext to give students a chance to pause and practice key concepts while studying without being disruptive. Questions are also available at the end of each chapter to boost student confidence and provide insight into individual knowledge gaps.

Q. How will I know students are engaging with their assigned course materials?

A. Instructors are provided access to the Instructor Dashboard to see how students are interacting with the assigned content. These insights offer a deeper dive into how students are faring and help to address any challenges around student outcomes.

Learn more about how Bookshelf CoachMe helps students bring their A game to class.

This content was paid for and created by VitalSource. The editorial staff of The Chronicle had no role in its preparation. Find out more about paid content.