NEW YORK, Aug. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Beginning this semester, McGraw-Hill Higher Education will make its industry-leading personal digital tutor McGraw-Hill LearnSmart available for students to purchase directly. Traditionally, McGraw-Hill has marketed LearnSmart, which is available in almost every subject area, to universities and professors for class-wide adoption, which it will continue to do. But now, students can access LearnSmart on their own a move the company made because of the solution's growing popularity and proven effectiveness among students.

Students using McGraw-Hill LearnSmart have been proven to move up a full letter grade by studying smarter, not longer. With LearnSmart, students use their out-of-class study time to answer questions that are related to what they're learning in their course. The fully digital system acts like a personal tutor, continuously assessing students' knowledge and skills and providing personalized content and recommendations that help them master basic course concepts and retain their knowledge over time. Because LearnSmart is conveniently accessible online and via mobile apps, the technology and devices that students use every day will power a personalized, study-on-the-go experience that will give them the information and focus they need to ensure success in their courses.

Widely available for more than 100 best-selling McGraw-Hill college textbooks and across more than 40 course areas, LearnSmart is great even for students on a budget, starting at $24.99 per semester. Parents wanting to ensure their children get the most of their education can rest assured that LearnSmart is a smart investment. In a study released last year, LearnSmart was shown to turn C students into B students, and B students into A students.

"I have had so much success using LearnSmart," said Tracy Chupp, an Anatomy & Physiology student at Ivy Tech Community College. "By using LearnSmart to study, I know exactly what I need to practice and how much I know about each topic."

Originally developed in 2007, McGraw-Hill LearnSmart uses a wealth of data to continuously analyze students' knowledge and skills and direct them to the exact material (in their e-book or print book) they need to study. LearnSmart also contains engaging gaming elements to push students to improve their performance by showing them how they rank relative to their peers. LearnSmart is perfect for today's multitasking students, whether they are over-achievers seeking an added edge, struggling students who need extra help to prepare for their exams, or students who are simply pressed for time. More than 950,000 students have answered nearly 700 million questions using LearnSmart which is good news for students, as LearnSmart gets smarter the more widely it is used.

"We have technology with the power to personalize the learning experience and give students an academic edge," said Brian Kibby, president, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. "We're making LearnSmart available directly to students and their parents who want to help them succeed so we can ensure that more students have the tools they need to empower themselves and get the most out of their college education. As a student in today's highly competitive and expensive college environment, why wouldn't you use a digital tutor that could increase your course performance by a whole letter grade?"

Starting today, students and parents will be able to purchase immediate access to LearnSmart from the recently launched LearnSmart website at http://www.mhlearnsmart.com, by simply finding the McGraw-Hill textbook title for the courses they are taking. McGraw-Hill LearnSmart will also be available for purchase at Follett's network of 940 college and university campus stores throughout North America and on Follett's website. LearnSmart can also be purchased through the McGraw-Hill Education online store at http://www.shopmcgrawhill.com.

To promote the proven effectiveness and expanded availability of this exciting study tool, McGraw-Hill is also announcing today the Going Places with LearnSmart Sweepstakes, in which students who enter will be eligible to win prizes totaling more than $10,000, including gift cards students can use towards spring break travel, and free LearnSmart products. For more information and to register, students should visit http://www.mhlearnsmart.com/goingplaces.

About McGraw-Hill EducationMcGraw-Hill Education is a content, software and services-based education company that draws on its more than 100 years of educational expertise to offer solutions, which improve learning outcomes around the world. McGraw-Hill is the adaptive education technology leader with the vision for creating a highly personalized learning experience that prepares students of all ages for the world that awaits. The company has offices acrossNorth America,India,China,Europe, theMiddle EastandSouth America, and makes its learning solutions available in more than 65 languages. For additional information, visit http://www.mheducation.com.

Contact:Brian Belardi McGraw-Hill Education (212) 904-4827 brian_belardi@mcgraw-hill.com

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