NEW! Broadened area of coverage to new topics. (Ex. pg. 155, 222).
NEW! Expanded coverage of techniques critical to academic success. (Ex. pg. 41-45).
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Reducing procrastination, increasing responsibility, learning from lectures and text, overcoming test anxiety, and choosing careers.
NEW! Updated and improved its extensive list of interactive activities, based on feedback from students and the results of their actual performance. (Ex. pg. 179, 181, 183, 184).
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These well-developed and extensively tested activities ensure they are meaningful assessments for students and their instructors. Continuous evaluations conducted by the author team every term since the book’s inception show a significantly greater improvement in grades by course takers than matched non-takers during the term when the course, built around the book, is taken.
NEW! Active Student Participation (learning by doing). The book incorporates a “teaching for learning’ design by incorporating many components that provide for active discovery and participation by students. (Ex. pg. 186, 188, 189, 192, 194, 199).
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These components are self-surveys, quick practices, applications, assignments, self-assessments, and portfolios. An accompanying Instructor’s Manual provides directions for using all of these features, providing feedback, carrying out lessons, and testing for content mastery.
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Many textbooks, indeed the majority, include content with some interactive material at the end of each chapter. This textbook includes a variety of interactive materials throughout, as a way of both breaking up the density of the instructional material and providing students with an opportunity to apply the content in smaller pieces.
NEWLY REVISED! Unifying theme as a basis for instructional content. All content is organized around a set of four major strategies (that have been proven to increase achievement-oriented behavior), and their component substrategies. (Ex. pg. iii).
- These strategies and sub-strategies, listed below are based on principles and theories of educational psychology for which considerable evidence exists. The four strategies are: Take Reasonable Risk, Take Responsibility for Your Outcomes, Search the Environment or Information, and Use Feedback.
NEWLY REVISED! A contemporary look.
- Extensive use of visuals, relevant examples, a serialized allegory (called “The Quest”), conversational writing style, forms and charts, and open space. Emphasizes graphics and images in both delivery and content (i.e., is more right-brained oriented). Easy to read (it is being used in high schools and middle schools).
NEW! Classroom developed and tested, this book has been written and designed to enhance students’ engagement and independent learning. Content has been used by students in all stages of its development and reflects their input and reactions.
- Evaluations comparing course takers and matched controls consistently show a significant greater improvement in grades among course takers than controls during the term when the course is taken and the term that follows.
- It also improves retention in college. Content has been used to teach a classroom version of the course, a web version, and a blended version
NEWLY REVISED! Theory-and research-based. The theoretical base comes from educational psychology, and gives rise to the four strategies and eight sub-strategies that are used throughout the book as the keys to achievement.
- These strategies and sub-strategies help students learn how to overcome procrastination, develop self-confidence, take responsibility, build resilience, learn from lectures and text, prepare for exams, write papers that reflect critical thinking, build relationships, and prepare for their futures.
TECHNOLOGY AND PEARSON CHOICES
MyStudentSuccessLab 3.0 (www.mystudentsuccesslab.com) is an online solution designed to help students ‘Start strong, Finish stronger’ by building skills for ongoing personal and professional development. This TOPICAL based technology promotes student engagement through:
· Video interviews on key issues ‘by students, for students’.
· The Learning Path Diagnostic offers 65 Full Course Pre-Diagnostic (Bloom’s Taxonomy level 1-2) and 65 Full Course Post-Diagnostic Bloom’s Taxonomy level 3-4)questions, and 20 pre-test (Bloom’s Taxonomy level 1-2) and 20 post-test (Bloom’s Taxonomy level 3-4) questions.
· The Practice exercises improve class preparation and learning.
· Graded Activities build critical thinking skills and develop problem-solving abilities (includes Essays and Journaling).
· Instructors benefit from an Implementation Guide to easily assign and assess progress.
· Students have access to relevant FinishStronger247 YouTube videos, the Pearson student Facebook page chock full of tips, MySearchLab use for doing effective research, and more.
PearsonChoices - CourseSmart and Custom Publishing. Having choices for how to deliver course content is important.
· CourseSmart Textbooks Online is an exciting new choice for students looking to save money. As an alternative to purchasing the print textbook, students can subscribe to the same content online and save up to 50% off the suggested list price of the print text. With a CourseSmart e-textbook, students can search the text, make notes online, print out reading assignments that incorporate lecture notes, and bookmark important passages for later review. For more information, or to subscribe, visit www.coursesmart.com.
· Pearson Custom Publishing allows professors to create their own professionally produced customized textbooks and media products to best complement their course. We offer high-quality content, professional design, quick production, and reliable on-time delivery. The result is a valuable textbook that students will use, cover to cover, tailored to meet exactly the needs of the professor, students, and course. Visit www.pearsoncustom.com.
