Instructure Mastery vs. McGraw-Hill Connect

I love that MasteryConnect already has hundreds of standards built-in, like the ACT readiness and socioemotional learning standards my after-school program uses. I think MasteryConnect would be harder to implement for an educational institution using learning standards not already in MasteryConnect. Also, MasteryConnect does not function as a grade book for someone looking for that kind of solution.

Incentivized

Content is pretty good, and site is good as standalone tool, but it does not integrate will with any LMS. Grade pass back does not work with Google Classroom or Skyward (unsure about Power School or others) SSO works with Clever, but not Google, so students always have to go through Clever and cannot go directly from Google Classroom to an assignment, even if you posted to Google Classroom through the Connect portal. Problem sets are robust, but difficult to edit and assessments are designed to be web based. Formatting is poor when trying to print assessments that were created online.

Incentivized

• Learning standards are already included in the software.
• Allows educators to track students who are near-mastery and at-mastery
• Color-coding system is easy to understand.

Incentivized

• Integration with Canvas is seamless and easy to use.
• Assignment completion, for students, is straightforward and easy to use.
• The SmartBook allows students to read as they are tested with questions and this helps them learn the material easily without having first trying to read, memorize a chapter and then answer questions.

Incentivized

• I don't like that we have to make separate trackers for each sub-strand of math on the ACT.
• Sometimes it is difficult to find the assessments I am trying to score within trackers.
• I wish I had more support on how to use the data in MasteryConnect.

Incentivized

• McGraw-Hill Connect could do a better job of staying current and making sure all of its videos and references to real-scenarios are up to date.
• It can do a better job of immediate explanation or advice when an answer is incorrect.
• It can improve upon its ability to autosave assignments. If an internet connection gets buggy and kicks the user out of the system, sometimes the assignment progress will be lost. This is because to save the assignment, it takes you out of the assignment and doesn't just autosave.

Incentivized

The product will do a majority of what they claim. Your experience will vary depending on how much you love or hate the implementation. The tools are there, but there is a learning curve as people get accommodated to how interaction is expected to be conducted (as opposed to more personal means).

Incentivized

On-boarding was fine and sufficient, but we haven't really heard from MasteryConnect since then. I haven't reached out to them, either, though.

Incentivized

Personally, I did not encounter McGraw-Hill support. However, I worked with colleagues who needed support and were able to receive in a timely manner. Overall, McGraw Hill Connect is user-friendly (at least from teacher interface) and easy to navigate, which minimizes the need to reach out for support. The help button is useful and provides plenty of immediate support.

Incentivized

MasteryConnect is a more affordable option for our medium-sized nonprofit. MasteryConnect fits our needs without being "too much" software. Illuminate and PowerSchool are more built for large school systems while we are a standalone organization with only about 250 students.

Incentivized

Much of our lecture material comes from McGraw-Hill, so it was an opportunity to marry the learning material to a collaborative system that can make the experience more portable and potentially more affordable for our students. The workings are managed off-site so we do not need to care for it on a daily basis.

Incentivized

• MasteryConnect has allowed our organization to track student learning data weekly for the first time.
• We spend less than 10 minutes per week inputting student achievement data.
• We are able to more quickly decide which skills to reteach because of MasteryConnect.

Incentivized

• Wasted valuable time trying to figure out the "eBook."
• Did not receive good value for the money spent.
• Did not feel as though the company was interested in keeping me satisfied as a customer, or like their customer service was actually interested in solving any problems.