2008 Woodie Awards
SectionsWeb site is useful student aid
Note-sharing site provides array of study tools
Kathleen Musgrave
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: Features
A new Web site, www.GradeGenie.com, allows students to upload their own personal study guides, notes, homework assignments and other materials in order to improve grades and those of other students struggling in classes.
Cary Silverman, a business administration student at the University of Missouri-Columbia, created GradeGenie.
"This concept has been around since the Neanderthals," Silverman said. "You have something I want, so I will trade you for it. It's the exchange of goods."
Silverman said GradeGenie is the exact opposite of Blackboard. At most universities, Blackboard only allows faculty and staff to upload their own files or PowerPoint presentations to the class's Web site.
"GradeGenie is for the students by the students," Silverman said.
Besides the upper-level management and the actual Web site, students have done everything from deciding the flow for the Web site to marketing it to other campuses.
The Web site operates on student-generated content.
This means, if a professor gives you a study guide, you can't upload it onto the Web site because of copyright laws. However, if you create a good study guide, you can upload it and help other students in that class.
"GradeGenie isn't designed to be a substitute for students who miss class but to be a supplement," Silverman said.
Mike Miller, a junior in marketing and sales, said he'd never heard of the Web site.
Silverman said GradeGenie has strong potential if properly used.
"As GradeGenie spreads, it will create a greater academic community and becomes even more valuable to our education than it is right now," said Silverman.
Miller said he would use the Web site.
"It will be easier for me to get a better grade in a class," Miller said.
Other Web sites similar to GradeGenie are popping up on the Internet as well. Notecentric.com allows you to enroll in your classes online, like blackboard. Cabrini College located in Radnor, Penn. hosts it's own university class note sharing upload on the school Web site. The Cabrini community also hosts as an online magazine sent to the students through their note sharing online community. Notemesh.com is another option for students. It allows students to upload notes in a wiki format so students can add or change the notes.
Cary Silverman, a business administration student at the University of Missouri-Columbia, created GradeGenie.
"This concept has been around since the Neanderthals," Silverman said. "You have something I want, so I will trade you for it. It's the exchange of goods."
Silverman said GradeGenie is the exact opposite of Blackboard. At most universities, Blackboard only allows faculty and staff to upload their own files or PowerPoint presentations to the class's Web site.
"GradeGenie is for the students by the students," Silverman said.
Besides the upper-level management and the actual Web site, students have done everything from deciding the flow for the Web site to marketing it to other campuses.
The Web site operates on student-generated content.
This means, if a professor gives you a study guide, you can't upload it onto the Web site because of copyright laws. However, if you create a good study guide, you can upload it and help other students in that class.
"GradeGenie isn't designed to be a substitute for students who miss class but to be a supplement," Silverman said.
Mike Miller, a junior in marketing and sales, said he'd never heard of the Web site.
Silverman said GradeGenie has strong potential if properly used.
"As GradeGenie spreads, it will create a greater academic community and becomes even more valuable to our education than it is right now," said Silverman.
Miller said he would use the Web site.
"It will be easier for me to get a better grade in a class," Miller said.
Other Web sites similar to GradeGenie are popping up on the Internet as well. Notecentric.com allows you to enroll in your classes online, like blackboard. Cabrini College located in Radnor, Penn. hosts it's own university class note sharing upload on the school Web site. The Cabrini community also hosts as an online magazine sent to the students through their note sharing online community. Notemesh.com is another option for students. It allows students to upload notes in a wiki format so students can add or change the notes.
Be the first to comment on this story