Cengage Learning and Flashnotes.com to Transform the Learning Experience in Higher Education With Strategic Partnership

BOSTON, Sept. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Empowering students to play an active role in how academic content is created and consumed, Cengage Learning, a global education company, and Flashnotes.com, the student-to-student study materials marketplace, announced a strategic partnership to integrate the Flashnotes.com marketplace into MindTap, the premier e-learning environment that delivers high levels of engagement to inspire improved student outcomes. Through this integration, students will have access to course-specific, student-to-student study materials – study guides, notes, flashcards, video tutorials and live video help. Cengage Learning will also invest in Flashnotes.com's Series B round of funding.

MindTap's immersive learning platform was developed to address how students live and learn, and combines traditional lesson content with interactive assignments, apps and collaboration tools to guide students through learning along a proven path.

"Cengage Learning is deeply focused on understanding the needs of students to deliver innovative tools and services that set them up for success," said Jim Donohue, Chief Product Officer, Cengage Learning. "That means always looking for new ways to engage students. Our partnership with Flashnotes.com will enable us to enhance the higher ed learning experience in a way that reflects the way students work and study, with content generated by the students themselves. It is the sharing economy at work in education."

This partnership recognizes the need for high quality, student-created content to augment existing study materials in today's marketplace, and to enable students to study and learn in the way that works best for them.

"Our partnership with Cengage Learning recognizes the importance of student-created content in helping today's college students excel academically," said Michael Matousek, Founder of Flashnotes.com. "Cengage Learning is leading a transformative change in education that will benefit students in a profound way, and we're excited they've chosen the Flashnotes.com platform to provide them with highly relevant, student-created content."

Within the Flashnotes.com marketplace, students can create relevant study materials or offer services that will help other students.  They have the ability to set the price for these materials or services and earn a commission of each sale, paid to them on a weekly basis.  Flashnotes.com works with institutions and faculty members to ensure that the materials created by students fit into school guidelines.  All Flashnotes.com study materials are originally created by students and are subject to rigid processes to ensure that the rights of copyright owners are fully respected.

Commenting on this partnership, Lester Lefton, President Emeritus of Kent State University and Flashnotes.com Board Member, said, "Cengage Learning and Flashnotes.com are working together within the higher ed ecosystem to foster meaningful change. Instead of trying to bring disruptive change to a world that is rooted in tradition, this inclusive approach benefits all stakeholders – the faculty, administrators, students and publishers."

About Cengage Learning

Cengage Learning is a leading educational content, technology, and services company for the higher education and K-12, professional and library markets worldwide.  The company provides superior content, personalized services and course-driven digital solutions that accelerate student engagement and transform the learning experience. Cengage Learning is headquartered in Boston, MA with an office hub located in San Francisco, CA. The company operates in more than 20 countries around the world. www.Cengage Learning.com.

About Flashnotes.com

Flashnotes.com is the student-to-student study materials marketplace. On Flashnotes.com, college students sell and buy course-specific study materials -- study guides, notes, flashcards, video tutorials, and live video help. College students need two things -- more money and better grades. Flashnotes.com Pays2Study^TM approach empowers smart college students to make money from their own study material while helping other students study smarter to get better grades. For further information, visit www.flashnotes.com. Flashnotes.com is headquartered in Boston, Mass.

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SOURCE Cengage Learning