Cengage Learning Strengthens CengageCourse Suite of Digital Solutions With Exclusive Long-Term Agreement for Online Chemistry Homework Tool

STAMFORD, Conn., April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Cengage Learning, a leading global provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions, today announced an agreement with the University of Massachusetts, developer of Online Web-based Learning™ (OWL), the leading online chemistry homework solutions tool. Building on a long-established relationship with the University's Amherst campus, Cengage Learning has now acquired the OWL chemistry content and has secured an exclusive, long-term license to the OWL software tool for the high school and post-secondary academic markets for chemistry – a move that further strengthens the company's CengageCourse suite of digital learning products and services.

"We have been working exclusively with the University of Massachusetts to deliver OWL to chemistry instructors and students for more than ten years," said Ron Mobed, President, Cengage Learning's Academic & Professional Group. "With this agreement, we will have the ability to take the product in new and innovative directions as we continue to enhance our CengageCourse suite of digital solutions designed to increase student engagement and improve learning outcomes."  

A recent study found that using OWL improves student performance and final grades in chemistry. Results indicate that when students used OWL, they did more homework, increasing their engagement in the class and leading to better understanding of the material and a higher level of preparedness for exams.

Built from the ground up by chemistry instructors expressly for chemistry students, OWL promotes student mastery and saves instructors time assigning and grading homework. This unique homework system has been extensively tested nationally by students and fine-tuned for more than a decade by chemistry instructors focused on improving student learning. OWL is fully customizable, giving instructors complete control over student assignments, allowing them to correlate the material to their course to meet their individual needs. The tool is currently available for Liberal Arts Chemistry, Intro/Preparatory Chemistry, Allied Health/General, Organic and Biological Chemistry, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry. Through its CourseCare service, training and implementation program, Cengage Learning provides instructors with superior one-on-one training and services to help them maximize their investment in Cengage Learning's digital solutions.

OWL gives students the resources they need to practice chemistry at their own pace and has already helped hundreds of thousands of students visualize chemical concepts, improve their problem-solving skills and earn better grades.  Cengage Learning offers OWL packaged with its chemistry textbooks and provides a range of choices in formats to fit different learning and teaching styles. OWL also includes an eBook edition of the chosen textbook providing the option of a completely digital solution. The integrated homework exercises from each text are delivered with immediate feedback, as well as tutorials and simulations to reinforce chemistry concepts and deepen student understanding of the material.

OWL is one of Cengage Learning's CourseMaster offerings –assignable, gradable homework solutions that improve student outcomes through enhanced mastery of the curriculum. CourseMaster is a core component of CengageCourse, a suite of digital products and services that enhances student engagement, improves learning outcomes, and helps academic institutions navigate the changing education landscape. For more information on OWL, please visit www.cengage.com/owl.

About Cengage Learning

Cengage Learning is a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide.  The company's products and services are designed to foster academic excellence and professional development, increase student engagement and improve learning outcomes. Cengage Learning's brands include Heinle, Gale, Wadsworth, Delmar, Brooks/Cole and South-Western, among others. For more information on Cengage Learning please visit www.cengage.com.

About the University of Massachusetts Amherst

Founded in 1863, the University of Massachusetts Amherst ranks among the nation's leading research universities and is the flagship of the state university system, enrolling more than 26,000 students from 50 states and 70 countries. The campus attracts over $125 million in externally sponsored research each year, playing a vital role in the Commonwealth's position as a technological and economic leader.

SOURCE Cengage Learning