LONDON, August 28 /PRNewswire/ --

- GradeGuru, a McGraw-Hill Higher Education Start-up, is Leading
the Online Learning Movement.

The launch of The Open University's Open Learn database in 2006 marked a
significant shift in the way academics leverage the web to spread knowledge.
A similar shift from the student side is taking place on GradeGuru with
thousands of students engaging in collaborative learning. An obvious parallel
exists between the student demographic and their usage of social media tools
and savvy students are increasingly combining their love of social media with
their education.

"Last term, as thousands of students at hundreds of universities across
the UK started using http://www.gradeguru.com, we quickly realized the 
potential for building a leading community within the academic social web," 
said Emily Sawtell, Director of Emerging Business Ventures at McGraw-Hill 
Higher Education and Founder of http://www.GradeGuru.com, a notes-sharing 
community where college students are sharing class notes, improving study 
skills and building their academic portfolios.

"Today's born digital University students are already heavy social media
users with wikis, blogs and online communities forming part of their daily
routine," said Sawtell. "GradeGuru is attracting Facebook and YouTube users
who want to leverage the social web to build their academic thought
leadership."

Student and Academic Feedback:

- "Note sharing creates critical bonds between students and allows them
      to build on each other's strengths in ways that raise the performance 
      level of the entire class," said Dr. Noelle Stout, Associate Professor 
      of Anthropology at New York University.

    - "It makes a lot more academic sense than a website for sharing essays
      which just invites plagiarism. Students put a lot of time into 
      preparing detailed notes which generally are never looked at once they
      finish their exams. A note sharing website puts all the hard work to 
      good use," says Amar Radia, a student from the University of Oxford 
      when talking about the concept behind GradeGuru.

    - Henri from City University believes: "I think your website is a
      fantastic idea full of potential. I especially like the idea of 
      membership status/recognition. Good luck."

For an interactive walk-through of our site and information on our
expansion plans for this academic year please do not hesitate to contact me.
To schedule a phone interview with students using the academic social web, or
Emily Sawtell, a thought leader in open access learning, please contact 
Fiona Comport; Tel +44-(0)1628-502-706, email Fiona_Comport@McGraw-Hill.com

Visit our blog (http://gradegurublog.com/)