Kaplan Publishing, a leading publisher of academic and professional
development resources, has partnered with Kno, a leading education
software provider, to bring e-books to medical school students and
doctors studying for the United States Medical Licensing Examination.
The USMLE, divided into Steps 1, 2 and 3, is taken by tens of thousands
of aspiring doctors annually as a requirement to practice medicine in
the United States.
The titles included for the Kaplan/Kno partnership are MedEssentials,
USMLE Step 1 Microbiology/Immunology, USMLE Step 1 Pharmacology,
USMLE Step 2 Internal Medicine, and USMLE Step 2 Surgery.
A recent survey of Kaplan students showed that 97% report owning a
tablet device, electronic reader or smartphone. In the survey, students
noted the value of portability from print to digital and across devices,
accessibility and offline access in their e-books. Noted one student,
“It’s nice to have all these books on one small device,” while another
observed, “Constant access is useful.” The Kno eTextbooks enable
students to carry all their reading on a single device, access their
textbooks across many platforms and devices, and conduct their reading
offline and on-the-go.
Yet despite students’ overwhelming adoption of smartphones and tablet
devices, many still prefer to have the option of reading their books in
the traditional print format -- with the majority of students surveyed
indicating the desire for both options.
“In an age of Wikipedia and Google, where an overwhelming amount of
information is readily available, the key is not just in the right
information, but in how it’s delivered. Students want choice in how they
prepare for important exams like the USMLE,” said Maureen McMahon,
president and publisher, Kaplan Publishing. “Students would ideally
prefer to move seamlessly between print and digital formats. It’s
important that we help students study in the formats that best meet
their preferences and fall within their comfort zones.”
McMahon notes that Kaplan is using digital content throughout all the
major exams the company prepares test takers for, including the GRE,
GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, SAT and ACT, to improve student outcomes. “For
example, search makes it easier for students to quickly find the content
they need to study; and portability and offline access means students
can squeeze in more study time without searching for WiFi access,”
McMahon said. “Many of Kno's annotation features allow students to port
over their existing study habits from print to digital formats.”
In the months to come, Kaplan will be rolling out more e-study
advancements to help students better prepare for exams in the ways that
best meet their study habits and lifestyle needs.
About Kaplan Test Prep
Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com)
is a premier provider of educational and career services for
individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the
world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of
online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital
products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests,
including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate
school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys,
physicians and nurses. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and
graduate admissions consulting services.
About Kno
Kno, Inc. is an education software company on a mission to "Change The
Way Students Learn." We believe engagement is a leading indicator of
learning success and grades are a lagging indicator. So we have
partnered with over 80 leading publishers to offer more than 200,000
interactive titles that make learning more engaging, efficient, and
social for students. They are the same books, only smarter. Each Kno
eTextbook is packed with interactive features, assessments, and social
sharing tools to engage students at the point of learning. And the Kno
platform provides administrators and teachers with the tools they need
to easily assign, manage, and monitor their digital learning content and
assessments at an enterprise level. For more information, go to www.kno.com,
or follow Kno at http://facebook.com/GoodtoKno
and http://twitter.com/GoodtoKNO.
Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post
Company (NYSE: WPO)
Copyright Business Wire 2013