Word on the Street

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Testimonials

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SAM Instructor of the Month

Instructor Steven Freund
Lisa Lopez - Spartanburg Community
College
"SAM has made the management of the computer applications courses so much easier and improved our student completion rate to over 91%."

Question #1: Why does this school use SAM?:

Answer: Spartanburg Community College (SCC) was looking for a way to effectively standardize course material, eliminate manual grading, and track and trend data in their Office courses, enabling faculty to quickly address student learning issues. In the past SCC had faced the challenge of managing the course program with 10 adjunct instructors; SCC was looking for a solution that would help alleviate those issues.

Question #2: Why does this instructor like using SAM?:

Answer: Lopez and fellow faculty are impressed because SAM: gives instructors an efficient, consistent, and fair way to assess students and manage their courses; makes coordinating courses much easier; provides flexibility for instructors creating assignments, and provides flexibility for students who are able to access SAM 24/7 and work at their own convenience in the manner that best suits their learning style.

Question #3: What is this instructor’s favorite feature of SAM?:

Answer: The difference it has made in student outcomes. Since the SCC faculty feels strongly that SAM has made such a big difference, Lopez felt it would be interesting to review course completion/retention rates with and without the product. The results revealed that during the 2008-2009 academic year (when SCC did not use SAM), they had a 78% completion rate in their Office courses. However, with the inclusion of SAM during the 2009–2010 academic year, student completion rates climbed to just over 91%...representing growth in student achievement and overall success completing Office courses.

The Word on the Street from SAM Users

Instructor Comments

  • "I think the SAM program does a great job of assessing students’ progress"
  • "SAM cuts down on grading time, planning time, and gives students a more hands-on venue in which to be tested"
  • "With SAM Projects, you can give students the option to get feedback on errors, correct them, and then re-submit the file"
  • "SAM Projects helps students develop the soft skills needed for success in work and college"
  • "SAM makes my life much easier!"

Student Comments

  • "I have learned a lot (using SAM). Now, I know how to use Office and am not scared of it"
  • "I love the way everything is explained in detail"
  • "(SAM) made it very easy to see my mistakes, and it offers a huge benefit in being able to see what was done right/wrong instantaneously"
  • "I enjoyed using SAM because it has the options to observe, practice, and apply. In the event that you don’t understand something, you can observe in order to fully understand the task at hand"
  • "I would love for SAM to be the primary source of all our computer assignments"
SAM user