Test prep company Kaplan goes where the kids are: iTunes
Many high school students would probably prefer to play their iPods than study for exams, but now they can do both by downloading test preparation materials from Kaplan Inc. through Apple Inc.’s iTunes.com digital content store.
“Students don`t go anywhere without their iPods and Kaplan has always sought to make test prep as convenient as possible for our students, so it`s a natural fit to offer test prep on iTunes,” says Mark Ward, president, Pre-College Programs, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. “As students have embraced new trends over the years, from new learning and entertainment channels to new technology, we’ve adapted our materials in ways that are relevant to their lifestyles.”
Kaplan is providing, at $4.99 each, interactive programs in reading, mathematics and writing that help prepare high school students for taking SAT exams as part of college admission procedures. By downloading these programs through Apple Inc.’s iTunes.com to an iPod, students view test preparation material on the iPod screens, click to answer multiple-choice questions, and receive over the web from Kaplan detailed analyses of each completed quiz.
“Interest and enthusiasm from students has been terrific,” says Kristen Campbell, national director of SAT and ACT pre-college test programs, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. Although online traffic and sales figures were not available, Campbell says Kaplan has received positive feedback from students and read favorable comments about the program in weblogs.
Students can take timed or open-ended quizzes, and they have the option to take them with or without music playing on the iPod. They can also view graphical, dynamically changing charts that show their performance as they take quizzes. A separate audio file provides advice on preparing for final exams.
The downloaded programs are intended as supplementary programs for SAT exam preparation, a spokesman says.
Kaplan also provides free content as well as links to paid content for college test preparation on MySpace.com/Kaplan.
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