Connect with us

Technology

Student study habits have changed. McGraw Hill responds with the SHARPEN™ study app

Published

on

75% of college students have changed the way they study since COVID-19, according to new McGraw Hill/Morning Consult survey

Survey finds college students routinely turn to social media to find studying help

NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — McGraw Hill today announced the launch of SHARPEN™, a first-of-its-kind mobile study app that delivers learning via a continuous content feed, bite-sized videos, swipeable study tools, and a personalized activity dashboard. SHARPEN, which is free for the Fall 2022 term, complements the Higher Education classroom experience, combining what students need to learn for their courses with how they want and prefer to learn.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8859652-mcgraw-hill-sharpen-study-app/

According to a recently completed survey of 500 undergraduate students conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of McGraw Hill, 75% of students have shifted how they study due to COVID-19, with three in five students regularly feeling stressed or overwhelmed due to studying. Students report that they routinely use social media to study and are looking for learning tools that are just as engaging and convenient. Specifically:

78% of students reported turning to social media when studying to find supplementary content for their classes.19% of students spend six or more hours per week searching for study content and help with classes on social media.Nearly three in four students (74%) say they would study more if their course materials matched the convenience of resources they access via social media.

Students’ demand for the engagement and convenience delivered by social media is so strong that they are turning to these platforms en masse despite broad recognition that social media offers imperfect study tools with glaring shortcomings. The McGraw Hill/Morning Consult study indicated that 88% of students do not entirely trust the education-related information on most social media platforms.

“The student experience has undergone tremendous upheaval in recent years,” said Justin Singh, Chief Transformation and Strategy Officer at McGraw Hill. “We’ve closely watched changing student study habits and responded with our new app, SHARPEN, which will help students stay engaged and focused while delivering trusted content they can easily digest. We’ve proven that you don’t need to compromise on delivering high-quality content to provide an engaging learning experience. A number of existing providers focus on textbook and exam answers.” SHARPEN is different. It provides to-the-point support designed to help students learn, understand and succeed themselves.”

Autym, a sophomore from Montclair State University who was one of the hundreds of students consulted during the SHARPEN app development process, noted, “It is so easy to use, in between classes and work, and it doesn’t make me feel like, ‘ugh, I’m learning.’ SHARPEN breaks down my chapters, so I can understand the information as quickly as possible.”

Instructors agree. According to Dr. Julia Kalish from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, “students are becoming more distracted while in class and having trouble finding time to study. Having engaging content that my students can relate to – and I know I can trust – will help them be better prepared.”

SHARPEN blends a social media-inspired, mobile-first design with trusted content built specifically to align with popular college courses. Key elements of the app include:

Continuous, time-based study feeds customized to each student’s course subjectBite-sized, mobile-first videos that display brilliantly on mobile devices, including iPhone and iPadSwipeable visual chapter summaries, quizzes, and flashcardsA personalized dashboard of actionable study insights to help learners improve their scoresAccessibility tools like captioning, voice control, and screen reader

Simon Allen, CEO of McGraw Hill, said: “Education has transformed massively in the last several years – and so has McGraw Hill. We’re proud to provide this groundbreaking solution that responds to the needs of today’s college students and will help them succeed on their unique learning paths.”  

SHARPEN is now available for download exclusively in the App Store for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sharpen-study-help/id1595642363.

For more information about SHARPEN, visit: www.mheducation.com/sharpen

About McGraw Hill
McGraw Hill is a leading global education company that partners with millions of educators, learners and professionals around the world. Recognizing their diverse needs, we build trusted content, flexible tools and powerful digital platforms to help them achieve success on their own terms. Through our commitment to equity, accessibility and inclusion, we foster a culture of belonging that respects and reflects the diversity of the communities, learners and educators we serve. McGraw Hill has over 40 offices across North America, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions for PreK-12, higher education, professionals and others available in more than 80 languages. Visit us at mheducation.com or find us on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn or Twitter.

Survey Methodology
Morning Consult conducted 500 online interviews of undergraduate students who had taken college classes in the spring between July 8th and July 13th, 2022 on behalf of McGraw Hill. The margin of error is +/-4%. Care has been taken to match the known composition of the undergraduate population on age, gender, race, region, and part-time or full-time student status.

Contact

Tyler Reed
McGraw Hill
(914) 512-4853
tyler.reed@mheducation.com

 

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/student-study-habits-have-changed-mcgraw-hill-responds-with-the-sharpen-study-app-301639772.html

SOURCE McGraw Hill

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

Dutchie Launches Consumer AI featuring Voice AI, Agentic Commerce, Register Co-Pilot, and Consumer Pulse

Published

on

By

Voice AI on the phone, a Register Co-Pilot in-store, Agentic Commerce online, and Consumer Pulse across surveys & reviews, all built with the latest agentic AI tech into the core Dutchie platform.

BOSTON, June 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Dutchie, the leading cannabis technology platform powering more than 6,500 dispensaries across North America with more than $100B in transactions processed, today announced Dutchie Consumer AI. Consumer AI is a new suite of four AI products extending Dutchie POS and E-commerce, designed to help cannabis retailers automate the routine, maximize basket size, own their reputation, and convert every touchpoint.

“Cannabis is reaching the same technology inflection point we’ve seen transform every major industry,” said Tim Barash, CEO of Dutchie. “Retailers are under growing pressure to improve profitability, run leaner businesses, and deliver more personalized consumer experiences, all while navigating one of the most complex regulatory environments. They need to be on the bleeding edge on this intense technology shift as consumers experience these tools in their daily lives. Our new Consumer AI suite is designed to remove operational burden, convert more interactions into revenue, and help teams make smarter decisions at scale.”

Dutchie Consumer AI is built directly into the workflows dispensaries already use every day, from inbound calls and e-commerce to checkout and reputation management. Every interaction runs on one customer identity, so the same customer can be supported across phone, online, in-store, and reviews, helping businesses capture more revenue, reduce operational friction, and better manage their brand presence.

The launch includes four integrated products:

Voice AI: Never miss a call or an order. An AI-powered phone receptionist that answers every call, helps customers place orders, confirm pickups, and check hours, directions, live inventory, and daily deals, or hands the call off to staff the moment a person is needed.
 Agentic Commerce: An agentic concierge for every online customer. It acts, it doesn’t just suggest. An AI shopping agent embedded into e-commerce and kiosk experiences that understands intent, builds the cart, and takes customers to checkout. It rebuilds a returning customer’s regular order in one tap from real order history, swaps out-of-stock items for the closest match, and helps new shoppers discover products through natural-language questions like “What’s your best indica for sleep under $40?”. Not a chat window in the bottom right of your screen – a true integrated experience that keeps the fun of shopping for cannabis products but helps you discover more, faster.
 Register Co-Pilot: Every budtender performs like your best one. Built directly into the Dutchie register, Co-Pilot gives every budtender real-time context, including purchase history, smart pairings, upsell recommendations, fast payments, and loyalty prompts, to help budtenders improve consistency, efficiency, and basket size at checkout.
 Consumer Pulse: Hear every customer, in surveys and reviews. A centralized dashboard that unifies first-party customer surveys from digital orders, receipts, and more with public reviews from across the web, surfacing AI-powered sentiment trends, top themes, and actionable alerts that help operators spot issues before they move their star rating, identify product trends, and respond faster to consumer feedback.

Dutchie Consumer AI comes at a pivotal moment for the cannabis industry, as federal rescheduling efforts and broader regulatory momentum begin reshaping how businesses think about long-term growth and operational strategy. As cannabis retail enters a more normalized and increasingly competitive phase, retailers are looking for integrated technology that can simplify day-to-day operations, improve retention, and support stronger margins.

“The future of cannabis retail isn’t about layering on more disconnected tools. It’s about building smarter functionality into the systems businesses already rely on,” said Chris Ostrowski, CTO of Dutchie. “We’re embedding AI into the places where retailers and consumers already engage, helping teams reduce manual work, uncover faster insights, and create more tailored shopping experiences in an increasingly competitive market.”

To learn more about Dutchie Consumer AI, visit dutchie.com/business/consumer-ai.

About Dutchie
Dutchie is the cannabis technology software platform enabling cannabis commerce, streamlining dispensary operations, and providing safe and easy access for consumers. Powering over 6,500 cannabis businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada, and facilitating over $100 billion in transactions, Dutchie is a complete cannabis operating system, providing solutions for point of sale, e-commerce, loyalty and marketing, seamless payments, and more. For additional information, please visit Dutchie.com

Media Contact
Martha N. Marshall
Trailblaze for Dutchie
dutchie@trailblaze.co

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dutchie-launches-consumer-ai-featuring-voice-ai-agentic-commerce-register-co-pilot-and-consumer-pulse-302799933.html

SOURCE Dutchie

Continue Reading

Technology

Edible Arrangements® Unveils All-New Mobile App and Reimagined Edible Rewards™ Program

Published

on

By

The new mobile platform and updated loyalty program bring personalized gifting, exclusive perks and seamless repeat ordering together in one place

ATLANTA, June 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Edible Arrangements® (Edible), the innovative e-commerce retail hub and modern gifting destination under the Edible Brands® portfolio, today announced the launch of its redesigned mobile app and reimagined Edible Rewards™ program, introducing a more personalized, seamless and rewarding way for customers to celebrate every occasion.

Available on iOS and Android, the all-new Edible app was redesigned to make gifting easier and more intuitive from discovery to checkout. Featuring personalized tools like gift reminders, tailored recommendations, saved addresses and quick reorder functionality, the experience helps customers celebrate every meaningful moment while simplifying the gifting process from start to finish.

Alongside the app update, Edible is launching a new rewards program featuring four membership tiers that give customers access to more benefits the more they shop. Existing members’ points and rewards will automatically transfer into the new program experience. Customers can earn points on every order and redeem points for discounts, free treats and app-exclusive perks. The rewards program also includes welcome offers, birthday perks and personalized savings designed to make every gifting occasion more rewarding.

“People want gifting to feel easy, thoughtful and personalized – especially in a world where everyone is juggling so much,” said Somia Farid Silber, chief executive officer of Edible Brands. “With the new app and Edible Rewards program, we wanted to create an experience that helps customers remember important moments, discover the right gift faster and feel rewarded every time they come back to us. It’s all part of continuing to evolve the brand in ways that better fit how people celebrate today.”

Customers can download the Edible app and enroll in Edible Rewards to begin earning points, receive a welcome reward and unlock exclusive app-only offers and perks. To browse Edible’s full collection of gifting options and learn more about Edible Rewards, visit edible.com.

About Edible Brands®
Atlanta-based Edible Brands® acquires, develops and manages a world-class portfolio of consumer brands renowned in the hospitality and foodservice sectors. Edible Brands has skillfully integrated an innovative e-commerce platform with a robust network of locally owned stores worldwide to meet consumers where they are. Edible Brands’ growing portfolio includes Edible Arrangements®, edibles.com®, and Rōti® Modern Mediterranean. For more information, visit ediblebrands.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/edible-arrangements-unveils-all-new-mobile-app-and-reimagined-edible-rewards-program-302798555.html

SOURCE Edible Brands

Continue Reading

Technology

Atom Computing and Phasecraft Announce Strategic Collaboration to Accelerate Development of Next-Generation Materials

Published

on

By

BOULDER, Colo. and LONDON, June 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Atom Computing and quantum algorithms company Phasecraft today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore how application-focused algorithms can be used to benchmark progress toward utility-scale quantum computers.

Through this MOU, the companies will collaborate on accelerating the delivery and adoption of quantum solutions in key application areas, such as the development of materials for batteries and photovoltaics. Through adapting Phasecraft’s advanced algorithms and software to Atom Computing’s neutral-atom quantum computing hardware, the collaboration aims to accelerate the path towards useful applications in materials science and energy.

Atom Computing continues to lead the quantum computing industry through its pioneering work in neutral-atom quantum technology. The company recently demonstrated a breakthrough in quantum error correction using toric code and announced a $100 million Letter of Intent with the U.S. Department of Commerce. Atom Computing is also deploying the world’s first commercial quantum computer with logical qubits and performing in Stage B of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI), where it is demonstrating its pathway to utility-scale quantum computing.

Phasecraft is the leading UK and US-based quantum algorithms company, developing advanced quantum algorithms to solve real-world problems in materials discovery, chemistry, and optimization. Its focus is on making quantum computing practical today by designing software that works with existing imperfect hardware, bridging the gap between current technology and future large-scale quantum systems.

“Unlocking the true commercial potential of quantum computing requires a tight synergy between breakthrough hardware and hardware-optimized software,” said Dr. Ben Bloom, CEO and Founder of Atom Computing. “By fine-tuning Phasecraft’s industry-leading algorithmic methods to our neutral-atom architecture, we can pave the way for a new generation of commercial applications in materials science and sustainable technology.”

“We are excited to collaborate with Atom Computing to advance quantum applications in material science,” said Prof. Ashley Montanaro, CEO and Co-Founder of Phasecraft. “Real-world quantum utility will come from combining advances in hardware with equally powerful advances in algorithms. By bringing together Atom’s scalable quantum computing platform and our hardware-adaptive algorithms, we can accelerate progress towards applications in energy storage, solar technology, and advanced materials.”

By aligning cutting-edge neutral-atom quantum computers with purpose-built quantum software, this collaboration represents a decisive step toward realizing quantum advantage in critical industries and accelerating innovation across the global energy and materials landscape.

About Atom Computing

Atom Computing is developing large-scale quantum computers to enable companies and researchers to achieve unprecedented computational breakthroughs. Utilizing highly scalable arrays of optically trapped neutral atoms, the company has developed systems with over 1,200 qubits, featuring advanced capabilities towards fault-tolerant quantum computing. Atom Computing’s on-premises systems provide customers with new computational tools and logical qubit capabilities to address increasingly complex applications and to grow their quantum ecosystem. In 2025 Atom Computing sold its first commercial on-premises quantum computer to QuNorth, a Nordic quantum initiative funded by EIFO and Novo Nordisk Foundation. Learn more at atom-computing.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

About Phasecraft

Phasecraft is the quantum algorithms company whose mission is to accelerate the practical application of quantum computing by redesigning quantum algorithms for the imperfect quantum computers of today. Phasecraft was founded in 2019 by Toby Cubitt, Ashley Montanaro, and John Morton, expert quantum scientists who have spent decades leading top research teams at UCL and the University of Bristol. Phasecraft works in partnership with leading quantum hardware companies, including Google, IBM, Quantinuum, and QuEra, academic and industry leaders, to develop high-efficiency algorithms to move quantum computing from experimental demonstrations to useful applications. Learn more: www.phasecraft.io.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/atom-computing-and-phasecraft-announce-strategic-collaboration-to-accelerate-development-of-next-generation-materials-302799329.html

SOURCE Atom Computing

Continue Reading

Trending