Smarthinking was an academic online tutoring service, provided by Pearson Education. The service provided on-demand support from tutors in over 25 subjects. Smarthinking used a pedagogical approach along with whiteboard interface technology to connect students and tutors. After over 20 years, the service closed in August of 2023. [1]

Smarthinking
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryEducation
Founded1999
HeadquartersWashington, DC, USA
Key people
Christa Ehmann Powers, Chief Education Officer
Productsonline tutoring, writing review
ParentPearson
Websitewww.smarthinking.com

Smarthinking launched in 1999 to provide real-time assistance for students in postsecondary education.[2] In 2007, Smarthinking was honored with the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) CODie award for Best Instruction Solutions for Students at Home.[3]

History

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In an effort to expand its offerings, Pearson Education acquired Smarthinking in February 2011. December 1, 2011 Smarthinking launched its new discipline of support for reading.[4] Tutors could perform live sessions in core areas of vocabulary, reading and comprehension. In 2012, Pearson reported the addition of Liberal Arts Math to its Math services.[5] To date Smarthinking has over 1500 tutors, and has completed between 6 and 7 million tutoring sessions. It is headquartered in 1919 M. St., NW Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036.

Leadership

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Smarthinking leadership team was composed of former college professors and experts in their disciplines.

Christa Ehmann Powers, Ph.D. has served as Vice President & Chief Education Officer since Smarthinking’s launch in 1999, and heads the development of online tutoring and instructional services in the United States and internationally.[6]

Results

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Pearson- conducted efficacy studies on the effectiveness of Smarthinking have shown the impact of usage, including:

• Students using Smarthinking at Volunteer State Community College were eight times more likely to successfully complete their courses.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Pearson Announces Smarthinking Online Tutoring Service Enhancements to Improve Institutional and Learner Outcomes | Pearson News". Pearsoned.com. 2014-11-10. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  2. ^ "About Us | Smarthinking | Pearson". Pearsoned.com. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  3. ^ "Need an Online Tutoring Program and Writing Service? Think About Smarthinking!". Brighthub.com. 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  4. ^ "Smarthinking Launches Reading Tutoring Support Services". PR.com. 2011-12-03. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  5. ^ "Smarthinking Launches Liberal Arts Math Online Tutoring Support Services | Pearson News". Pearsoned.com. 2012-02-22. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  6. ^ "About Us | Smarthinking | Pearson". Pearsoned.com. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  7. ^ "Smarthinking : Case study" (PDF). Pearsonmylabandmastering.com. Retrieved 2016-07-30.

Further reading

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