BenchPrep Adds Access to Open Educational Resources

BenchPrep has released OpenPrep, a new tool that features access to thousands of educational videos and resources.

Among the open educational resources made available with the new OpenPrep feature are Khan Academy tutorials and YouTube videos, as well as articles from Wikipedia.

The feature works by means of an internal engine that correlates an instructional topic with available resources on that topic, from weather to earthquakes and from chemical processes to mechanical engineering. BenchPrep works with publishers such as McGraw-Hill and Cengage Learning to clearly identify areas where outside material may be useful, then ties media from those companies in with unit themes.

"The OpenPrep engine is fully automated and uses topic detection and ranking algorithms to analyze the contents of any course. It then builds a curated collection of online educational resources and uses award winning educational material from BenchPrep content partners as a lens to mine these resources for the most relevant content, instantly translating our courses into rich media experiences." said Jonathan Soeder, BenchPrep lead architect.

In the near future, additional resources will be made available from companies such as Wolfram Alpha, Pearson, and Associated Press, the company noted in prepared statement. To make sure material is relevant and useful, students will be able to vote on the relevance of resources available.

In addition, educators and students can also add custom material of their own to be shared with students, including videos, blogs, and articles they identify as relevant.

"YouTube and Wikipedia are knowledge warehouses, which rival the greatest libraries ever built, yet they lack the structure and curriculum required to master a subject," said Frank Pinto, creative director at BenchPrep. "Our goal is to help students tap into this open knowledge base in an intuitive, convenient, and engaging way while maintaining the academic structure of a course."

For more information, visit benchprep.com.

Featured

  • stylized illustration of a modern laptop on a classroom desk, displaying a digital AI certification

    Partnership Brings AI Credentialing Product to Minecraft Education Platform

    Prodigy Learning and Minecraft Education have partnered to bring credentialing in AI skills to the Minecraft learning environment. "AI Ready Skills" is the third learning, assessment, and credentialing product from the two companies.

  • futuristic crystal ball with holographic data projections

    Call for Opinions: 2025 Predictions for Education IT

    How will the technology landscape in education change in the coming year? We're inviting our readership to weigh in with their predictions, wishes, or worries for 2025.

  • A child surrounded by glowing, fluid virtual patterns and holographic shapes, illuminated in a dark gradient environment of blue, purple, and pink.

    ClassVR Gets Expanded VR/AR Content Library

    Avantis Education has announced a new content library for its ClassVR virtual and augmented reality platform. Dubbed Eduverse+, the library features four content suites — EduverseAI, WildWorld, STEAM3D, and CareerHub — that can be tailored to suit a variety of educational levels.

  • A young person sitting on a couch in a bright living room during the daytime, holding a tablet, with sunlight streaming through large windows and pastel-toned furniture.

    Balancing Screen Time and Student Wellness

    Student mental health is in crisis, and excessive screen time is a significant factor. Here are four ways to help students find and maintain a healthy balance with technology.