Industry News

McGraw-Hill Buys Adaptive Learning Developer

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 06/20/13

McGraw-Hill Education will acquire ALEKS (Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces), a developer of adaptive learning technology for use in K-12 and higher education.

McGraw-Hill has already marketed and sold ALEKS, which is designed to determine what students don't know and what they're ready to learn in an effort to constantly adapt to their needs, for 10 years.

The acquisition marks the second move McGraw-Hill has taken this year to strengthen its personalized learning offerings and comes just six months after the company acquired an equity stake in Denmark-based Area9 Aps, who has helped them develop LearnSmart Advantage, SmartBook, and other products.

"Through our acquisition of ALEKS, we're working to grow and further develop the type of engaging, personalized experiences that we see as a central element in the future of education," said Buzz Waterhouse, president and chief executive officer of McGraw-Hill Education, in a prepared statement.

The company will continue to market and sell ALEKS as a standalone product for the time being, but plans to integrate it with its other products and platforms in the future, according to a news release about the acquisition.

"ALEKS Corporation and McGraw-Hill Education share a vision for transforming education through the most advanced technology and the highest quality content on the market," said Wil Lampros, chief executive officer at ALEKS, in a prepared statement. "Becoming part of McGraw-Hill Education will enable us to help many more students with additional resources and accelerated momentum. We're delighted to join forces with our long-term partner at this critical time for education."

For more information about ALEKS, visit aleks.com. Visit mheducation.com to learn more about McGraw-Hill Education.