What’s New in MasteringDecember 2012
In our December release, we are making it easier for instructors to create and copy assignments. Additionally,
improvements to essay grading, gradebook data, and other new features enhance instructors’ experience with
Mastering.
Here’s what you can look forward to with the December release:
Improvements for Item Library and Assignments Page
Indicator for New Content
Instructors will now be able to see which items in the item library have been recently added, so that they can
evaluate them for possible inclusion in their courses. A new content indicator is displayed for one year.
Mastering December 2012 Release
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Item Score Diagnostic Displays on the Assignment Overview
The Item Score Diagnostic is now also displayed on the Assignment Overview page. This means that
instructors can quickly see those items on an assignment that students struggled with the most.
Mastering December 2012 Release
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Copying Assignments to Multiple Courses
For instructors who create assignments for more than one course with the same content during a semester,
there is now a quick and easy way to create an assignment once and then add it to the other courses.
From the Assignment Overview:
From assignment menu:
The system lists the course(s) into which the assignment can be copied.
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Features

Provides assignment date information at the top of the screen to help instructors know if they should
be copying the assignment at this time.

Titles and dates are automatically entered, but can be edited.

Error messaging avoids potential mistakes.

Confirmation messaging indicates that the assignments have been added to the other courses.
Mastering December 2012 Release
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Adaptive Learning
Adaptive Study Modules, powered by amplifire™
New Adaptive Study Modules help students acquire, retain, and recall information faster and more effectively
than ever before. Based on brain science research, Adaptive Study Modules customize the learning experience
for each student to maximize study time and ensure long-term retention of the material.
Each study module first assesses the student's knowledge of a concept and his or her level of confidence in
that knowledge. As the student progresses through the modules, the application adjusts what the student sees
according to strengths and weaknesses until all content is mastered. Completed modules are available for
review or rework.
Adaptive Study Modules are currently available for three Mastering titles, starting in January, 2013:

Marieb/Hoehn, Human Anatomy and Physiology, 9e

Martini/Nath, Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology, 9e

Tortora/Funk/Case, Microbiology: An Introduction, 11e.
Students click on the Adaptive Student Modules link to open the learning modules for your course:
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Student view of the Adaptive Study Modules home page:
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Sample question:
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A link to the Adaptive Study Modules reporting module is provided at the Mastering Gradebook:
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File Upload Improvements
Accessibility
Low-vision users can use a screen reader to launch and navigate through the File Upload Service modal
window. The user sets focus in the window and navigates to the different sections. This change does not
impact the experience of users not using a screen reader.
Course Copy Support
Uploaded files and videos will now copy to the new course when instructors copy the course containing them,
streamlining course creation when using the course copy feature.
Essays
Improved Navigation
Assignments with essays are indicated on the Assignments view and when choosing content for a new
assignment.
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Essay assignments are now displayed in the top row of the Gradebook, making it easy to jump to the Essays
for Assignment landing page and the Essays for Course landing page.
Easy way back from the Essay Grading page to the Essays for Assignment page:
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Grading and Regrading Essays
From the Essays for Assignment and the Essays for Course landing pages, instructors can link to essays for the
course or for the assignment.
Both graded and ungraded essays are available:
Essays can now be regraded:
Mastering December 2012 Release
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Gradebook Improvements
When an instructor creates an assignment with availability and due dates, the assignment will be shown in the
gradebook along with the total number of points before students enroll in the course.
This enables instructors to build their course and align the total points for their Mastering assignments with
their syllabus.
New Mastering Disciplines
MasteringOceanography (www.masteringoceanography.com)
MasteringNutrition (www.masteringnutrition.pearson.com)
New Mastering Titles
The following table lists new titles that will go live or be in class test during the winter timeframe.
MasteringA&P
Stanfield, Principles of Human Physiology, 5e
Marieb, Anatomy & Physiology, 5e
Marieb, Human Anatomy, 7e (Class test)
Marieb, Human Anatomy & Physiology Laboratory Manual 10e Main, 11e
Cat, 11e Pig (Class test)
MasteringAstronomy
Bennett, The Cosmic Perspective, 7e
MasteringBiology
Bauman, Microbiology with Diseases by Taxonomy, 4e (Class test)
Johnson, Human Biology: Concepts and Current Issues, 7e
Goodenough, Biology of Humans: Concepts, Applications, and Issues, 5e
Audesirk, Biology: Life on Earth with Physiology, 10e
Audesirk, Biology: Life on Earth, 10e
Freeman, Biological Science, 5e
Urry, Campbell Biology in Focus, 1e
Simon, Biology: The Core, 1e (Class test)
Mastering December 2012 Release
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MasteringChemistry
Bruice, Organic Chemistry 7e (Class test)
Cooksy, Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy 1e (Class test)
Corwin, Introductory Chemistry: Concepts and Critical Thinking 7e
Frost/Deal, General, Organic, Biological Chemistry: An Integrated
Approach
McMurry/Fay, General Chemistry: Atoms First 2e
Suchocki, Conceptual Chemistry 5e
Timberlake, Basic Chemistry 4e
Tro, Chemistry: A Molecular Approach 3e
MasteringEngineering
Douglas, Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering: A Guided
Inquiry, 1e
Hibbeler, Mechanics of Materials, 9e (Class test)
Hambley, Electrical Engineering: Principles and Applications, 6e (Class test)
Hibbeler, Statics in SI Units, 13e (international) (Class test)
Hibbeler, Dynamics in SI Units, 13e (international) (Class test)
MasteringEnvironmentalScience
Wright/Boorse Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future, 12e
(Class test)
MasteringGeography
Marston, World Regions in Global Context 5e (Class test)
Hess / McKnight 's Physical Geography: A Cultural Landscape, 11e (Class
test)
Rubenstein, The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human
Geography, 11e (Class test)
Rowntree, Globalization and Diversity, 4e (Class test)
MasteringNutrition
Blake, Nutrition: From Science to You, 2e (Class test)
Thompson, Nutrition: A Functional Approach, Canadian 3rd edition (Class
test)
Thompson, The Science of Nutrition, 3e (Class test)
MasteringOceanography
Mastering December 2012 Release
Trujillo, Essentials of Oceanography, 11e (Class test)
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