WARNING: Avoid McGraw-Hill Connect at all costs! Too many issues, no customer service
What do you like best?
In theory, Connect is a great system for tracking students and making sure they attain the concepts from the textbook. In theory, students are able to submit video-recorded speeches. However, in reality, there are problems and glitches that prevent students from being able to use it successfully.
What do you dislike?
I regret I have to write this negative review. But I must warn you about using McGraw-Hill and Connect.
I have used a McGraw-Hill textbook for the college speech classes I teach. I was encouraged to transition over to the Connect system. With the Smartbook 2.0, Lucas textbook students can read the textbook anywhere. Students get 2 weeks of free access if they don't have funds right away from the textbook. It is connected to GoReact which allows for video and written feedback in-real time sync with the student's speech video. McGraw-Hill market Connect is a way to better assess if students are understanding the concepts from the textbook through reading questions and quizzes and is a learning management platform where students can submit video-recorded speeches. However, while it works in theory, the system doesn't actually work. Even worse, McGraw-Hill doesn't actually follow-up and fix the issue in a timely manner. I've been waiting for over a month with no resolution.
Week 2 of the course, a student contacts me and says they are unable to submit their speech because it says they have already attempted it and submitted a video. However, they had not. I contact McGraw-Hill asking them to fix this quickly so the student can submit their speech by the deadline. I'm told that McGraw-Hill will need to reset the student's submission attempt before the student can go in. This took a week for them to complete. I ask what cause this issue, no answer.
This has continued for a month, with no help from McGraw-Hill. Additionally, more students have had issues with other assignments saying they submitted a video when they had not. The system is malfunctioning. You would think McGraw-Hill would want to fix this quickly, but they couldn't care less. I'm just a number. They said they could reset the attempts, but to date, I've had 19 students in two different sections who are not able to submit one or more assignments because of this issue - 13 still haven't had attempts reset, so are not able to submit assignments. We are now in Week 8. Six weeks is too long. I contact them every other day, I still do not have the answer. If they can't fix it, I wish they would just tell me. I regret every full-incorporating McGraw-Hill's Connect into my speech courses. While it looks good in theory, the malfunctions of their system, their inability to provide follow-up, and their inability to provide an answer as to why this happens, have left me frustrated and angry.
Students report that the readings take them 4-6 hours to complete. For every speech assignment, one or more students haven't been able to submit their videos because the system says they already have, and when I go into GoReact to watch the video submission, guess what, they don't have a video uploaded.
I have had to find another way for students to submit video-recorded speeches and all my time getting Connect setup was a waste. I was looking forward to continuing with McGraw-Hill; however, after this semester, I encourage you not to use McGraw-Hill or Connect. I am in the process of searching for a similar system because after 3 years with McGraw-Hill, I've decided their incompetence and very poor customer service have caused too many problems to continue giving them my business.
Recommendations to others considering the product:
I thought since I had used the Lucas speech textbook for a couple of years that switching to Connect would make teaching and assessment easier. It has made it worse! I was looking forward to continuing with Connect, but with so many issues, I've decided to leave. I recommend you find another system. DO NOT USE MCGRAW-HILL CONNECT. You will regret it like I now do.
What problems are you solving with the product? What benefits have you realized?
No benefits and the problem is still not resolved. Students go to submit their video-recorded speeches and the system says they already have. But they haven't and then go to grade the video submissions, they have no video. McGraw-Hill can't figure out the issue. I still have 13 students who need to submit assignments, who are not able to. The system is malfunctioning. You would think McGraw-Hill would want to fix this quickly, but they couldn't care less. I've been dealing with this issue for over a month, and still no resolution. If I were to do it again, I would not fully-integrate Connect into my courses. Now, because their system malfunctions and they don't respond to my requests to get it fixed or figure out what is wrong, I am left with students having paid for Connect and not being able to use it to submit assignments.
