Michael Schalk is a busy man.
The University of Memphis business major juggles five upper-division economics classes coupled with long work hours at American Homeshield. His demanding schedule, speckled with hobbies and social outings with friends, requires him to study efficiently.
When told about www.cram101.com, an online study tool, he said he'd give it a try.
"I can dig it," Schalk said. "I've been to similar sites before for that kind of thing."
Schalk was referring to Web sites that include online practice tests, helpful chapter-by-chapter outlines and input from professors who seek to help their students learn material. The site focuses on textbooks, not opinion works or novels.
Dr. Scott Parfitt, the company's CEO, skulled up the concept of helpful mediums for students to learn while teaching artificial intelligence and psychology at The University of Notre Dame.
"We sought to move away from the yellow highlighter which today seems to be the optimal study tool," Parfitt said, "and let the computer do that for you.
"It's just a tool with a clever name."
He said the company is more than 25 years old, but started looking into the textbook industry in 2000, concluding that efficient learning tools would succeed.
Joe Crass, one of the company's marketing directors, said the Web site was named Cram101 for a logical reason.
"Some students don't study for a test two weeks ahead of time the way they're supposed to," Crass said. "Time constraints can play a major role in not getting in enough study time.
"So they cram for the test the night before."
Crass described cram101.com as "an artificial intelligence system that reads college textbooks, then produces helpful outlines that enable students to study more effectively as opposed to getting lost in piles of reading."
The site touts access to practice tests "that teach, rather than just test" by pretending like the material is being presented for the first time instead of testing to see what students don't know.
The company is succeeding, Parfitt said, referring to the site's adoption by more than 50 American universities and thousands of students (including nearby University of Arkansas) but is still evolving.
"We hope to include more visuals in the future - graphs, charts and pictures," said Parfitt. "We'll hopefully be a three-dimensional tool one day."
Parfitt said the site will include high school textbooks starting in the fall.
One U of M psychology professor has already given cram101.com a shot and claims to have faith in the Web site.
Melloni Cook used the site for her "Alcohol, Drugs, and Behavior" class last semester.
"I believe the concept to be useful to students," Cook said. "It helped combine themes in the class and it produced useful information."Cook said students could use such a tool for refining the details about a complicated subject such as the one she teaches, but never to go with cram101's information alone.
"I like this site as a support tool, not as a replacement tool," Cook said. "Students should keep up with their reading and be mindful of the big picture."
Crass agreed.
"I would still suggest students buy their texts," Crass said. "The subscription to Cram101 is like a 'mental Velcro' in that helps students learn material with the basic knowledge of the subject already in place."
When asked if the subscription's monthly cost of $9.95 might be a factor, Crass said no, wondering out loud what parent wouldn't purchase the service if it meant their child would succeed more in class and get better grades. Even if Mom and Dad won't cough up the cash, he said, students could afford it.
"It's (the cost of) a case of beer for some of these people," said Crass.
