Shmoop
This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. (October 2023) |
Company type | Test prep |
---|---|
Founded | 2008 |
Founders | David Siminoff and Ellen Siminoff |
Headquarters | , U.S. |
Key people | Andy Rahden, CEO |
Revenue | "single digit millions"[1] |
Number of employees | 50[2] (2022) |
Website | www |
Shmoop University Inc. (popularly known as Shmoop) is a for-profit online
The website also offers test prep materials for common standardized tests, such as the ACT and the SAT. Materials for these tests are part of a paid monthly subscription package.[8]
History
Shmoop started up in 2008,
The resources proved popular, and the Siminoffs started Shmoop as a nonprofit. After licensing Shmoop content to a number of school systems,[1] the Siminoffs recognized the site's profit potential. They converted Shmoop into a student-focused digital publishing company, hiring accredited authors, and installing Ellen as CEO and David as Chief Creative Officer respectively.[6][1]
In 2010, according to
In 2017, Shmoop debuted a full suite of
By 2019, Shmoop was providing test preps and "digital curriculum" to more than 1,200
For its first decade, Shmoop was headquartered in Mountain View, California. In 2019, the company moved its operations to Scottsdale, Arizona. The same year, Andy Rahden took over as Shmoop's CEO,[11] although Ellen and David Siminoff remain on the company's board.
In October 2019, Shmoop was a finalist in the Phoenix Entrepreneurial Opportunity Contest, sponsored by the
Features
Shmoop's content is written by high-school or college-level teachers, and
Shmoop also offers resources for understanding
In addition, Shmoop offers the following resources for high school students, college students, and teachers:[16]
For high-schoolers
- test prep for Advanced Placement, ACT, PSAT/NMSQT, and SAT subject tests[17]
- online courses that count toward college admissions requirements[16]
- college resources section
For college students
- American Council on Education credit courses that count as transferable college credits (approved by the University of California and California State University systems)[16]
- job searching guides
Criticism
Because Shmoop provides study guides for literature that include "information likely to appear on tests, such as plot analyses, character information, and even key quotations," educators has seen the website as a cheating tool.[18] These teachers argue that students can use Shmoop as a replacement for actually completing reading assignments with the original material.[19][20]
Shmoop states that it does not support academic dishonesty or plagiarism.[17] Instead, it suggests that students read the original material, and then check Shmoop to compare their own interpretation of the text with the Shmoop analysis.[21]
Quoting Carl Fisher, the chair of the comparative world literature and classics department of California State University, Long Beach, Shmoop was also criticized by The New York Times for the irreverent tone it employs in its study guides: "'It makes an interesting attempt to be hip,' he said, 'but it is just so high school-y.'"[5] The Times also faulted Shmoop for misspelling the last name of the English author Virginia Woolf in one of the company's study guides.[5]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Blodget, Henry. "For America's Crappy High Schools, Help Is Finally On The Way...," Business Insider (Mar. 5, 2013).
- ^ a b Shmoop: finalist," Phoenix Business Journal (Oct 7, 2019).
- ^ Quinn, Michelle. "Business: Don’t let your kids' education slip this summer — build Camp Digital Learning," San Jose Mercury News (May 28, 2015).
- ^ a b Rendón, Joanna Nelson. "To Shmoop or Not to Shmoop?", Public Libraries Online (December 28, 2012).
- ^ a b c d e Furchgott, Roy. "A Professor’s Review of Online Cheat Sheets," New York Times (Sept. 15, 2010).
- ^ a b c Farnham, Alan. "Shmoop Uses Humor to Make Learning, Test-Prep Fun," ABC News (Feb. 24, 2014).
- ^ Carta, Manuel. "New Realism: Sarah De Sanctis," Philosophy Now (April/May 2016).
- ^ "Digital publisher with engaging, comprehensive curriculum and test prep materials for districts," TheLearningCounsel.com. Accessed Nov. 1, 2019.
- ^ Dawson, Christopher. "Shmoop and Scitable leverage mobile platforms to reach students," ZD Net (August 26, 2010).
- ^ Chang, Richard. "STEM: Shmoop Releases Suite of NGSS-Aligned Online Science Courses," T.H.E. Journal (April 06, 2017).
- ^ a b Ringle, Hayley. "Silicon Valley edtech company founded by former Yahoo executive moves HQ to Scottsdale: Affordable talent a driving factor in company relocation, exec says," Phoenix Business Journal (July 1, 2019).
- ^ PR Newswire. "Award-Winning Digital Curriculum and Test Prep Provider Shmoop Names New CEO," Yahoo! Finance (June 24, 2019l.)
- ^ Tedeschi, Bob. "APP SMART: Quick Access to Poetry in the Age of Technology," New York Times (Aug. 18, 2010).
- ^ Chang, Richard. "Language Arts: Shmoop Releases Side-by-Side Translations of Shakespeare Online," T.H.E. Journal (March 10, 2017).
- ^ Schulte, Katherine. "Seven-Minute Shakespeare," New York Times (JANUARY 20, 2012).
- ^ a b c Chen, Connie. "Insider Picks: I used this online education site to help me understand difficult topics and prepare for tests in high school and college — and I still recommend it to all students today," Business Insider (Jul 9, 2018).
- ^ a b Coppendale, Lynne, BA(Hons), DiplS, MCLIP. The School Librarian; Wanborough Vol. 59, Iss. 2, (Summer 2011): 83. Archived at ProQuest.
- ^ Elgersma Christine; Common Sense Media. "Entertainment & Life: It’s ridiculously easy for kids to cheat using these apps and sites," Pocono Record (Oct. 6, 2019).
- ^ MacPhail, Theresa. "ADVICE: Are You Assigning Too Much Reading? Or Just Too Much Boring Reading?," Chronicle of Higher Education (JANUARY 27, 2019).
- ^ Douglas, Nick. "How to Pretend You've Read a Book," Lifehacker (June 19, 2017).
- ^ "Shmoop on Plagiarism," Shmoop.com. Accessed Apr. 4, 2022.