MyLab

“Beware! Stay away from it

Pros

Not much to like. The positive feedback after getting questions right is nice and so is having practice problems.

Cons

Where do I even begin? I'm stuck using this for my math course after being forced to pay $90 for six months, would've preferred a cheaper option that actually fits a 15-week semester, but the only alternative was three months which wouldn't cover the full term. Wouldn't have bought it if it wasn't required. The platform is riddled with simple bugs and gateway errors, plus the question design is absolutely terrible. Every problem feels unnecessary somehow. Some are way too easy, just covering the most basic parts, which I get as fundamentals come first. That was just annoying though. But the rest? Unnecessarily difficult, not conceptually but structurally. Decimals where there's no need for them, changes to problem structure that add pointless obstacles. These don't help me understand the material better, they just waste my time. Earlier this semester, I spent an hour and a half on one problem only for the program to crash. There were seven similar problems in that assignment and I just gave up. Instead of using the service I'm paying $90 for, I looked up free practice problems that actually taught concepts without unnecessary complications. Can I handle the extra steps? Sure! They were covered in previous courses. Can I work with ridiculous fractions and annoying numbers? Of course! But how does slogging through these problems benefit me when I'm just trying to learn concepts? This actually incentivizes cheating . Why bother with an hour and a half of poorly designed problems when you could use Photomath and learn from practice problems elsewhere? Photomath would probably teach concepts better anyway. The grading makes everything worse. You get limited attempts per question (unless your instructor says otherwise). Each unnecessary step and convoluted number increases your chances of simple mistakes. You might understand the concept perfectly which should be the goal. These mistakes happen at any math level, but more convoluted problems mean more opportunity for human error. The platform increases error risk while simultaneously punishing it, which can't be the basis for a $90 temporary subscription. My experience has been awful. If your considering this for education, don't. If you're a poor student forced to use it like me, use the free two-week trial, cheat for grades, and learn concepts yourself. Free practice problems are more effective than what Pearson charges $90 for.

“Problems syncing gradebook with LMS

Pros

In my opinion, this platform works alright for managing student groups under 1000. The training modules are solid, and the international assessments give students valuable exposure to global standards. There are a variety of assessment options available for each learning objective, it gives students plenty of practice opportunities. Once you get the hang of it, it gets simpler.

Cons

I have to constantly reach out to support for help because the gradebook doesn't sync smoothly with our LMS most of the time. When dealing with really big cohorts, they get split across multiple gradebooks and become a nightmare to manage properly.

“Absolutely despise this platform

Pros

The training videos feel outdated and have the 80s feel. Aren't very helpful or consistent. Seems like it's mainly built to reduce teacher workload and doesn't do much for the students.

Cons

The extra cost on top of my class fees feels completely unnecessary. Beyond that, the answer input system is incredibly frustrating , it marks you wrong for being too detailed and doesn't give any partial credit even when problems have multiple parts.