In response to requests from its partner institutions, IPD created several online tutorials to provide self-paced, targeted learning in essential academic areas. The online tutorials may be branded for an individual partner institution with academic standards to be determined by that institution. These standards include which students need to complete a tutorial, when it needs to be completed, and what level of mastery is required to demonstrate competency to the institution's satisfaction. College administrators and faculty can view an individual student's progress on the tutorials, time spent by the student on the content, pre- and post-lesson scores, and final scores. Costs for the tutorials are paid by the student. Therefore, the institution does not incur upfront expenses to offer the tutorials. The following tutorials are available:

• MBATutor — This tutorial provides content equivalent to an undergraduate survey course. While requiring approximately 40 hours of study time, the MBATutor enables students-with no prior coursework in critical content areas-to study on their own time and at their own pace. This tutorial contains four quantitative subjects that may be completed individually and prior to the required graduate course. The quantitative courses available through the MBATutor are as follows:
  
  
  • Accounting
  • Statistics
  • Economics
  • Finance
    
    
  The MBATutor enables the student to immediately apply the concepts learned during the tutorial to the graduate course content. Instructors report a high level of satisfaction with students who have completed the tutorial, and students' gain scores show significant improvement. As with the PET and the PMT, each institution establishes its minimum competency standards.

• Personal English Tutorial (PET) — This course provides exercises in the principles of writing-grammar, punctuation, capitalization, vocabulary, and sentence structure-and allows classroom instruction to focus on the techniques of writing. Instructors may use the PET to assess students' writing and to identify areas of weakness for further study. The PET is strategically built into the adult degree program and maximized when tied to the corresponding writing course. However, each institution determines how and when the PET is most appropriate.

• Personal Math Tutorial (PMT) — This course provides basic mathematical mechanics and addresses various mathematical concepts and theories, not to exceed algebraic expressions. A pre-test allows students to identify their areas of weakness so they can focus on those during the tutorial. Partner institutions set minimum competency standards for the PMT pre- and post-tests.

In addition, IPD offers partner institutions access to various learning tools. SIMZ E-Learning Simulations and WritePoint are two Web-based tools exclusively available to IPD partner institutions. Costs for the products are absorbed through students' resource fees, which are collected by IPD's accounting representatives. The partner institution, therefore, incurs no upfront expense. Both the SIMZ E-Learning Simulations and WritePoint can be integrated into existing online and onground courses. The following are explanations of each Web-based tool:

• SIMZT E-Learning Simulations — This tool is a series of Web-based simulations that create an interactive learning environment by using complex, multilayered scenarios and sophisticated graphics to teach students specific course learning objectives or concepts. Active learning through experience is replicated, as students practice making decisions in a variety of real-world, course-related situations. Students develop and hone analytical skills in the non-threatening environment of cyberspace. Over 150 simulations are available to IPD partner institutions on the bachelor's and master's level in a variety of academic disciplines: Accounting, Finance, Business Ethics, Business Law, Business Operations, Economics, Healthcare Management, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Management, Marketing, Retail, Business Statistics and Math, and Technology Management.

• WritePoint® — This tool is an online, automated grammar checking tool that is available 24/7 and easily accessed by students through the partner institution's learning management system. WritePoint provides immediate feedback which is inserted directly into student papers. Using over 600 rules with hundreds of subsets, WritePoint checks Word documents for common grammar, style, punctuation, spelling, and word-usage errors and then suggests changes or corrections. The student manually incorporates the revisions and, therefore, engages in active learning. As a result, the quality of student papers improves and instructors spend less time reviewing papers for mechanics and can focus more on content.

The online tutorials and Web-based tools are affordable and convenient ways for students to prepare for collegiate success. To learn more, please contact an IPD representative.