The fine print, up front. Our courseware replaces overpriced textbooks and traditional online homework platforms; it integrates with all the major learning management systems. Student subscription prices range from $35 to $48 per course/per term; students retain access to their courses for at least four years.
We focus on the evidence-based practices that are hard to implement without good technology and high-quality content. For example:
Codon’s Course Planner helps faculty design and teach aligned high-structure courses using lesson-level learning objectives and backward design.*
Codon’s Study Path helps students develop stronger self-regulated learning skills by applying self-testing, spaced learning, and metacognition.
In our majors biology courseware, Introducing the Life Sciences by Scott Freeman et al, students learn from novel Readiness Readings that are streamlined, active, and replace traditional textbooks.
Codon’s In-Class Active Learning, including an easy-to-use polling system (affectionately called TadPoll), will help you spark student engagement. This part of the platform is included in the prices quoted above. The evidence is clear: active learning promotes success for all students, especially those who arrive to college underprepared.
*All of our learning objectives are written by experts and have been vetted over many years by the community. For example, our course Introducing the Life Sciences by Scott Freeman (University of Washington) et al, is based on validated learning objectives from the NSF consensus study Nationally endorsed learning objectives to improve course design in introductory biology by Hennessey and Freeman recently published in PLOS ONE.
Tracking Alignment
A creative (but tedious) low-tech way to track alignment of course components. One the first challenges we addressed was to provide course frameworks that align (via backward design) learning objectives to assessments to in-class and out-of-class content.
The Codon Learning Study Path was designed to increase persistence in STEM courses.
What makes the study path uniquely effective?
Metacognition
New college students need support developing this essential cognitive skill.
In the Codon platform, students must take a moment to reflect on whether they found the concept covered in each question "muddy" or "clear" before they can check their answer.
Students return to muddy questions later in the Study Path to clear them up.
Transparency through alignment
Many students struggle to interpret instructor expectations, manifesting in the question "Will this be on the exam?"
Practice in the Study Path is organized by topic and learning objective, not assignment, to emphasize connections between each assessment question and instructor-defined objectives.
structure and progress tracking
Students don't know where to start when they sit down to study. The Study Path adds structure to the post-class stage of the learning cycle, from homework to exam prep.
Students get repeated rounds of practice with new questions in each checkpoint. They visually track their progress as each topic moves through the Study Path.
Elevate your course with research-backed teaching practices.
Collaborate With Experts
Great teaching is easier when you have great minds to collaborate with.
At Codon, you’re partnered with a biology education expert to help design and build your course.
Ashley Rowland, PhD
Erin Vinson, MAT
Kelly Hennessey,
PhD
Transparency
Clearly communicate your expectations to students with learning objectives.
Codon makes it easy to track the alignment of every component of your course to measurable, lesson-level LOs.
Improve Learning GAINS with Structure
Overwhelming evidence shows high-structure courses are more effective and equitable.
Easily build frequent assignments that support students’ use of active learning techniques like
self-testing and metacognition.
Customize Everything
Every course is, and should be, unique.
Create your course with our extensive library of
high-quality content, all of which can be personalized to meet your needs.
