StudySoup

StudySoup is a digital learning marketplace that provides the purchase and sale of academic content, such as course notes, study guides, and tutoring services.[1][2][3][4]

Background

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Sieva Kozinsky, an environmental studies graduate from UC Santa Barbara, got the idea for the company while he was still a student after finding it difficult taking notes fast enough to keep up with lectures.[1][5][6][7][8] Kozinsky, along with Jeff Silverman, started StudySoup in 2014 to source academic support through peer to peer learning and provide a means for students to earn money while in school.[9][10][11][12][excessive citations]

Operations

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StudySoup is an online peer-to-peer learning marketplace[5][13][11][8] that allows students to sell[9] and purchase class notes and study guides.[1][13][14][10][11][excessive citations] The sellers, also known as "Elite Notetakers",[5] go through training[9][15] to understand materials.[1][6] They have to submit notes every week and a study guide four days prior to every exam.[9][6] "Campus Marketing Coordinators" are responsible for connecting schools together by recruiting notetakers and establishing an on-campus presence.[citation needed]

History

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One year after release, 1.5 million students used the marketplace across the United States.[16] The platform was opened up to more universities in 2016 as they expanded into Singapore and Canada. Several concerns about the legitimacy of StudySoup arose due to its changing business model.[17]

Controversy

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There have been documented instances of StudySoup using the imagery and logos of universities without permission in order to falsify and promote the idea that a school approves the platform.[18] Florida State University has issued warnings to its students about StudySoup using FSU’s logo without the school‘s permission.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "StudySoup raises $1.7M to help students buy and sell class notes". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  2. ^ "Business ideas for 2017: Edtech 2.0 - Startups.co.uk: Starting a business advice and business ideas". Startups.co.uk: Starting a business advice and business ideas. 2017-01-17. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  3. ^ Rashid, Brian. "How This Entrepreneur Is Changing The Way College Leaders Are Learning". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  4. ^ Goldin, Kara. "Is Collaborative Thinking Essential for Success? 2 CEOs Hash It Out". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  5. ^ a b c "500 Startups-backed StudySoup is launching its peer-to-peer marketplace in 15 new colleges". VentureBeat. 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  6. ^ a b c "StudySoup 完成 170 万美元种子轮融资,为大学生提供课堂笔记线上交易平台" (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  7. ^ "College side-hustles that pay in cash and grades". Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  8. ^ a b "Meet the UC honorees of Forbes' 30 Under 30 list". University of California. 2017-01-26. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  9. ^ a b c d photo, Bailey Schulz | Courtesy. "Online service StudySoup pays students to take notes". The Daily Nebraskan. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  10. ^ a b "Starting a Business? How to Identify an Opportunity, and Exploit It". The Cheat Sheet. 2016-01-20. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  11. ^ a b c Shulman, Robyn. "Global EdTech Investments And Outlook: 10 EdTech Companies You Should Know About". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  12. ^ Knecht, Taylor. "StudySoup makes passing notes classy". The Daily Aztec. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  13. ^ a b "StudySoup Disrupts Edtech with Student Notes Marketplace". TechCo. 2014-10-18. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  14. ^ Tronier, Ryan (2014-10-21). "'StudySoup' lets students at CU-Boulder and CSU sell notes and course material to their classmates". 7NEWS. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  15. ^ "Future Innovators Scholarship Opportunity from StudySoup | American Astronomical Society". aas.org. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  16. ^ Ifie, John (2017-04-28). "3 Edtech Startups to Watch in 2017". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-08-15.
  17. ^ "How to Make Money in College: Is StudySoup Legit?". The Work at Home Wife. 2017-02-19. Retrieved 2018-08-15.
  18. ^ "StudySoup and FSU: FSU does not condone buying or selling notes on any platform - FSU Canvas Support Center". support.canvas.fsu.edu. Retrieved 2023-11-19.