Switching from McGraw Hill Connect?
The video-first, LMS-native alternative to Connect. Instructors cut grading time, stop AI cheating, and build student intuition without the semester-over-semester rebuild.
Side by side
Blended Teaching vs McGraw Hill Connect
A direct comparison across the five things instructors ask us about most when they switch.
| Blended Teaching | McGraw Hill Connect | |
|---|---|---|
| Content & pedagogy | ||
| Primary format | Video lessons filmed with instructors | Adaptive digital textbook (SmartBook 2.0, with AI Reader) plus publisher video assets |
| Lesson length | 5–12 minutes | Chapter-mapped content delivered as short adaptive cycles |
| Focus | Concept-first intuition building | Adaptive reading + problem drills |
| LMS integration | ||
| LTI 1.3 integration | Yes — embeds inside Canvas, Blackboard, Brightspace | LTI 1.3 / LTI Advantage; assignments typically open in a new tab into the Connect environment |
| Automatic gradebook sync | Yes | Yes |
| Roster sync | Yes | Yes |
| Student access flow | Single-click from the LMS, no access code | McGraw Hill account plus access code, Inclusive Access enrollment, or subscription plan |
| Academic integrity | ||
| Unique-per-student questions | Yes — Dynamic MCQs generate the whole question per student | Algorithmic numeric variation on quantitative titles; question structure drawn from a fixed publisher bank |
| Auto-graded paper exams | Yes — free Paper Exam Grader included | No native paper-exam scanning |
| Static question reuse on Chegg / Discord | Each student gets a different question, so shared answers don’t apply | Default Connect question banks routinely posted on Chegg and Course Hero; instructors typically layer proctoring on top |
| Customization | ||
| Add your own videos or content | Yes | Attach videos and files to assignments via Video Capture (GoReact); can’t replace the publisher reading/video spine |
| Reorder or swap units | Yes | Reorder and hide within Connect; underlying chapter taxonomy follows the adopted textbook |
| Use as a supplement (not a full course shell) | Yes | Designed as a full course shell |
| Switching cost | ||
| Semester-over-semester refresh | Low — content and questions carry over | Tied to new editions on legacy titles; Evergreen titles (300+) get continuous publisher updates within McGraw’s roadmap |
| Migration support from a real human | Included | Varies by rep |
Why instructors switch
Four reasons professors leave Connect
Pulled from conversations with instructors who made the switch.
Video content beats static text
Students watch short, well-produced videos. They skim text. Connect's SmartBook leads with reading; Blended Teaching leads with filmed instructors, visuals, and intuition.
“Reading off of a screen puts a lot of people to sleep. You just don’t get good engagement that way.”
LMS-native, not a separate portal
Connect supports LTI 1.3 / LTI Advantage, but assignments typically launch in a new tab into the Connect environment. Blended Teaching embeds directly in Canvas, Blackboard, or Brightspace, so the student experience stays in one place.
“What kind of solidified it for me was being able to get that full integration.”
Semester refresh without the overhaul
Connect’s legacy titles still rev on edition cycles, and even on McGraw’s newer Evergreen model the update cadence is set by the publisher. Blended Teaching content, questions, and LMS links carry over semester to semester on your terms.
“It’s gonna take a lot of time for me to update the McGraw-Hill setup if I had gone that route.”
Questions that can’t be shared
Connect supports algorithmic numeric variation on quantitative titles, but the question structure is drawn from a fixed publisher bank — and default banks routinely surface on Chegg and Course Hero. Blended Teaching’s Dynamic MCQs generate the whole question, not just the numbers, so shared answers don’t apply.
“Each student gets a different question — same concept, same difficulty, different setup. Sharing answers doesn’t help.”
“Comparing this financial management class to what I would do with McGraw-Hill Connect, the videos and hearing it more verbally from the different presenters helps a lot with the intuition. Having that full LMS integration was what solidified it for me.”
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Ready to switch from Connect?
Book a 30-minute call. We’ll walk through your course, import your existing questions, and show you exactly what the student experience looks like.