Case Study: Penn State Lehigh Valley achieves improved comprehension and higher exam scores with Lucidchart

Penn State Lehigh Valley - Customer Case Study

Penn State Lehigh Valley, a tight-knit commonwealth campus of fewer than 1,000 undergraduates, faced a challenge in its introductory biology courses: students often relied on rote memorization and failed to form the deeper conceptual connections needed for success when transferring to the main campus. Faculty needed a collaborative, intuitive diagramming tool that would support both individual learning and group work in the campus’s active-learning classrooms.

The department introduced concept mapping using free educational Lucidchart accounts so students could build, compare to model maps, and revise their understanding with real-time collaboration and shared displays. Students who used concept maps scored significantly higher on unit tests, faculty expanded the approach across several courses, and both instructors and students reported improved comprehension, engagement, and ease of group work.

Penn State Lehigh Valley

Karen Kackley-Dutt

Instructor of Biology