Case Study: University of Alabama achieves an engaging, multimedia music appreciation course with McGraw Hill

The University of Alabama - Customer Case Study

The University of Alabama faced a challenge in teaching a massive music appreciation course taken by roughly 3,000 non‑music majors each semester: existing textbooks were overly technical and outdated, failing to connect music history to modern students’ lives. Instructor Kevin Woosley partnered with McGraw Hill to create a more relevant, engaging course using McGraw Hill’s Custom Course Solutions (CCS) platform and the publisher’s Higher Education Group.

McGraw Hill’s CCS team turned Woosley’s manuscript into an interactive eBook that integrated original videos, embedded YouTube content, curated Spotify playlists, mobile access, and electronically graded quizzes, with permissions, design, and LMS support. The course launched on August 22 across eight class sections of about 400 students each, generated real‑time feedback that led to updates for Spring 2019, and produced noticeably higher student engagement and easier access to course media — demonstrating McGraw Hill’s ability to deliver scalable, customizable course solutions.

The University of Alabama

Kevin Woosley

Instructor