Cochrane Classmate gives students a unique opportunity to engage with real-world evidence synthesis while supporting educators with ready-made, high-quality teaching materials.
Lecturers have long valued the platform for its ability to immerse students in research, motivate them through challenges, and save time otherwise spent designing their own resources. Yet our interviews with users revealed consistent barriers to deeper integration. Some reported that activities became unavailable when records ran out, others found the absence of detailed reporting limited their ability to use Classmate for assessment, and a few struggled with technical issues or a lack of awareness about improvements already in place. While these barriers prevented many from relying on Classmate as a central part of their courses, enthusiasm for the platform remained high.
How Classmate helped
In preparation for the launch of a new Classmate subscription, Cochrane carried out user research with educators across various countries. Their feedback directly informed the design of premium features, helping to refine and enhance them to create a more valuable teaching resource. The new version introduces a constant supply of records to help plan activities and assessments with confidence, while detailed reporting tools now provide insights into individual and group performance. Live accuracy feedback gives students immediate opportunities to learn from mistakes and improve. Alongside this, new learning modules and tasks broaden the scope of teaching and enhance the learning journey, from the steps of systematic reviews to the identification of non-randomized intervention studies and topics such as climate health.
Why it worked
These changes were successful because they were shaped by the voices of those already using Classmate. Educators repeatedly stressed the importance of reliability, meaningful reporting, and ways to recognize student effort. By focusing on these priorities, the platform has become easier to integrate into teaching and more attractive to both students and institutions.
This is their first opportunity to get involved with a hands-on activity that isn’t just for a grade – it actually has impact.
I love the fact that it’s real-world work. My students appreciate that they’re actually contributing, and the more exposure they get to reading research abstracts, the better.
Impact
The new subscription model gives educators more confidence to use Classmate in their courses as part of assessment and structured learning. Students benefit from clearer feedback and reassurance that their work contributes to live research. Educators highlighted that these changes not only improve the student experience but also make Classmate easier to champion with colleagues looking to bring more value to their classes.
Conclusion
User research has been instrumental in shaping a version of Classmate that responds to the challenges educators face and enhances the value it brings to teaching and the learning experience. By addressing barriers and strengthening the features most valued by both teachers and students, Classmate is positioned as an essential tool for building skills in evidence-based practice.
Find out how Classmate can elevate your teaching and inspire your students to engage with real-world research.
