Available now: The Mastering APA Style Student Workbook

The Mastering APA Style Student Workbook, an online instructional tool for APA Style, is now available. As APA’s official interactive guide to learning APA Style, the workbook engages users online with interactive questions to learn and apply the basic principles of APA Style and scholarly writing. Get the workbook bundled with an ebook of an APA Style manual for added value or get the workbook only to use with an APA Style manual you already own.

Presented on VitalSource’s Acrobatiq learning platform, the workbook is rooted in learning science to help students gain mastery of APA Style and become better writers through applied practice. Acrobatiq employs a learn-by-doing approach that reinforces small pieces of content using activities or assessments. 

The workbook includes over 1,000 questions that provide comprehensive coverage of the foundational areas of APA Style, including bias-free language, writing style and grammar, numbers and statistics, tables and figures, in-text citations, reference lists, and more. The workbook’s content was written by APA Style experts who used best practices in learning design to provide comprehensive instruction on APA Style. Other key features include the following: 

• learning objectives for each page that tie questions to concrete learning outcomes, 
• hints for each question that provide relevant APA Style manual sections and include direct links to sections in the bundled versions,
• real-time feedback on and unlimited attempts to answer questions that create a no-pressure environment for learners, and
• “Before You Continue” activities after each topic that support student self-evaluation of learning and provide an estimate of student and course performance.

Designed specifically for students and others new to APA Style, the workbook offers applied practice, which makes learning APA Style easier and more engaging. Students can work on the content on their own and at their own pace, or instructors may offer guidance, class time, or deadlines to scaffold the process. 

The workbook prepares writers to apply APA Style to scholarly papers and hone the precision and clarity of their communication. Students and others new to APA Style will benefit from using the workbook to improve their writing, communicate more effectively, and eliminate mechanical errors from their papers. Once mastered, these skills will allow students to focus more on the content than the format of their papers and receive higher grades on papers and other assignments.

Instructors who adopt the workbook for their course can integrate it with their learning management system and create assignments of the entire workbook, modules on specific style topics, or individual pages. Acrobatiq's built-in Learning Dashboardopens in new window provides real-time data about specific aspects of learning and engagement and rich data analytics on student and course performance. Instructors can use this information to determine whether students have mastered specific learning objectives and activities, get learning estimates of student performance, provide targeted feedback and support, and improve a course’s design and coverage. 

Instructors interested in adopting the workbook should visit the course adoption section on the Mastering APA Style Student Workbook page. Register for the webinar for instructorsopens in new window on September 16th to learn more about advantages of the workbook for students and instructors.

The workbook can be purchased by individual learners or adopted by an instructor or institution. Multiple purchasing options allow learners to get the version of the workbook that fits their needs: 

• Bundle the workbook with an ebook of the Concise Guide to APA Style for full access to the workbook and the Style manual via VitalSource and to receive hints for each question that link directly to relevant sections in the ebook. This option is best for high school and undergraduate students and others new to APA Style.
• Bundle the workbook with an ebook of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for full access to the workbook and the Style manual via VitalSource and to receive hints for each question that link directly to relevant sections in the ebook. This option is best for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, professionals, and copyeditors.
• Get the workbook only for full access to the workbook and to receive hints that list the relevant sections in both APA Style manuals. This option is best for anyone who already owns a Style manual.

Visit the Mastering APA Style Student Workbook page to learn more about the workbook, register for a webinar with the APA Style experts, access instructional handouts, watch a short demo video, try a free sample workbook, and purchase your own copy. Take advantage of this exciting new digital product to make learning and teaching APA Style and scholarly writing easier and more engaging.

Hayley S. Kamin, PhD, is a content development manager with the APA Style team of the American Psychological Association. She started working at APA in 2018 and was part of the team responsible for writing and updating the seventh edition Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association and Concise Guide to APA Style, contributing her knowledge of higher education; teaching and instruction; and scholarly writing, research, and publishing. She continues to generate and edit content for the APA Style website and develop digital and print resources to facilitate the teaching and learning of APA Style. This includes serving as project manager on the Mastering APA Style Student Workbook, APA’s new online and interactive workbook for seventh edition APA Style. Prior to working at APA, Hayley received a PhD in developmental psychology from the University of Florida, examining links of early social and maternal experiences on individual differences in the biological stress response system.