Originally simply a collection of videos on YouTube, Khan Academy has developed into a fully-featured website that also offers exercises to complement its video library, a discussion forum, and a "knowledge map," which illustrates the connection between content areas. The advantages of Khan Academy are obvious: in true democratic fashion, anyone with access to the Internet can now have good-quality, free instruction in the various disciplines of mathematics and the sciences. And yet Khan Academy's videos teach only the techniques necessary to solve problems like those featured in the videos; the viewer, just as the student in the "traditional" classroom, is not often invited to consider why things are as they are, but must accept on authority that they are so. Further, there can never be conversation between video and viewer as there is ideally between student, teacher, and peers in the classroom.
For those interested in other perspectives on Khan Academy, Zack and I have prepared a list of supplemental readings, which can be found on our Bitly page.
I like Khan Academy, but, as we discussed in class, feel that it has a definite limit to its material's depth. I feel like Khan Academy's material stops advancing once it reaches the early collegiate level. Some other subjects are even further limited to high school, so the early collegiate level is just the upper boundary of the material's depth.
ReplyDeleteI also think that the fact that this material is limited in scope is what causes it to be somewhat mechanical in teaching style. For instance, the Trapezoidal Rule (in Calculus) is available on the site, while Simpson's Rule is not. This is most likely due to the proofs behind each of these integral approximation methods. The Trapezoidal Rule is fairly straightforward to prove, while Simpson's Rule is provable using splines, which are not taught until much later in college.
Therefore, I think Khan Academy is only as mechanical as it needs to be. Khan Academy gives very good basic proofs and intuition behind the material it provides, but intentionally limits itself to high school and early collegiate level material. I think this is perfect for most people in Khan's potential audience. Khan provides a great starting point to spark interest, but allows textbooks to still dominate more advanced topics.
Thus, I feel any attempt to undermine Khan Academy's simplicity is unjustified because it does not take into account the core audience of the site and grossly exaggerates any deficit in material that the site's users may encounter, especially in the mechanical implementation of methods that are learned on the site.
As Jordan said, Khan offers a very shallow approach to a rather small scope; however, it can act as the perfect gateway. How often in high school did we actually have teachers that taught beyond the basic expectation of state. It's simply a rarity.
ReplyDeleteThere's no argument that even an above average professor is better than a Khan lesson, but satisfactory teachers are hard to find and even harder to inspire to teach above and beyond. Unfortunately, the trend seems to continue which leads to sites like Khan playing a large role every year.
I do not believe its the best way to approach learning just like the Internet is not the best way to approach reading. We could argue all day that one way isn't best for society; however, society has presented us we these technologies and is encouraging these technologies. I sincerely believe teaching and learning are headed in this direction for better or worse.
I believe Khan Academy is an amazing use of the technology of posting videos to the web. Khan Academy itself is actually quite a simple idea, but its functions are priceless. Although we all mostly agreed this website cannot replace class in a classroom completely, it can further enhance learning and understanding. Although it might not provide as in depth proofs of some mathematical concepts, it teaches the algorithm and skill which is usually necessary to understand a higher level of thinking. In my experience its benefits overcome any negatives of the website.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Khan Academy has many benefits to students that need help in the areas covered. I think that it could also be a starting point for an addition to the website or a new website with an even wider range of subjects and levels. Topics could be added to accommodate younger children with a hunger for learning and for students in classes that are at a higher level than the videos currently cover. I think the current website is a great tool, and while it may not be able to accommodate everyone, it does cover a wide range of subject matter. The point that it doesn't really explain the reasoning behind a problem but merely teaches a skill may be true, but I think the classroom should be the place where the meaning is taught. Khan Academy, on the other hand, is good for helping with homework, studying, and such. Because of this, I think that the good outweighs the bad for this technology.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of what is said above, but I believe some important details have been left out. It is important to note that Khan Academy is a nonprofit organization, providing help to students free of charge. That being said, it is perfectly logical for them to spend most of their time on high school and lower level college material, because that area contains the greatest number of students. By this I mean simply that there are many more people learning trigonometry at a given time than elementary stochastic processes, so their resources should be allocated towards helping the trigonometry students.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree with Hayden saying that it can not replace the human interaction that goes on in a classroom. However, it is undeniably a helpful tool to review or potentially clarify a topic in certain circumstances. To quote Dr. Rosen from page 15 of iDisorder, "Most assuredly the solution is about balance and moderation."
I too agree that Khan Academy valuable tool for the student, but this tool should not be mistaken for supplement. Khan Academy has the ability to help teach the basic concepts for those who need to freshen up on the basic skills of a variety of subjects. This is absolutely wonderful for students who don't quite grasp certain lessons in class and need more time to sit down and learn slowly. Also, many students who are intimated to ask questions in class can now learn in the comfort of their own home. I believe that Khan Academy is revolutionizing the world of learning, but should be used only as a tool for the reiteration of information already learned in the classroom.
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