ALEKS for math

We wanted to experiment with online learning so we chose Aleks, which is a research-based online math learning system.

Zach worked in Level MS/LV 6 because American math standards are ahead of Canadian ones.

The benefits of Aleks for us appeared to be:

• very easy to sign-up for a free one-month trial and to proceed to paid service


• non-linear curriculum is divided into areas (or pies), which can be tackled (for the mostpart) in any chosen order


• the skills to be mastered within each unit are clear


• the student can choose which are he wants to work on so it gives a little more sense of control to the user


• Zach found the Pie Chart motivating (e.g., "I'm so close to finishing, why don't I finish it?"


• It was easy to see what Zach had done each day (units completed and attempted) although time spent was not a useful indicator (i.e., we stopped to consult other sources for explanations or he worked independently and switched out to other more interesting tabs)


• It is a good tool to use to uncover where a student is in math. I would recommend proceeding until the student hits the proverbial wall and then it's time to get to work.


• It provides a good assessment of a student's learning skill set. I would recommend observing a student proceed through various areas and units to determine how well-equipped a student is to deal with frustration and seek out sources to learn independently.

On the downside:

• Zach tended to move into new areas when he was frustrated so it did not help him learn to ask for help (from mom or the internet) when he can't solve a problem


• some incomplete areas do not give new work even though they are not complete. There is probably a good reason for this, but it is not explained to the student so Zach kept asking "why am I blocked?"


• Monthly service is automatically renewed unless you cancel your subscription


• Zach learned quickly to go to review after completing a unit so that he would get the answers right and get the unit marked as complete. It was hard to convince him to benefit from testing his recall at a later date. This reminded me just how quickly kids crack systems to their immediate advantage. In Aleks, this glitch is overcome by testing which will adjust a student's mastery; that is, units that have been accomplished can reappear on the list if mastery isn't demonstrated during tests (or teacher initiated quizzes). Still, I think it is important to pay attention to how our children proceed through programmes because the process can affect the quality of the learning. (I guess the homeschooling mom has not been programmed out quite yet.)


• Aleks is very weak in teaching. It doesn't explain how to solve a problem before it is presented. Instead it shows you how to solve a problem in a few steps after you have completed it or gotten it wrong. But these are not explanations and you don't get any context, optional ways of solving a problem, advice about pitfalls, ideas for applications, nor any enriching (depth) content.


• When Zach hit the wall in Aleks, it was time to turn it off for days at a time until he could catch up cognitively with explanations from online videos and with practice in workbooks. It is definitely not a stand-alone math programme.


• I am not sure how Aleks would deal with the student who has mastery in some areas, but not in others. This profile is often seen in kids with markedly asynchronous development during the elementary and middle school years. It would be terrific if a student work on each area according to relative strengths and weaknesses regardless of the grade level.

See ALEKS for K-12