Thursday 28 November 2013

About Khan Academy

I've been asked many times my opinion on Khan Academy.  My short answer is that it is a great resource for a student who is motivated and mature enough to first know what concept is giving them trouble; and then finding that particular concept, studying it and finally, practicing it and understanding it.
I think, in general -- Khan does not support self-learning.  It is more like working Pinecone booklets with the answer sheet nearby.  In fact, more than the answer sheet, these videos give the step-by-step solutions.  Even the most motivated students might be tempted to just watch the solutions and think they understand the concepts.
It is a constant balancing act to provide enough information for a student to have the ability to solve a problem, but not so much that they don't have any struggle to think and figure it out themselves.
This is what we try to do at Pinecone.  Please watch the following video about the Khan Academy.  I think it expresses my feelings and offers a great solution!

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