Khan Academy: Free Mathematics Courses and More
The Academy
Khan Academy is an educational website that offers free online courses covering different topics in the fields of mathematics, business, sciences, humanities, and information technology. It was founded in 2006 by Salman Khan, a financial analyst with multiple degrees in Mathematics, engineering, and computer science.
Khan came up with the idea of developing an educational website after his cousin asked him to help her with her assignment. Khan obliged, but since they were living at different locations, he tutored her over the internet by using simple video tutorials that he sent to her using instant messaging programs.
Screenshot of Khan Academy’s homepage
Their tutorial sessions worked well, and not long after that, other relatives, and eventually even random strangers, started watching his videos. Seeing the popularity of his tutorials, he decided to upload them on Youtube to make them accessible to more people where positive feedback from users helped secure financial support for the site.
Available Courses
Reflecting Khan’s educational background, the first courses made available on the site mostly focused on Math, Science, and Computing; however, since then, they have added more courses in the fields of business and humanities.
Screenshot showing the available courses on the site
Aside from the regular courses, the site also offers free online materials for students who are preparing for the SAT and GMAT.
Format
The courses on the site are presented through short videos narrated by a tutor (often Khan himself).
Usually less than ten minutes long, the videos feature the tutor writing notes on a virtual chalkboard while he narrates the current topic from the background.
Screenshot showing a sample of the video tutorials available on the site. Take note of the discussion thread below
After watching the video tutorial, you can then view or participate in the discussion thread located right below the embedded video — works well if you need further clarification or if you want more examples to practice on.
Aside from the video tutorials, the site also has a lot short quizzes that you can answer to test if you understood the lesson. These quizzes come in a game format, and yield a certain number of points that you can collect to advance to earn badges or to advanced to higher levels.
Screenshot showing the different badges that you can earn after watching tutorials and answering quizzes on the site
Quizzes are interactive. You get one question at a time, after which you’d be advised if you were right or wrong. If you didn’t get the correct answer, you’d be given another chance until you get it right. Options for requesting hints are also available for those who might still be confused or those who just need some memory refresher.
Screenshot showing a sample question from one of the interactive quizzes that you can answer to practice what you’ve learned
Additional Services
In addition to providing students with easy to understand tutorials to help them keep up with lessons, the site also provides teachers with short lessons on how to use the site’s resources to make learning simpler and more encouraging for students.
Screenshot showing the available resources for parents and teachers who wish to use the site to help teach their kids and students
These include tools that can track your students’ progress, the subjects that they are struggling with, and the skills that they have acquired through the course of their study — pretty handy if you have a lot of students with different learning paces.
Membership
Khan academy is free for everyone to use. All you have to do is sign up for an account by using either your e-mail address or facebook account. Once you’ve signed up for an account, you can start using the site’s resources immediately.
Why don’t you give it a try?
Good luck!
