Resource Description
ALEKS (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces) is a research-based, web-based, artificially intelligent assessment and learning online math program for grades 3-12. ALEKS provides the advantages of one-on-one instruction 24/7 for a fraction of the cost of a human tutor and is accessible from virtually any computer with Internet access. ALEKS uses adaptive questioning to adjust the learning modules presented. A placement assessment is used to determine a student's knowledge in a course, and periodic reassessments help ensure knowledge retention. ALEKS is web-based and accessible on both Windows and Mac systems. ALEKS is a division of McGraw-Hill Education.
Website: ALEKS
(79 Reviews)
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Contributor Reviews
Reviews are solely the opinions of the contributor.
Cons: Penalties for wrong answers, breaks in concentration/workflow for using Aleks DATA, 30 minute inactivity timer, etc.
Grades Used: College
I've used this for two semesters of chemistry, and unlike most of the other students I actually managed to complete all of the required-450-or-so topics.
The only other bigger time sink I've had was WebAssign, an equally garbage "online curriculum" for a mathematics class.
This will test your patience. This will push you to your limits. This will bring you down to the brink of insanity with the only thread of hope that your professor will count all of your completed topics towards your grade.
Also, what's with the penalties and progress checks? Imagine if your teacher ripped out entire pages off your notebook for answering a question wrong... which is exactly what it is.
Protip: You can "game" the system for hard topics by rerolling the "Explanation" button for easier questions. If you actually want to learn, old school paper and penciil all the way (which is how I studied and got A's on my actual tests).
Cons: Literally everything else
Aleks is mostly bad. The biggest problem I have with this is the terrible UI, how time-consuming it is, and the explanations. Not only is it time-consuming, but it's also frustrating. If you mess up, it removes a point or two, so if you don't fully understand a topic, you're screwed unless you learn it irl or search it up. The explanations do NOT work whatsoever, I actually think they only make your experience more frustrating. It makes you think, "I have the explanation but I still don't get it??" They actually do NOTHING. 99.99 repeating% of the time, they don't explain ANYTHING, even though it's called a, well, EXPLANATION? I remember one time, I was doing some topic, and I messed up ONCE. It then lead me to the explanation page and it told me to do something. With no explanation. No explanation of, well, IDK, WHY that works, HOW that works, or ANYTHING like that, it just told me to do something. Bruuuh. It's not teaching you anything, and in fact, it fails miserably at it. The explanations are absolute trash, not to mention the fact that you lose a point or two when you mess up. (I already mentioned this but still.) Mhm. Yup.
Aleks be like: "You don't understand a material? Suffer."
Grades Used: 5
So dissatisfied with this program. No explanation or examples are given to students. Does not align to many state standards but rather to homeschool based learning which has a completely different approach when learning many concepts.This proves to be very confusing and frustrating to many children/students when it comes time to take state tests. These students are being penalized because Aleks taught them to solve and work out math problems in a completely different manner. It is AWFUL very boring and dated. Does not engage students in learning whatsoever. No fun or interesting graphics, no wonder children do not enjoy this but rather dread doing this.
Cons: Aleks pushes a student through topics even if they are failing them.
Grades Used: 3, 4, 5
I put my 10 year old son in 5th grade math through Aleks. It was vastly superior to a) public school b) other online learning systems that either aren't graded, or use multiple choice. With Aleks, there's no multiple choice, a student has to figure out the work and input the right answer. I've never had a bad technical problem with the program - HOWEVER, there is a logistical issue with using Aleks.
Aleks allows students to move through topics, even if they don't understand the material. I'll give an example. Aleks takes a grade of math, like 5th grade, and breaks it into topics (improper fractions, simplifying fractions, decimal multiplication, etc.) If a student is in a topic (i.e. fraction multiplication), and fails to get a correct answer, after some time Aleks will move them to the next topic! If a student happens to get 3 right answers in a row, Aleks moves them to the next topic!
The problem becomes that my son has completed the entire 5th grade curriculum with Aleks, but when I have Aleks test him, his test scores varry widely (D to B+). Specific topics are not mastered or understood.
Aleks would be greatly improved if they held a student in a topic, until they can pass an assessment for that topic (10 point quiz). The passing grade should be definable by the parent/teacher account. That way my son wouldn't move on to Geometric shapes if he's still struggling with a topic on fractions.