ALEKS Intermediate Algera Question

[sanantone]

I have no issue with CLEPs; I was just pointing out possible hypocrisy. No need to get snippy. Geez! I didn't start this conversation; you indirectly responded to me first.

00E800, I have taken online courses at four different colleges and all of them required multiple written assignments, tests/quizzes, or both.

These schools seem to think that CLEPs and DSSTs test proficiency.

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[dcan]

I totally disagree.. I think I learned more from ALEKS in the short time I used it than I learned from any math teacher. Something about ALEKS works really well with my learning style.

Let me clarify: I have definitely learned using ALEKS. My point however is being able to take the concepts and use them to reason through new problems you haven't yet encountered. With ALEKS you follow this pattern:

1. View a problem
   
2. Click Explain
   
3. Learn how to solve that type of problem
   
4. Solve the next few problems of that same type
   
5. Click Done
   
6. Repeat
   

So basically you are learning to apply a pattern to solve a question. This is fine for doing exactly that -- learning what is required to answer the question required on the test. But it does a poor job of preparing you as a person to operate in the real world and be able to solve new problems.

For example, having gone through ALEKS, can the student review published information on the federal or a state budget, historical as well as projections, and make calculations on one's own to find out what the future really holds on an issue? Or listen to talking heads who don't bother to explain anything at all?

Not you specifically, BTW, but my point is that I believe not learning to apply the concepts (what is a number? what does it really mean to say something grows exponentially vs geometrically?) greatly hampers our ability to (a) understand our world and therefore (b) improve our own position in life.

This video is an example of what I'm talking about. It is appropriately called The Most IMPORTANT Video You'll Ever See.

Again, ALEKS is great at what it does, and what it does is mimic most undergrad math courses in terms of comprehension and learning. That's also why there's been a movement to change undergrad curricula in the past few years.

Just my thoughts though, subject to my current (limited) level of understanding.

[ffdpsoldier]

Yeah I've learned more with aleks, I've taken a algebra class at a cc and the teacher had his back to use just writing problems and solving them so we had no interaction, no assignments, only 3 test. So everyone would fail unless they had a bckground in already. I can't read a math book and understand it. But if its broken down for me interactive and repetitive I leared more, I failed intermediate algebra at cc but after 5 hrs a day I was able to pass all 3 algebra. 1st day I spent 9hours on it. If I didn't understand I could look it up online. But I'm that way with everything I can learn better if I'm involved or watching a video I can memorize more. I passed astronomy with watchin the universe seasons dvds. And criminology with, the first 48, locked up, jail, and gangland.

[sanantone]

Even the CLEP website says you can use the tests to demonstrate proficiency.

Satisfy a proficiency requirement. Demonstrate your ability in college math or a foreign language.

About the College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

[ryoder]

I actually learned from ALEKs. The repetition and practice are good. I think you have to learn math from 2 angles. The first is the gitter done portion. Learn how to solve a problem. The second is to learn how to apply what you have learned to the real world. Its not completely the fault of ALEKs that students do not learn the second portion. Many teachers fail to tie math to the real world. I have found that when I realize how a math problem that I have learned to solve can be used to solve real problems, the lightbulb goes off in my head and I will most likely never forget how to solve that problem. If I fail to attach any practical significance to the math problem, then those skills will be lost over time.

This is why I did so well in Calc III. The concepts in that class had real applicability to programming a 3D game which I was trying to learn at the same time.

[martialartist]

Ryoder,

Calculus-111 ummm... Perhaps you should be my tutor..