All of us need help sometimes. When it comes to complicated math and science topics in college, it can be even more so. We’ve all had a class where a professor announced, “You all already learned this in high school”—but you don’t have a clue what he’s talking about. And sometimes, those grade-school years of math and science were anything but clear. cricket betting
What do you do when you get stuck? Are you doomed to make stacks of flashcards, muddle over those same chapters of your textbook again and again, or cash out money for a paid tutor? Not so fast, don’t panic. Khan Academy is here to help. The internet has had more and more resources teaching you anything from how to knit to how to code—so it’s high time a site is here to help you understand your coursework. Let’s see if this site truly has what you need in this Khan Academy review.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy was started when Sal, an MIT graduate with several degrees, started making videos to help tutor his cousin for his math classes. That cousin then turned into other people’s cousins—which then turned into over 70 million students by 2018. Sal’s team has expanded into 150 people (and several dogs and office pets). They’ve become a world-renowned company, partnering with College Board, along with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Khan Academy has learning videos on more than just math—they have ones for science, computing, history, art history, economics, and more. The lessons are based around these instructive videos, but they also use quizzes and projects to help you learn. Though much of the site has materials for elementary-age students, there are many materials for college students as well. Khan Academy offers test preparation, advanced Math and Science courses—and it probably wouldn’t hurt your 200-level history grade to go review Khan’s high-school offerings.
Khan Academy has learning videos on more than just math—they have ones for science, computing, history, art history, economics, and more. The lessons are based around these instructive videos, but they also use quizzes and projects to help you learn. Though much of the site has materials for elementary-age students, there are many materials for college students as well. Khan Academy offers test preparation, advanced Math and Science courses—and it probably wouldn’t hurt your 200-level history grade to go review Khan’s high-school offerings.
Khan’s mission is to provide free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere—which makes them incredibly useful for you.
How Khan Academy Works
You can make your account with an email, Facebook, or Google profile. When you begin, Khan Academy will take you through a helpful onboarding process—asking you your education level, and what classes you’re interested in. This allows them to recommend learning videos for you right away (and saves you from having to scroll through all the elementary-school courses.)
You can begin with the ones suggested, or scroll through the courses, divided by topic and age. You can easily jump to the science section, mathematics, art history, or others. Once you find something you like, simply click and go! Or, if you already know a little about a course, you can take the “Course Challenge” test to see what you already know and see precisely what you need to review.
Each topic is split into several modules, with videos, lessons, and quizzes in each. Click on the first one, and you’re off. The majority of the teaching comes from the videos—where staff teach while a virtual blackboard is displayed. Using this, the instructor will talk you through the topic, while you watch them write out the explanations on the screen. This enables you to both see and hear the material—and to let it make much more sense. All of the teachers are engaging, down-to-earth, and use fun examples. They’ll work through a multitude of practise problems as well, to be sure you fully understand them. If you ever do have a question, there’s a Q+A section below each video, where both the instructor and other learners can answer your queries.
If reading is more your learning style, you can read the video transcript of each lesson—and many sections include readings with examples that you can manipulate to see how it changes the results.
Khan Academy also uses quizzes to help cement the knowledge in your mind, which include a virtual “whiteboard” to let you mark off answers if you’d like, or write out any problem “by hand” as you’re finding the right answer. If you get stuck, there are hints to help jog your memory—and if you get an answer wrong, Khan offers thorough explanations, to make sure you get it right next time.
What makes Khan Academy truly unique is its gamified system. All of their videos, lessons, and materials are exemplary—but as you learn, you earn “Mastery Points” and badges displaying your progress. Every video you watch, every question you answer wins you points—and you can get bonus ones by answering a certain number of questions in a row, or getting a “learning streak” by watching a certain number of minutes. This system taps into the fun part of your brain, that makes you want to keep learning and trying, to score even higher.
All together, Khan Academy’s courses, videos, and system make it easy to learn and to keep on learning.
Is Khan Academy Legitimate?
This isn’t like watching a random dude on YouTube (though he’s certainly gotten us through some classes better than we would have on our own!) Khan Academy employs top-notch teachers, who have several degrees in their field, and excel in teaching in creative, engaging ways. Each of their classes is thorough as well, ensuring you really understand each concept as you go.
Khan Academy also is partnered with some of the largest names in the education business. College Board (the organization that puts out the SAT) has Khan academy as their certified study source for that test. They’ve also partnered with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Google, and had millions of dollars donated by AT&T, Disney, and even partnered to create courses with PIXAR. Khan Academy is one of the most trusted names in online education aid.
Is Khan Academy Cheap?
Khan Academy is better than cheap—it’s free. While many sites that boast of being “free” really only offer a few free courses, and then constantly bombard you with advertisements to upgrade to their paid option, Khan Academy is free from start to finish. They stay true to their word to provide “free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.”
Is Khan Academy Good?
Khan Academy’s videos are thorough and well-taught—but more than that, they’re human. It still does feel like your smart uncle helping you with homework—being patient with you, and helping you understand it. It utilizes, audio, visual, and reading to engage every learning style, and uses point systems to make it enjoyable.
But whether or not Khan Academy is good isn’t a subjective thing—they’ve done studies to prove their worth. These studies have shown that students who spend 6 hours studying with Khan’s test-prep materials end up with a 39-point increase on their SATs. Across all grades, there has been a measurable increase in higher confidence and test scores for students who use Khan to study. University students consistently score higher in their math classes when they use Khan Academy.
Is Khan Academy any good? The answer is a resounding yes.
Khan Academy Vs Chegg Tutors
While Khan Academy might feel like you’re being tutored, it might be nice to actually have a live tutor with you. Chegg Tutors is an option for this. With Chegg, you can get 60 min of a tutor for $30 a month, with the option to have either an audio or visual call. This allows you to work on specific problems with your tutor, along with asking clarifying questions in person.
However, it does still cost much more than Khan’s free option. Additionally, Khan wants to do more than help you in just one question—they want you to completely master the concepts. There is also the question of whether or not Chegg Tutors has enough safeguards against cheating, and there have been complaints with their customer service.
Khan Academy Vs Coursera
Maybe you want to go further than your General Education History class or dive into a more niche topic like coding. Maybe you want to earn certificates to prove your learning. Coursera is a good option for you. They are partnered with universities and colleges and allow you to earn CEUs. Their courses are almost like a college course—so you can be sure that it will be thorough. In fact, you can even earn your entire Master’s degree through Coursera!
However, with all that comes a price tag. Individual courses can cost anywhere from $49-$99 a month—and an all-access subscription will cost you $399 a year. However, you can audit the classes for free, you simply won’t receive a certificate. However, Coursera is missing some of the fun and human element that Khan Academy thrives in, and only offers more advanced-level courses.
Conclusion: Khan Academy
Khan Academy is used by schools and students around the county—and it’s clear why. Their videos are thorough and fun, they offer a wide range of topics, and they make it easy to keep learning. Khan Academy cares about your learning—they want you to actually understand, and to succeed. Whether you need some help with your Differential Calculus class, need to brush up on your Biology facts, or realize just rewatching Hamilton isn’t going to help you pass your college History and Politics class, Khan Academy is there for you. It’s a free treasure-trove—so get started, and get learning!
