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Old 23rd February 2013, 09:08 AM   #41
majamin
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I thought I would comment a little bit on this exchange, because I found that there are truths in both responses, and some miscommunication of ideas. Please follow the links to the full quote for reference.

Originally Posted by SomeGuy View Post
You obviously have a strong internal drive to actually learn and understand linear algebra, which sets you far apart from the average student in my classroom. [snip]
@SomeGuy: This was an excellent response to a post that doesn't exist. Acleron was not making any argument to the validity or reliability of the Khan Academy, but you responded to him as if that were so. He (she?) merely produced an anecdote of how the videos have helped him learn about linear algebra, indeed, perhaps the videos have already piqued his interest enough to make him want to delve further, or perhaps to audit an actual university class. Yes, current research favours constructivism and student-centred learning, but in no way did Acleron's post require prompting of what almost surely could be considered a rant.

Originally Posted by Acleron View Post
I would suggest that on-line learning selects driven students.
[snip]
Have you subjected the prevailing fashion in education to real tests? Have you randomly selected students and taught them with different methods to see the results? I, for one, would be interested in such experiments.
[snip]
@Acleron: asking whether @SomeGuy has specifically done the research to show how "the prevailing fashions" are ineffective is ludicrous. Research has been done and is ongoing (as mentioned by @SomeGuy, serious research has been going on since the middle of the lat century ... read up on Robert Marzano as one modern example of research-based teaching/learning). As education is a social science, studies include data that report on effect sizes, etc., much quantitative data is available if you have the time.
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Old 23rd February 2013, 09:39 AM   #42
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Originally Posted by mike3 View Post
So what would you propose to do to make good education -- be it via a traditional or non-traditional approach -- available to all regardless of income/economic level? To make good education available to the poor, and not just in one country?
Are you implying that there could be no better alternative to the Khan Academy?
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Old 23rd February 2013, 10:29 AM   #43
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Originally Posted by kevinquinnyo View Post
Preface: I don't work for the Khan Academy. I just had to say that, because I post about it so often.

Here's an idea: Can the JREF emulate the style of the Khan academy videos to teach people specifically about critical thinking, debunking of conspiracy theories, homeopathic "medicine," intelligent design, etc, etc...

[snip]

What do you think?
In lieu of JREF creating its own line of videos there are many youtube users that have taken on the skeptical front with great videos. Users Qualiasoup, TheraminTrees, c0nc0rdance for purely skeptical topics ... vsauce, minutephysics, asapscience, and Brian Dunning (inFact videos) for a "softer" approach on misconceptions, etc.

To add to this, my honest opinion is that Khan Academy style lessons on these topics would be doing a disservice to the plethora of interesting videos that are already out there.
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Old 25th February 2013, 12:47 AM   #44
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Originally Posted by majamin View Post
Are you implying that there could be no better alternative to the Khan Academy?
No. I was rather asking what a better system would be that would also have the same level of accessibility to all income levels as the Khan Academy does. What might such a system be?
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Old 25th February 2013, 03:41 AM   #45
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Originally Posted by mike3 View Post
No. I was rather asking what a better system would be that would also have the same level of accessibility to all income levels as the Khan Academy does. What might such a system be?
Better graphics would help.
OTOH it is quite good overall.
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Old 25th February 2013, 05:30 AM   #46
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Obviously, other people have different opinions, but every time I see the site I am blown away. I find the whole concept, simply amazing.

Last edited by Caper; 25th February 2013 at 05:33 AM.
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Old 26th February 2013, 06:51 PM   #47
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I was stumped on one question on the khan academy. I couldn't figure it out anywhere. It was how to find two common divisors between two numbers. I couldnt figure the order so my numbers weren't always right.
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