The Wrath Against Khan: Why Some Educators Are Questioning Khan Academy

Interesting article. I have some qualms with a few points, however:

>There’s actually very little in one of the videos that distinguishes Khan from “traditional” teaching. A teacher talks. Students listen. And that’s “learning.” Repeat over and over again (Pause, rewind, replay in this case). And that’s “drilling.”

I don't fully understand what the purpose the author had with this, and I find it somewhat misleading. A student doesn't repeat it over and over again for the sake of "drilling"[1] themselves, but rather because the "pause, rewind, replay" action enhances understanding and therefore learning. There's no question that listening to something multiple times at your own pace assists in learning. Actually, I see this as one of the clearest primary advantages of an online video lecture over a live one. Concerning the quality of the lectures and whether they encourage deep understanding and serious inquiry/curiosity is a separate issue.

Personal thoughts on Khan Academy:

I definitely have my own concerns with the Khan website, and am slightly irritated and worried with the holistic light that some people view it in. Seriously, it's not intended, nor can it effectively, replace teachers and entire curricula! People with power, including the media, please realize this! The last thing I want (and I'm sure Khan as well) is for good teachers to be fired as a result of this view point.

Concerning the badges and the "gamification of learning" -- I believe they can be a force of good, however it is important that teachers and Khan Academy use other methods as well to encourage an intrinsic motivation (learning for the sake of learning and growth) simultaneously, to prevent the artificial targets (the badges) from becoming the sole motivator. Studies have shown that a focus on extrinsic motivators, such as badges, can lead to shallow and short-term learning/understanding (Dweck).

[1] Concerning "drilling" -- I sense an unfair negative connotation with that word in the article as well. Drilling in and of itself isn't bad or ineffective as long as it's done properly and for material where it makes sense.

One thing I've seen in the Khan Academy videos is that they focus on one small slice of information at a time. This is often hard to do in the classroom. While I tend to lean toward the "cover less in class, but get better understanding of what is covered" side of the spectrum in my teaching, I'm still often giving the equivalent of 2-3 Khan video descriptions in each class.

Personally, I refer my students to the Khan Academy videos in class as well as other online resources. They don't much for many students, but for others they make the subject matter click.

IMO they're a boon, as are the other online resources as well as abebooks and Powells where great textbooks from the past are available for less than lunch money as alternate resources.

In my opinion, anything that improves upon the current system of education in public schools is a welcome innovation. As it stands, teachers have little leeway when it comes to actually TEACHING a class. Teachers are forced to follow a curriculum that the school board deems appropriate for the majority of students. How is that effective? Generally, it caters to the lowest common denominator.

Personally, I think it's a great idea to let students follow the lectures on their own time and use class as an opportunity to engage the teacher in more personal questioning. I can count on one hand the number of times I actually got personal time with my teachers in school. Why? Because 99% of school was suffering through lectures. My teachers never had time to actually work with students one on one.

The Khan Academy recognizes that teachers could be better utilized by actually tracking where students are excelling or failing and working with them In the classroom on a personal basis. In the end, the proof is in the pudding. I think it's great that this concept is even being tested. There isn't much use in arguing that the state of public education is in turmoil, that's a fact. The real question is what anyone is going to do about it. Whether right or wrong, at least the Khan Academy is TRYING to help improve the situation, that's more than I can say for my local board of education, who seem to value ego arguments over actually getting anything done.

I can't find the article that moment, but in it there was a teacher who used kahn academy videos as the "homework" and then class time for further explanation, practice problems and most importantly, questions from students.

I like this approach for a number of reason but imagine your child with an iPad watching several lesson videos a night. It makes the "homework" significantly easier to manage (i.e. rewind videos, rewatch difficult parts, and parents watching together to help with concepts) when compared to traditional worksheet homework. By shifting the conceptual learning work to the home, students are able to get a better experience from one-on-one work with their parents, and then handle the practice and application of knowledge to the school room which, in general, the teacher is better suited to handle.

Different people learn best in different ways. Undoubtedly Khan Academy isn't going to work for everyone. Neither does the standard classroom. Diversity in education is a good thing, so long as people can find out what works for them and use it, instead of being forced into something that doesn't work.