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ALEKS:
Assessment and
LEarning in Knowledge Spaces
ALEKS avoids multiple choice type questions and instead uses
flexible and easy to use answer input tools which mimic what
would be done with paper and pencil. When a student first logs
on to ALEKS, a brief tutorial shows the student how to use
these ALEKS answer input tools. The student then begins the
ALEKS Assessment. In a short period of time (about 45 minutes
for most courses), ALEKS assesses the student's current course
knowledge by asking the student a small number of questions
(usually 20-30). ALEKS chooses each question on the basis of
the student answers to all the previous questions. Each
student, and therefore each set of assessment questions, is
unique. It is impossible to predict the questions that will be
asked.
By the time the student has completed the assessment, ALEKS
has developed a precise picture of the student's knowledge of
the course, knowing which topics the student has mastered and
which topics the student hasn't. The student's knowledge is
represented by a multicolor pie chart.
The pie chart is also the student's entry into the Learning
Mode. In the Learning Mode, the student is offered a choice of
topics that the student is ready to learn (the student has the
prerequisite knowledge to successfully learn these topics).
When the student chooses a topic to learn, ALEKS offers the
student practice problems that teach the topic. These problems
have enough variability that a student can only get them
consistently correct on understanding the core principle
defining the topic. If a student doesn't understand a
particular problem, the student can always access a complete
explanation. Once the student can consistently get the
problems for a given topic correct, ALEKS considers that the
student has learned the topic and the student chooses another
topic to learn. As the student learns new topics, ALEKS
updates its map of the student's knowledge. The student can
observe the most current summary of what the student knows and
what the student is ready to learn.
To ensure that topics learned are retained in long term
memory, ALEKS periodically reassesses the student, using the
results to adjust the student's knowledge of the course.
Because students are forced to show mastery through mixed
question assessments that cannot be predicted, mastery of the
ALEKS course means true mastery of the course.
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