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Research-Based Technology
ALEKS stands for "Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces." ALEKS assessment and learning technologies were originally developed by a team of cognitive scientists, mathematicians, and software engineers at the University of California, Irvine, with major funding provided by the National Science Foundation. ALEKS is founded on over 20 years of extensive scientific research in a ground-breaking field of cognitive psychology and applied mathematics known as Knowledge Space Theory. Through adaptive questioning, ALEKS accurately assesses a student's knowledge state and then delivers targeted instruction on the topics a student is most ready to learn.
Knowledge Space Theory provides a theoretical foundation for efficient knowledge assessment in various domains ranging from mathematics and the sciences, to appropriate topics in business and the social sciences. It is not intended for what are commonly referred to as "tests" and does not typically produce numerical measures of ability. Rather, Knowledge Space Theory supports the construction of efficient computer assessment procedures which allows for a precise graphical representation of the knowledge state of individuals.
The research behind ALEKS is briefly discussed in non-technical terms in "The Assessment of Knowledge in Theory and in Practice."  (PDF 355K)
View a list of key scientific research publications.
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