ALEKS - Assessment and Learning
   

10.6 Educational Use

 

ALEKS also provides a full range of features for successful integration into a variety of teaching styles and class plans.

What is the best way to use ALEKS with my class?

The greatest factor in successful use of ALEKS is regular, structured use, with close monitoring of student progress by the instructor. We recommend scheduling regular lab sessions with ALEKS, totalling at least three hours per week, as part of your class requirements. Not every lab session need be supervised by the instructor, but the Initial Assessment should be. Any other interim and concluding assessments scheduled specially by the instructor normally should also be supervised.

There has been successful use of ALEKS in a very wide variety of contexts and structures, including independent study. ALEKS Corporation is happy to consult with instructors on the best way to use ALEKS with their students. Also, extensive materials on implementation strategies in ALEKS are available on the ALEKS website.

Can ALEKS be used with handicapped and learning-disability students? Is ALEKS a remedial tool?
ALEKS is designed to help all students who can read sufficiently to understand what is being displayed on the screen, and who can use a computer. It has been used successfully with students exhibiting a range of learning disabilities. Students with reading difficulties can also use it, provided that there is someone on hand to help them as needed. The system does not currently contain facilities for audio output.

What burden will ALEKS place on our computer lab and Lab Director/LAN Administrator?
Normally ALEKS requires very little support from local computer technicians, given the automatic installation and maintenance of the ALEKS plug-in. Most of the time, however, the lab administrator will need to assist with installation in order to overcome security obstacles (college computer labs often prevent students from installing their own software). In some cases, the presence of a "firewall" or other security measures may require some action on the technician's part for successful installation. Again, ALEKS Corporation stands ready to assist with problems of this nature.

Does ALEKS need to be used with a particular textbook or curriculum?
ALEKS is designed to be used with any syllabus, curriculum, or textbook. The system may also be referenced or linked to a textbook or online applications for particular classes. The fundamental idea of the ALEKS system is to allow students to pursue individualized paths to mastery of the subject matter. For this reason instructors may often find their students learning material that has not yet been covered in the class.

Does ALEKS have special features for educators?
[Chapters 6, 7] Students' use of ALEKS and their progress toward mastery can be monitored using the facilities of the Instructor Module. The Instructor Module also enables instructors and administrators to establish the syllabi and standards used by ALEKS, to configure accounts, to find statistics on multi-campus college system use, and to exchange messages. An instructor or administrator who has been registered with ALEKS enters the Instructor Module immediately upon login.

How can I contact ALEKS Corporation Customer Support?
[Sec. 11] You can contact ALEKS Corporation using the information in Chapter 12 of this manual. Students should approach their instructor first with any questions or problems regarding the use of ALEKS. Questions the instructor cannot answer should be brought to our attention.