Aleks intermediate Algebra

[geissingert]

I like the way ALEKS works. My daughter worked on her first class, intermediate Algebra and passed in 5 days! I hope that I am understanding it correctly. I sent in the request on ACE and the results show under approved that she was honored her credits. Thank you all for your help and guidance.

[JohnnyHeck]

Given that your daughter has talent for math, I would suggest that she complete 90-100% of each course's pie before going on to the next. At 70%, passing is only C grade level knowledge. Since math knowledge is cumulative, no time is really wasted scoring a higher percent before going on since she will score almost point for point higher in the initial assessment for the next higher course. E.g. a 70% on Int. Algebra might get you 40% on the initial assessment for College Algebra while 90% on the lower level course should get you a 60% plus on the next one in sequence. Also, to really be well prepared for no tears calculus, non-calculus physics, and/or chemistry. You should really work to 90%+ on Pre-calc. Leaving out 30% of the topics in any course may inadvertently cause you to miss almost entire subjects. At least make sure that you complete all slices of the pie to the same level of completion so this doesn't happen and leave you woefully underprepared for higher math and/or science courses.

[UptonSinclair]

Given that your daughter has talent for math, I would suggest that she complete 90-100% of each course's pie before going on to the next. At 70%, passing is only C grade level knowledge. Since math knowledge is cumulative, no time is really wasted scoring a higher percent before going on since she will score almost point for point higher in the initial assessment for the next higher course. E.g. a 70% on Int. Algebra might get you 40% on the initial assessment for College Algebra while 90% on the lower level course should get you a 60% plus on the next one in sequence. Also, to really be well prepared for no tears calculus, non-calculus physics, and/or chemistry. You should really work to 90%+ on Pre-calc. Leaving out 30% of the topics in any course may inadvertently cause you to miss almost entire subjects. At least make sure that you complete all slices of the pie to the same level of completion so this doesn't happen and leave you woefully underprepared for higher math and/or science courses.

I could just post "yep" and say everything I intend to say, but most people here know I am not that brief. In 2013 I started my math journey with Beginning Algebra. Within 18 months I was taking Calculus I through Excelsior, but I would complete every course different if I were starting over. I moved so quick through the material that I remember very little. I completed 70% of each Aleks course and moved on. By the time I got to Calculus, I was lucky to make it through the course after a month of cramming Pre-Calculus. Right know, Calculus II stands between me and a Computer Science degree because I would have to start from Algebra I again to get through Calculus II.

I would suggest completing close to 100% on each Aleks course before moving on for anyone who has future math courses to complete. There is much to be said for practice.

[JohnnyHeck]

Right know, Calculus II stands between me and a Computer Science degree because I would have to start from Algebra I again to get through Calculus II.

I would suggest completing close to 100% on each Aleks course before moving on for anyone who has future math courses to complete. There is much to be said for practice.

Thanks for the backup opinion, Upton. While we are on the subject of really learning Pre-Calc. and below for preparation to higher levels of math and science, I would like to warn everyone that ALEKS Pre-Calc. for Independent Use leaves out some seriously important topics, particularly for those going on to Multivariate Calculus, Differential Equations, and Computer Science. The topics I feel that are woefully underrepresented are: Matrix Algebra, Linear Programming, and Sequences/Series. These topics are all available as "Additonal Topics" through the Teacher version of ALEKS, but they have informed me that there is no way through the Independent User Master Account to add them in. I am very disappointed and plan on pursuing this issue with them further. Quite frankly, as a retired aerospace engineer, I would add all of the 379 Additional Topics to the 582 already existing in the Higher Math ACE credit bearing Pre-Calculus course for anyone serious about a STEM career. The step by step and practice approach in ALEKS cannot be beat. I wish I had it available way back in my dinosaur days of education.

[bricabrac]

We must keep in mind Aleks is used by most schools as a math lab. Most of us here are simply lucky that a few of the Aleks practice tests, otherwise known as assessments. are approved by ACE for possible award of college credit.

I would expect any serious math/engineering/science student to take actual math classes as it is their major (or necessary pre reqs) and should be studied in depth. Same as I would expect from anyone student majoring in any other subject. I feel it makes sense to test out of general subjects you will most likely not use in your career but take courses in your major as your future career will be built on that knowledge base. If taking advantage of testing within major (Big3 students), I believe more time should be spent studying and preparing for those exams. Applying the same drive and enthusiasm you would use if sitting in a traditional classroom, at least this was my approach.

Just my thoughts.

[JohnnyHeck]

I would expect any serious math/engineering/science student to take actual math classes as it is their major (or necessary pre reqs) and should be studied in depth..

IMHO ALEKS is more in depth than any classroom. If forces you to learn the material step by step rather than intuitively leap to solutions that my not be correct in real world applications. It allows even the most math-phobic student the capability to catch-up and really learn the material if they just put in the time. An 8-15 week term course does not allow you to proceed at pace that may work for you if you are behind or have never been all that math sharp to begin with. Usually just out of personal frustration, classroom professors routinely give up on students who can't intuitively "see" the topic the same way the teacher does. Because ALEKS cannot get frustrated by pace it can give even the most modestly endowed math intellect the power to compete with just about any "quick as a whip" engineer/scientist because most real world STEM is just either incremental improvement or application of past practice with a different set of boundary conditions rather than genius leap. Actually, I think the slower step by problem solver has a distinct advantage because the "smart" engineer will often reach a conclusion and not realize that he is wrong because the only "answer key" in the real world is failure. At least the tedious engineer will know they are right or at least not be able to come to any wrong conclusion. I am sad to say that any of my own seriously flawed real world engineering judgments came from moving to conclusions too fast for my own good and then compounding the situation by being endowed with the "silver tongue" to fish my compatriots down the same river. With that being said, I am not at all against anyone who uses ALEKS to "just get by" But I am trying to encourage others out there who may really want to crack open the world of knowledge of math and science but are too fearful to believe that they can catch-up or compete. My current BSAST student took 240 hours to get to 80% in ALEKS College Algebra, but he is now sailing relatively smoothly through Pre-Calc. He is even willingly taking an EdEx Data Analysis course as prep for a credit earning path later.

[dfrecore]

I like math, and have enjoyed taking ALEKS courses. Not only was I able to get college credit for cheap, but I was able to brush up on all that math that I forgot from 25 years ago in high school. I homeschool my kids, and am able to easily teach my son, who is currently taking Algebra (through a homeschool math program). I am using ALEKS with my daughter to solidify her math facts for her, and as some review for certain math topics.

That being said, I would recommend ALEKS for anyone who just needs some college credits but is not pursuing a degree/career in anything math-related. My daughter is interested in Interior Design, so although she needs College Algebra to get her degree at our state college, I have no qualms on having her get those credits in the easiest way possible. She will be using our homeschool program to take PreAlgebra, Algebra I and Algebra II, then probably use ALEKS to review and make sure there are no holes before she goes to take the College Algebra CLEP.

My son is interested in Computer Science, and so he will be doing everything through Pre-Calc at home, and taking CLEP's as his final for College Algebra and Pre-Calculus. Not sure what we will do at that point, but since he will be taking lots of higher level math courses, he will be doing them all through the local CC. We will not be using ALEKS at all for him.

[JohnnyHeck]

My son is interested in Computer Science, and so he will be doing everything through Pre-Calc at home, and taking CLEP's as his final for College Algebra and Pre-Calculus. Not sure what we will do at that point, but since he will be taking lots of higher level math courses, he will be doing them all through the local CC. We will not be using ALEKS at all for him.

I wholeheartedly endorse the idea of documenting your Pre-Calc. knowledge via a CLEP endorsement. But I don't quite understand, why you don't recommend ALEKS to learn the material in preparation for the CLEP and the higher level math to follow.

[dfrecore]

I guess I just don't want to fork over money! He would not be using ALEKS to learn anything new, we already have math resources here to learn the material (up through Pre-Calc). Plus, he is not a kid who needs a lot of review. With him, lots of review is beating a dead horse. He's more of a "lets learn this and move on" kind of kid.

My daughter needs lots and lots of math review, needs to see it lots of different ways to make it "stick", my son is just not that kind of learner.

[JohnnyHeck]

I guess I just don't want to fork over money!

Glad to hear that there is not some kind of serious flaw in ALEKS for the serious learner that I was not aware of. Since you are blessed with a math talented student and all mine tend to be on the opposite side of the curve, I would like to ask you to help me in an experiment to compare ALEKS assessed knowledge levels to CLEP scores. Because my BSAST student wants to go on with post graduate work of some kind, perhaps in statistics. I would like him to take the Pre-Calc CLEP to document his math skills which he learned in ALEKS. Then when he applies for say a graduate certificate in stats at say Texas A&M which does not recognize ACE credits, he would just have to shoot them his proof of graduation and his CLEP scores to show that he meets all the pre-reqs. of the program, fast and easy! My problem is that I don't know to what level of ALEKS assessment I should encourage him to aim for and not sweat passing the CLEP which could adversely affect his ultimate performance on the test. Realize that my student is a former math/test phobic one, and I don't want to run any risk of failure. In fact I am counting that this CLEP success for him to finally end all former fears and set him up for success in all his post graduate endeavors. So what I propose is this: When your boy is ready to schedule his Pre-Calc. CLEP, shoot me a PM and I will sign him up at my expense in ALEKS so he can complete the Pre-Calc. initial assessment. We'll then have this score, and we can compare it to what he scores on the CLEP. Now I fully realize this is a single point biased sample, but something is better than nothing! With this info I will then make a judgment on how to manage my own student for success. Then when my student takes the CLEP we'll have another biased sample from the other side of the curve. This could be extremely useful information for everyone in this forum. Can I count on you and your boy's support?