[Maths-Education] Re: Fwd: The Khan Academy

[Dylan Wiliam]

Of course the Khan Academy videos will never be as good as the best teaching, but I think the more important question is whether they can be used to improve mathematics teaching on average. I think the idea that students spend time at home (or at a homework club) viewing the presentation, and then spend time in class in discussion of what they learn would be a considerable improvement on much of what happens in mathematics classrooms. That said plausible ideas have turned out to be wrong, so what's really needed is an evaluation...

Dylan



On 18 Mar 2012, at 12:19, Hugh Burkhardt wrote:

> The general view in the US seems to be that the videos are examples of clear expository teaching - greatly needed in a country where that is rare.  (Not a problem we have here, of course)
> 
> Among the more preceptive it is recognised that, for many students, clear expository teaching (+ lots of practice, of course) does not deliver competence.
> 
> Hugh
> 
>> Colleagues. I wonder if anyone has an informed view on "The Khan Academy" a website which seems to have hundreds of maths instruction videos on YouTube. 
>> 
>> http://www.khanacademy.org
>> 
>> Its been suggested to me as "inspirational " but I've looked at some and have been quite underwhelmed. Am I missing something here? 
>> 
>> Peter Gates 
>> University of Nottingham
>> 
>> 
> 
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