Description and Features

Overview of Academic Website: Khan Academy

Khan Academy is an American non-profit organisation which hosts an academic website that provides free world- class education to persons all over the world. The site allows learners from Pre- K up to Grade 12 to access free lessons and activities in several subject areas, some of which are supported by videos. Khan Academy was created by Sal Kahn in 2006, and its owner/vendor is Khan Academy, Inc.

Features and Uses

Free and Funded Through Donations

Khan Academy offers free access to all the lessons and activities on the site. The website is mostly funded and operated through donations from charitable organisations, and volunteerism. Several institutions such as NASA, The California Academy of Science, The Museum of Modern Art and The Massachusetts Institution of Technology (MIT) have partnered with Khan Academy to offer content.

Translated Into Several Languages

The courses on the website have been translated into fifty languages.

Personalised and Adaptive Learning

Teachers can set up online classrooms in Khan Academy, one method is to upload their google classrooms into the website. They can track the progress of the students, and lessons can be personalised and adapted to meet the needs of the learners. Learners can therefore learn at their own pace because the lessons can be tailored to be individualised.

Self- Directed Learning

Students can also use Khan Academy for self-directed learning and parents can also create accounts so that their child can access the free resources.

Artificial Intelligence: Khanmigo

Khan Academy also has an artificial intelligence guide, named Khanmigo, that can assist both teachers and students. Teachers can use it to plan lessons while students can use it to assist them in their learning activities. Khanmigo is not designed to give students direct answers but to stimulate their learning by providing prompts and suggestions. Unfortunately, there is a fee attached to Khanmigo.

Mastery Challenge: LearnStorm

LearnStorm, is usually an annual mastery challenge activity but from this year, it will be available all through year. The goal of LearnStorm is to reward masterly learning and encourage a growth mindset. It is a fun interactive method that encourages students to track their own performance which motivates them to be motivated to master the content.