Slow progress!

Xyzzy · 2014-03-08, 03:27

We did not want to take up any important space in the forum for this thread, so we decided to post it here.

In a different thread we found out that our math background is very deficient. For the last few days we have been using Khan Academy to fix the gaps in our education.

After taking an aptitude test, Khan Academy started us at the very bottom, in 4th grade math.

It took us 10 hours and 51 minutes of work to pass 4th grade math! It was a lot harder than we expected!

As we pass milestones and things like that we will post our progress here.

Khan Academy is set up with all sorts of crazy reporting tools, so if you want to see what we have been working on, and for how long, and where we are having issues, just create your own Khan Academy account and send us a PM and we will set you up with "coach" access to our account.

We hope to have 5th grade knocked out in a few days. They do not let you test on stuff you just learned or practiced. Instead, you have to wait about a day for the test to appear. This is supposed to increase long-term learning.

Attached is our 4th grade chart. In the reports that are generated you can mouse over each block to see what the topic is.

Nick · 2014-03-08, 10:10

Some thoughts on good & bad points of Khan Academy:
http://chronicle.com/blognetwork/cas...-khan-academy/

This critical video is a bit long but has its funny moments:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1638460.html

henryzz · 2014-03-08, 14:02

If you want to get through it quicker then do mastery tests for each of the math missions. Much of 4th grade is a subset of 5th grade for example.

Currently I in the world of maths I am:
39 mastered, 27 level 2, 44 level 1, 18 practiced and 489 needing practice.

TheMawn · 2014-03-08, 22:01

I made a profile on Khan Academy for shits and giggles. Frankly it seemed REALLY odd that the site told you that you needed practice in over 400 topics. I asked myself what 400 topics could it cover that Xyzzy doesn't know anything about?

As it happens, their initial aptitude test is REALLY, REALLY bad. They need more sample questions from different areas. Frankly, the questions should just keep coming and coming and coming and increasing in difficulty until too many mistakes are made. I know I got all the initial questions correct because they were very, very easy for a final-year engineering student, and my results were just as "bad" as yours.

I had "only practiced" single-digit addition. Huh? How did I even get to solving a single equation for x if I couldn't mentally add 19 and 6?

Anyway, unless I am missing something, it's going to consume months to even see where I rate according to KA, because I need to wait 16 hours to see if I'm a master of the very first topic.

pinhodecarlos · 2014-03-08, 22:12

This is a waste of time. You need to study books or make some courses at your local university.

Batalov · 2014-03-08, 23:07

I am with you Mike. Sometimes it is heartbreaking how slow one's progress can be at times. I feel frustrated with my, ever more slowing progress, every day...

TheMawn · 2014-03-08, 23:40

Yeah I thought I'd be able to get an accurate assessment but I didn't. I've already given up.

Nick · 2014-03-09, 00:16

Most resources in this area at Leiden are (inevitably) in Dutch.

From Warwick, the following is (IMHO) a good attempt to expound what students should learn (or revise) first in mathematics at a mature level:

http://homepages.warwick.ac.uk/~masb...oundations.pdf

Xyzzy · 2014-03-09, 08:17

Quote:

If you want to get through it quicker then do mastery tests for each of the math missions.

We are working through all of the available missions. So far we have only watched a few videos. We are trying to answer the questions by working things out from what we think we know. We also found out that if a problem requires a calculator, they provide a calculator applet to use.

Attached is our current (World of Math) progress. We have 11 hours and 54 minutes invested.

Xyzzy · 2014-03-09, 08:17

Quote:

Sometimes it is heartbreaking how slow one's progress can be at times.

What does your picture represent? Project Euler?

henryzz · 2014-03-09, 13:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by henryzz

Currently I in the world of maths I am:
39 mastered, 27 level 2, 44 level 1, 18 practiced and 489 needing practice.

68 mastered, 43 level 2, 16 level 1, 5 practiced and 485 needing practice.

2014-03-08, 03:27	#1
Xyzzy "Mike" Aug 2002 1111101110101₂ Posts	Slow progress! We did not want to take up any important space in the forum for this thread, so we decided to post it here. In a different thread we found out that our math background is very deficient. For the last few days we have been using Khan Academy to fix the gaps in our education. After taking an aptitude test, Khan Academy started us at the very bottom, in 4th grade math. It took us 10 hours and 51 minutes of work to pass 4th grade math! It was a lot harder than we expected! As we pass milestones and things like that we will post our progress here. Khan Academy is set up with all sorts of crazy reporting tools, so if you want to see what we have been working on, and for how long, and where we are having issues, just create your own Khan Academy account and send us a PM and we will set you up with "coach" access to our account. We hope to have 5th grade knocked out in a few days. They do not let you test on stuff you just learned or practiced. Instead, you have to wait about a day for the test to appear. This is supposed to increase long-term learning. Attached is our 4th grade chart. In the reports that are generated you can mouse over each block to see what the topic is. Attached Thumbnails

2014-03-08, 23:07	#6
Batalov "Serge" Mar 2008 Phi(4,2^7658614+1)/2 9,391 Posts	I am with you Mike. Sometimes it is heartbreaking how slow one's progress can be at times. I feel frustrated with my, ever more slowing progress, every day... Attached Thumbnails

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2014-03-08, 10:10	#2
Nick Dec 2012 The Netherlands 11×151 Posts	Some thoughts on good & bad points of Khan Academy: http://chronicle.com/blognetwork/cas...-khan-academy/ This critical video is a bit long but has its funny moments: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1638460.html

2014-03-08, 14:02	#3
henryzz Just call me Henry "David" Sep 2007 Cambridge (GMT/BST) 13342₈ Posts	If you want to get through it quicker then do mastery tests for each of the math missions. Much of 4th grade is a subset of 5th grade for example. Currently I in the world of maths I am: 39 mastered, 27 level 2, 44 level 1, 18 practiced and 489 needing practice.

2014-03-08, 22:01	#4
TheMawn May 2013 East. Always East. 11×157 Posts	I made a profile on Khan Academy for shits and giggles. Frankly it seemed REALLY odd that the site told you that you needed practice in over 400 topics. I asked myself what 400 topics could it cover that Xyzzy doesn't know anything about? As it happens, their initial aptitude test is REALLY, REALLY bad. They need more sample questions from different areas. Frankly, the questions should just keep coming and coming and coming and increasing in difficulty until too many mistakes are made. I *know* I got all the initial questions correct because they were very, very easy for a final-year engineering student, and my results were just as "bad" as yours. I had "only practiced" single-digit addition. Huh? How did I even get to solving a single equation for x if I couldn't mentally add 19 and 6? Anyway, unless I am missing something, it's going to consume months to even see where I rate according to KA, because I need to wait 16 hours to see if I'm a master of the very first topic.

2014-03-08, 22:12	#5
pinhodecarlos "Carlos Pinho" Oct 2011 Milton Keynes, UK 3³×181 Posts	This is a waste of time. You need to study books or make some courses at your local university.

2014-03-08, 23:40	#7
TheMawn May 2013 East. Always East. 6BF₁₆ Posts	Yeah I thought I'd be able to get an accurate assessment but I didn't. I've already given up.

2014-03-09, 00:16	#8
Nick Dec 2012 The Netherlands 11·151 Posts	Most resources in this area at Leiden are (inevitably) in Dutch. From Warwick, the following is (IMHO) a good attempt to expound what students should learn (or revise) first in mathematics at a mature level: http://homepages.warwick.ac.uk/~masb...oundations.pdf