Khan Academy: Difference between revisions
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}}</ref> on mathematics, science, and economics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.khanacademy.org/|title=Khanacademy official website|accessdate=2009-12-23}}</ref> |
}}</ref> on mathematics, science, and economics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.khanacademy.org/|title=Khanacademy official website|accessdate=2009-12-23}}</ref> |
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Salman Khan |
Salman Khan was born and raised in [[New Orleans]]. His parents were immigrants from what is now India and Bangladesh. Khan holds three degrees from the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]: a BS in mathematics, a BS in electrical engineering and computer science, and an MS in electrical engineering and computer science. He also holds an MBA from [[Harvard Business School]]. In late 2004, Khan began tutoring his niece in mathematics using [[Yahoo!]]'s Doodle notepad. When other relatives and friends sought his tutorage, he decided it would be more practical to distribute the tutorials on [[YouTube]].<ref name="khanacademy1">{{cite web|url=http://www.khanacademy.org/faq.jsp |title=Frequently asked questions |publisher=Khanacademy.org |date= |accessdate=2009-12-14}}</ref><ref name="sfgate" /> Their popularity there and the testimonials of appreciative students prompted Khan to quit his job in finance in 2008 and focus on the Academy full-time.<ref name="sfgate" /> |
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As of December 2009, Khan's YouTube-hosted tutorials receive a total of more than 35,000 views per day.<ref name="sfgate" /> Each video runs for approximately ten minutes, and is produced using video capture on [[Microsoft Paint]]. Khan eschewed a format that would involve a person standing by a whiteboard, desiring instead to present the content in a way "akin to sitting next to someone and working out a problem on a sheet of paper": "If you're watching a guy do a problem [while] thinking out loud, I think people find that more valuable and not as daunting".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-12-11-youtube-tutoring_N.htm|title=Need a tutor? YouTube videos await|date=2008-12-12|publisher=USA Today|accessdate=2009-12-23}}</ref> Offline versions of the videos have been distributed by not-for-profit groups to rural areas in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.<ref name="khanacademy1"/><ref name="techawards1">{{cite web|url=http://www.techawards.org/laureates/stories/index.php?id=220 |title=2009 Education Award Laureate: Salman Khan |publisher=Techawards.org |date= |accessdate=2009-12-14}}</ref> While the Khan Academy's current content is mainly concerned with pre-college mathematics and physics, Khan states that his long-term goal is to provide "tens of thousands of videos in pretty much every subject" and to create "the world's first free, world-class virtual school". |
As of December 2009, Khan's YouTube-hosted tutorials receive a total of more than 35,000 views per day.<ref name="sfgate" /> Each video runs for approximately ten minutes, and is produced using video capture on [[Microsoft Paint]]. Khan eschewed a format that would involve a person standing by a whiteboard, desiring instead to present the content in a way "akin to sitting next to someone and working out a problem on a sheet of paper": "If you're watching a guy do a problem [while] thinking out loud, I think people find that more valuable and not as daunting".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-12-11-youtube-tutoring_N.htm|title=Need a tutor? YouTube videos await|date=2008-12-12|publisher=USA Today|accessdate=2009-12-23}}</ref> Offline versions of the videos have been distributed by not-for-profit groups to rural areas in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.<ref name="khanacademy1"/><ref name="techawards1">{{cite web|url=http://www.techawards.org/laureates/stories/index.php?id=220 |title=2009 Education Award Laureate: Salman Khan |publisher=Techawards.org |date= |accessdate=2009-12-14}}</ref> While the Khan Academy's current content is mainly concerned with pre-college mathematics and physics, Khan states that his long-term goal is to provide "tens of thousands of videos in pretty much every subject" and to create "the world's first free, world-class virtual school". |
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Revision as of 18:55, 16 March 2010
The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit educational organisation created and sustained by former businessman Salman Khan. With the stated mission "of providing a high quality education to anyone, anywhere", the Academy supplies a free online collection of more than 1,200 videos[1] on mathematics, science, and economics.[2]
Salman Khan was born and raised in New Orleans. His parents were immigrants from what is now India and Bangladesh. Khan holds three degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: a BS in mathematics, a BS in electrical engineering and computer science, and an MS in electrical engineering and computer science. He also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. In late 2004, Khan began tutoring his niece in mathematics using Yahoo!'s Doodle notepad. When other relatives and friends sought his tutorage, he decided it would be more practical to distribute the tutorials on YouTube.[3][4] Their popularity there and the testimonials of appreciative students prompted Khan to quit his job in finance in 2008 and focus on the Academy full-time.[4]
As of December 2009, Khan's YouTube-hosted tutorials receive a total of more than 35,000 views per day.[4] Each video runs for approximately ten minutes, and is produced using video capture on Microsoft Paint. Khan eschewed a format that would involve a person standing by a whiteboard, desiring instead to present the content in a way "akin to sitting next to someone and working out a problem on a sheet of paper": "If you're watching a guy do a problem [while] thinking out loud, I think people find that more valuable and not as daunting".[5] Offline versions of the videos have been distributed by not-for-profit groups to rural areas in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.[3][6] While the Khan Academy's current content is mainly concerned with pre-college mathematics and physics, Khan states that his long-term goal is to provide "tens of thousands of videos in pretty much every subject" and to create "the world's first free, world-class virtual school".
The Khan Academy also provides a mathematics program that generates problems for students based on skill level and performance. Khan believes his academy points to an opportunity to overhaul the traditional classroom by using software to create tests, grade assignments, highlight the challenges of certain students, and encourage those doing well to help struggling classmates.[4]
In 2009, the Khan Academy received the Microsoft Tech Award for education.[6]
References
- ^ Spencer Michels (February 22, 2010). "Khan Academy: How to Calculate the Unemployment Rate". www.pbs.org. Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
- ^ "Khanacademy official website". Retrieved 2009-12-23.
- ^ a b "Frequently asked questions". Khanacademy.org. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
- ^ a b c d "Salman Khan, math master of the Internet". sfgate.com. 2009-12-14. Retrieved 2009-12-23.
- ^ "Need a tutor? YouTube videos await". USA Today. 2008-12-12. Retrieved 2009-12-23.
- ^ a b "2009 Education Award Laureate: Salman Khan". Techawards.org. Retrieved 2009-12-14.