ALEKS stands for Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces and is an online
adaptive learning program that uses artificial intelligence to precisely
identify and deliver personalized instruction on the exact topics each
student is most ready to learn. To begin the ALEKS program, open up a web browser
on a computer connected to the Internet, and go to this URL up here, www.aleks.com.
And then click on this link, here on the upper left, that says sign up now. And
since you will be using ALEKS with a class, we'll be focusing on this left hand
box here. Now your professor should have provided you with a course code, which
you'll enter in here. And then click continue. Now you're asked to confirm your
enrollment information. Yes, I'm in Math 1B, Pre-Calculus, with Professor Anteater
at UCI. And then click continue. Now you're asked for your ten digit access
code which you can either purchase from the bookstore or ALEKS directly by
clicking on this link here that says purchase an access code online. So let's
enter in our access code and click continue. Now enter in your student
information here, Peter Anteater, and now enter in your email, panteater@uci.edu.
And enter in a password that's six letters or digits minimum. Confirm that password,
and then enter in your student ID, and then scroll down and read the ALEKS User
Agreement. Once you've read it, click on this box here that you have read and that
you agree to the terms of the ALEKS user agreement, and then click continue. And
now it will give you your login, which you will use with the password you entered in
the last step every time you log in to ALEKS Now click continue, and ALEKS will
look for a plug-in on your computer and install it if needed. Here we didn't need
to install it. But if the plug-in is installed, you may need to restart your
browser and then log back in with your login and pass. Now you will learn some of
the basic ALEKS answer input tools known collectively as the answer editor. So
using your keyboard type in the number fourteen.
And now it's asking you to hit this clear button, which notice, cleared that number
fourteen. And now it's asking to click on undo,
which notice, undid the last option of clearing that number fourteen.
All right, so let's click on next to look at the next exercise. Let's learn how to
enter a fraction. So let's click this fraction button here. And now in the
numerator we'll type in two, and then we'll click in the denominator and type in
three, and we've entered in the fraction two-thirds.
So let's click on next to go to the next exercise. Now let's learn how to answer an
expression with parentheses. So let's click here and with our keyboard we'll
enter a (x+4). And then click on the exponent button. And
type in two, and then click over here in this blue circle to get out of the exponet
and then using the keyboard type in +seven, click on this blue circle and hold
until you get to this blue circle release now click this fraction button. Which put
everything that we had highlighted in the numerator of this fraction. And now type
in three into the denominator. And we've entered in this expression. So let's click
on next to go to the next exercise. Now let's learn how to plot a point and draw a
line. Let's click on the pencil button. Come over here and plot this point. Then
click on the ruler button. Move your mouse into this blue circle right here. Now move
your mouse into this blue circle. Click here. And now grab the pencil icon again,
and move your mouse over here, draw to here, draw to here. And we've drawn a
line. So let's click on NEXT. And now we'll look at the ALEKS calculator. But it
should be pointed out that not every question in ALEKS has a calculator active.
It is only active when ALEKS feels it is needed for a certain problem. If it is not
active in ALEKS, do not use your own calculator. So let's click on Okay, And
then we'll come up here and click on the calculator. We'll click on this blue box.
We'll type in the number 31. And then we'll click on the addition button. And
then we'll type here nine. And then click on the equals button, and
so on. So it funct ions just like a normal calculator. All right, so let's click on
next. Now at any time during assessment or learning, if you ever need help, there's
this help button up here on the top that you can click. And over here on the right,
there is a link to an ALEKS User Guide, which you can always read, and then over
here on the left, we see this link, All Topics for PreCalculus. So let's click on
that, and this will give you an extensive list of topics or tools that you might
encounter in the answer editor and when you're done reading what you were looking
for you can click on done down here and also if there's a new tool and a question
that you've never seen before, there's this quick help. That you can click on to
learn how to use that tool. Let's click on Next. Now that you are registered and have
learned about the answer editor, you will be given what is called your initial
assessment. This is basically the heart and soul of ALEKS as it will determine
your starting point or baseline for your learning, which is called your knowledge
state. Now during this initial assessment you'll be asked between 25 to 35 questions
and the powerful assessment engine within ALEKS. We will be capable of pin pointing
your knowledge state very precisely. But as the system will know what you know,
what you don't know, and what you are capable of learning next. And what you
don't know and what someone else in the class doesn't know will be different and
that's okay. ALEKS will fill your learning gap when you get into the learning mode
after your initial assessment. Now during this initial assessment, you should have a
pencil and paper handy. Don't be anxious or nervous, just do your best. Okay, so
let's get started. So for Peter's first question he's asked to graph this line
here. Well, when x is equal to zero, for example, this equation simplifies to
-3y=-12, or y=4, which means the point (0,4) lies on the line. So let's grab the
pencil Go to x=0, y=4, and plot a point. And then coming back up here, when y=0 for
exampleb this equation s implifies to 4x=-12 which means x=-3.
So the point -three, zero also lies on the line. So we could take our pencil again
and go to x=-3, y=0 and plot a point. Now let's look at this other feature over
here. This actually allows you to enter in the ordered pair, -three, zero.
Click on plot point, and ALEKS will plot it for you. Now grab your ruler. Click on
one point. Click on the other. Grab your pencil again, and draw your line. And then
we need to click on next to submit our answer, but let's scroll down a little
bit. There it is. Let's click it. And notice that ALEKS didn't tell Peter
whether he was right or wrong. And you will not be told if you were right or
wrong on the assessment until you get a report at the end. Alright, and for his
second question, he's asked to multiply these two binomials. So he can foil 2A
times 8A is 16A squared, and then the outer and inner terms combine, to give us
minus 50AB, and then the last term is plus 25B squared. Click on next to submit the
answer. Now notice this other button over here that says I don't know. Let's say
that Peter doesn't know how to work with rational exponents very well, then he can
click on this button I don't know. Now if at any time during your initial assessment
you honestly do not know an answer to a question or have never learned that topic
before then you can click on this button I don't know but whatever you do, do not
just click it because you want to get through the assesment quicker. This will
make for many more hours of unessisary work throughout the quarter. Just do your
best and try to answer the questions that you think you have a good shot at
answering correctly. So let's click on I don't know here. And now Peter for his
fourth question is asked to convert 150 degrees to radian measure in terms of Pie
which you can determine by multiplying 150 by pie divided by 180 degrees which would
give him five x pie all divided by six and then he would click on next to submit his
answer. Now for demonstration purposes let's just skip to the end of his
assessment. All righ t, and so this is at the end of the assessment. This last
question, Alex is asking him to find both B intersect C and B union C where B and C
are defined here. B is a set above Z such that Z is greater than four and C is the
set of all Zs such that Z is less that or equal to seven.
And the intersection is the set of all numbers that's common to both of those two
sets, which would be the interval from four to seven, so we'll click on this
icon. Notice, we're not including four, but we are including seven.
And B and C is the set of all real numbers. So negative infinity up to
infinity, and then click Next to submit the answer. Alright, so Peter has
completed his initial assessment. Let's click on next to see what ALEKS learned
about Peter Anteater. Now ` is what is called Peter Anteater's ALEKS pie. In
ALEKS the students knowledge is reprosented by these multicolored pie
charts. In this pie chart here it is divded into five slices. Up here the green
slice corosponds to topics in trigonomotry This pink slice corresponds to topics in
exponential and logarithmic functions, this purple slice corresponds to topics on
polynomials and rational functions. The yellow slice corresponds to topics on
functions and graphs and this blue slice here corresponds to topics in algebra and
geometry review. And the 166 out of 266 topics that ALEKS determined Peter knows,
are split up into these five slices. So let's click on continue. Now the dark part
of each slice corresponds to the topics Peter knows. And the light part
corresponds to the topics that Peter will learn. His goal is to fill his pie, that
is, to make each slice dark. So this is a powerful motivator because he wants to
fill the entire pie by making each slice dark. Alright, let's click on Continue.
Now Peter's goal here is to learn all the topics in this course, and the ALEKS pie
is very user friendly when it comes to navigating through the topics within each
slice. So let's say that Peter wants to work over here in algebra and geometry
review. He simply hovers over that slice. And ALEKS gives him access to all the
topics he is ready to learn. So, let's say that Peter wants to work on this topic
down here, factoring a sum or difference of two cubes. You would click here. So
ALEKS is asking Peter the factor of this expression here, 8w^3+125.
And let's say that Peter doesn't quite remember the formula for the sum of two
cubes. He can click here on Explain, and ALEKS has a detailed explanation on the
formulas that would be used and then how to solve the problem. There's also
additional resources over here that he might find useful. And also up here, let's
say Peter wanted to refresh his memory on what factor means, he can click here. And
ALEKS brings him to a detailed explanation of what it means to factor. And once he's
done you can close the window, which brings him back to the problem. And let's
say now he's ready to work on this problem. So he would click on practice,
And ALEKS gives him a different instance, of the same type of problem. So now
applying what he just learns, he types in his answer of x-1(x^2)+x+1, and clicks on
Next to submit his answer. And ALEKS tells him right away that he's correct, and it
also tells him that if he answers the question without help two more times, that
ALEKS will add this topic to his pie. So let's click practice. And this one factors
into 5-3x25+15x+9x^2. And then he clicks on NEXT, and again
ALEKS tells him that he is correct, and that he needs to practice it one more
time. And he gets his answer of 3u+49u^2-12u+16, and then he clicks on
next to submit his answer. Now ALEKS confirms that he seems to have learned
this question, and now he has a few choices. He can either press on Done or on
More Practice. But let's press on Done, and notice that the total number of topics
jumped from 166 to 167 because ALEKS just added that topic to his pile. So let's go
back to the pie and choose a different topic to work on. So maybe Peter wants to
work over here in functions and graphs. Again, he hovers over that slice, and Alex
gives him access to the topics he is ready to learn. So let's say he decides to work
on this graphing of piece wise define function. Now, let's say Peter never
learned about piecewise functions. So, he can click on the explanation, and there's
this detailed explanation about piecewise functions. Again, links to the dictionary,
additional resources over here. And let's just say Peter still doesn't quite
understand and he doesn't feel like working on this problem anymore, he just
really wants to choose a different topic. At any time, he can go up here and click
on My Pie, and choose a different topic. Maybe he wants to work on polynomials. And
rational functions or maybe he wants to go back and work on algebra and geometry
review. That's okay, he can change his mind and work on any topic that ALEKS
tells him he's ready to learn. Now it should be pointed out that ALEKS will
periodically reassess you to confirm your retention of the topics you have studied.
These are called automatic or progress assessments and are given based on your
rate of progress in ALEKS and the amount of time spent working in ALEKS It should
be pointed out that although you demenstrate mastery of a certain topic in
your learning ALEKS may expect you to demenstrate continued mastery of that
topic. And subsequent assessments. And if you seem to need review, ALEKS will
subtract that topic, and possibly other prerequisite topics, from your pie, making
them available again for selection and learning. Therefore, always try to do your
best on assessments. All right, there are a few more things that should be pointed
out here. If you look up here, There is this link called report. If you click
here, it gives you a full report on your knowledge. It shows your pi, what you can
do. What you're ready to learn next. As well as your history. It gives the
assessment performance the percent of the current objective you have satisfied
currently and if you go back up here there's also a tab that says time and
topic. You click here ALEKS tells you the time that has been spent in ALEKS The
topics attempted, the topics mastered, and so on. And ALEKS has a lot of other cool
features that you can familiarize yourself with once you start browsing around the
website. And for all other information on this Math 1-B course, please see the
course website has it has full details on other aspects of the course. Have fun