You have received an e-mail with the advice to cover certain areas in the Khan Academy (KA). For this you will have to create a login, enter your real name in the profile (please use "Last name, First name" format) and add me as a coach. Information on how to do that can be found on the Khan Academy Instructions (follow the Khan Academy Instructions link on the navigation bar to the left).
After you have done this you will take the challenges in the areas that you have been advised to work on. At the bottom of this page there is the "Advice Translation Table" where you can find out which challenges you have to take for a certain advice.
You do this as follows:
Click on "Practice" in the KA to see the knowledge map which should look something like the image below. Each circle is a node, pertaining to a subject area.
Choose a subject node that you have to take a challenge in and double-click on it (at the bottom of this page you find the Advice Translation Table).
The KA software will give you questions that you are supposed to answer. If you are not sure in which format the answer can be given, hover with your mouse over the "Acceptable formats" button above the answer field. Also, you can switch the "scratchpad" on (and off) which will enable you to write on the screen with your mouse. This feature obviously works better if you have a touch screen device or a digitizer pad.
Start doing the exercises and keep doing the exercises until it says that you are proficient in that subject area. You will be offered questions in blocks of 10. Once you have finished a block the KA software will show you what skills you have been working on and will offer you to pick a new skill or to get "another stack like this". Choose the latter until you have finished the challenge. Each subject area consists of a whole range of skills that you will have to show proficiency in.
Obviously you can choose to work on more than one challenge at a time and alternate between them. The KA software will remember each question you have answered and also save you progress with each question. So, you will never lose your progress and you are able to stop and continue where you left as many times as you want.
If you don't know the answer, there are 2 things you can do: get a hint or watch a video that explains how to do the exercise that you are busy with. These two possibilities you find below the answer field:
Once you have finished the challenge, you will get the "Challenge Patch" and the node will turn dark blue on the knowledge map. Onwards to the next challenge!
This process will make sure that you will be proficient in the numerical and mathematical skills necessary for your study. Your advice and your progress should be a regular part of your contact with your tutor. Please show him/her the advice you got per e-mail and show your progress on a regular basis. Also, this will be part of your portfolio, after ll you are developing proficiencies in skill and therefore you have to document it.
As you can see on the knowledge map there are many more areas and depending on your course, some might be relevant to you later on. So, please don't forget in the next years that you can use the KA to polish up your maths knowledge. On top of that, the KA offers a range of videos for many other areas too, you are so lucky to live in a time where these resources are available to you, at no cost at all! Use it.
Advice Translation Table
Use this table to map the advice you received per email to the KA subject areas that you have to complete challenges in:
Advice Given
Challenges to take
Numeracy
Addition and subtraction
Absolute value
Multiplication and division
Decimals
Factors and multiples
Order of Operations
Fractions
Factors and multiples
Fractions
Rates and ratios
Percents : Update This challenge has been hidden somehow or might have become part of fractions. . Please zoom in on the map near to Fractions and do the relevant skills depicted in screen below!
Powers and Logs
Exponents, radicals, and logarithms
Basic Algebra
Linear equations
Functions
Graphing points, equations and inequalities
No area advised?
Don't cry, you can have a go at it anyhow if you have time. First of all, this is the most amazing learning tool available. Second, just because you haven't got any advice doesn't mean you can't set challenges for yourself, if you think that some of your Maths is a bit iffy, if something catches your eye: take a challenge in that area. I can always advise you if you want.
