ALEKS

What Is ALEKS?

ALEKS stands for Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces. It is a learning program made by McGraw Hill. The program is based on an idea called the Knowledge Space Theory. This means it checks what a student knows right now. It does not guess based on grade level. Instead, it asks questions that change based on the answers of students. This helps to find out what the student already knows. It also finds out what the student is ready to learn in the future.

What Is ALEKS Best For?

ALEKS helps keep track of what each student has learned with its adaptive questioning engine which is updated in real-time.  This feature builds a map of what the student knows. It also updates the map as the student gains good knowledge of one concept. Then it helps the student learn new material, just past what they already know. ALEKS works well for schools and informal educational settings. This engine helps them move from old teaching methods to data-based teaching methods. This gives them a clear view of each student's learning progress.

How Much Does ALEKS Cost?

ALEKS pricing starts at $19.95/user/month, billed as a 1-month individual subscription. Additional subscription terms are:

• 1-Month – $19.95
• 3-Months – $49.95
• 6-Months – $99.95
• 12-Months – $179.95

Families can get a discount. This happens when they buy two or more 6-month or 12-month plans at the same time. For schools, districts, and colleges, the prices are different. It depends on how many students will use ALEKS.

In addition to the base subscription costs, organizations should account for the following potential expenses:

• Implementation: approx. $1,000–$5,000 for SMBs; $10,000–$50,000 for crucial deployments
• Content Migration: approx. $500–$5,000 based on volume of data and conversion requirements
• Admin And Instructor Training: approx. $500–$3,000
• SSO, HRIS, And API Integrations: approx. $1,000–$10,000, depending on integration scope

Many reviewers say ALEKS is worth the cost. They like its customizable learning features. But some think it is too pricey.  The price can be a problem for schools with a limited budget. Reviewers have praised its capabilities but have raised concerns about costs.

Disclaimer: Pricing is subject to change.

ALEKS Integrations

Some of the supported and integrated LMS platforms are:

• Canvas LMS
• Blackboard
• Brightspace
• Moodle

How Does ALEKS Work?

Here's how you can begin using the software:

• Sign up for an ALEKS account, or have your institution set one up through McGraw Hill
• Choose the relevant course product based on your grade level or curriculum needs
• Complete the Initial Knowledge Check, which uses adaptive questioning to assess what you already know and identify learning gaps
• Receive a custom-made learning path that focuses only on the topics you're ready to learn
• Work through topics using guided explanations, practice exercises, and immediate feedback  
• Complete periodic Progress Knowledge Checks, which reassess your mastery and manage your learning path as needed
• Check progress through Progress Reports, Time and Topic Reports, and ALEKS Insights (for instructors)
• Integrate ALEKS with your institution's LMS for single sign-on (SSO) and automatic grade synchronization

Who Is ALEKS For?

ALEKS software is suitable for the following:

• K-12 schools and districts
• Higher education institutions
• Homeschool families
• Independent learners
• Math, chemistry and statistics instructors
• Academic advisors

ALEKS Use Cases

Based on our analysis of user reviews and ALEKS features, we have discussed key settings where the platform is used:

Higher Education Faculty Managing Math Classes

In a normal class, students have varying knowledge status. Some know more; some know less. This makes it hard for teachers to help everyone at once. ALEKS has a tool called the Initial Knowledge Check. It shows exactly what each student already knows. Then it helps builds a learning plan for each student. It focuses on what they still need to learn. This way, one teacher can teach a class with many different skill levels.

Academic Support Personnel Identifying Students Who Are Struggling

Sometimes struggling students can be overlooked at times. This happens when teachers cannot track each student's progress. ALEKS Insights help flags students who are not making progress. This gives teachers an early warning sign. Then they can step in and help. It also flags students who are doing well.  This keeps every student’s progress on track.

Academic Department Placing Incoming Students Into The Right Math Course

Sometimes schools place students in the wrong math class. This can happen when they use old test scores and fail to make the right decision on student placement. It can also happen when students just guess their own skill level. ALEKS has a tool called Placement, Preparation, and Learning. It checks each student's real skills and suggests the right math class for them. After that, it gives the student a prep module made just for them. This saves schools time and money. They don't have to fix wrong placements or deal with repeated mis-enrollments.

Instructors Preventing Learning Loss On Material Already Passed

Usually, courses move forward and don't often go back to old topics that were earlier covered. Because of this, students can forget what they learned before. This problem can get bigger in large classes and can be hard for teachers to catch it on their own. But ALEKS features allow instructors to keep track of retention on topics that students have already learned. If a student does not clear the topical assessments, ALEKS flags the issue to the instructors and with knowledge reinforcement tools helps students review the topic. This helps protect what students have learned. And it does this without adding extra loads on teachers.

Is ALEKS Right For You?

ALEKS is a good fit for schools, academic institutions, and informal educational settings that want to focus on building knowledge and do not want to use the old schooling methods. The system uses a feature called Knowledge Space Theory to assess a student’s current knowledge and build learning paths unique to each student’s topical understanding. Arizona State University uses ALEKS in its Global Freshman Academy for classes like College Algebra and Precalculus.

ALEKS has also won awards and recognition in the industry. In 2022, it won the EdTech Breakthrough Award for Best STEM Solution for Higher Ed. In 2023, ALEKS won the Educators Pick Best of STEM Adaptive Technology Award.

Still not sure if ALEKS software is the right fit for you? Connect with our team at (661) 384-7070 today.