3 ms·

We're very aware of this kind of issue; don't worry. We're currently working on A) displaying information to let a user know what kind of format an answer requi

We're very aware of this kind of issue; don't worry. We're currently working on A) displaying information to let a user know what kind of format an answer requires (for the problem in question, we require a reduced fraction written as 'A/B') and B) providing more specific feedback than just 'wrong' or 'right' for cases like this when an answer can be mathematically correct but not accepted for the specific problem. Thanks for pointing this out and reminding us of its importance!

kenjackson 15y ago
What would be cool is if you guys integrated Mathematica into Khan Academy. There is that new document format they introduced. For math it would be super useful to have the ability to really play with formulas directly in Khan Academy.
- capnrefsmmat 15y ago
  Mathematica may be overkill -- I suspect they'd just need something for basic symbolic manipulation, to reduce answers. In any case, a web-based mathematics system already exists; Sage can be run in a browser, and it integrates a number of useful mathematical features with Python: http://sagemath.org/ http://sagemath.org/
  - ylem 15y ago
    sympy would be another alternative--it's light, it's python, but has a web interface and has a very active community.
aik 15y ago
Thanks for the response. B) sounds great -- I'll be very curious to see how it's implemented! A critique of the common school system is that it encourages simply giving the answers the system seeks, rather than a healthier and more realistic method of encouraging exploration of problems and spaces and perhaps guiding the student along their journey of discovery (and as a result encouraging innovation, creativity, curiosity, etc.). So I definitely would love to see the problems go beyond this! As an afterthought: I imagine teaching requires these sort of innovative abilities as well. KhanAcademy seems to work fairly well as it is, however there are always more, different and better answers to how learning outcomes can be improved -- they just need to be explored. (Isn't it funny how KhanAcademy is constantly in the spotlight to be the best -- I could imagine the pressure :)!
lobo_tuerto 15y ago
For that kind of problems you could accept any answer that reduces to the expected one, after accepting it you could then show its reduction (going from 6/9 -> 2/3) to enforce the lesson. That way it would only show a sad face if the fraction entered is plain wrong.

kenjackson 15y ago

What would be cool is if you guys integrated Mathematica into Khan Academy. There is that new document format they introduced. For math it would be super useful to have the ability to really play with formulas directly in Khan Academy.

capnrefsmmat 15y ago
Mathematica may be overkill -- I suspect they'd just need something for basic symbolic manipulation, to reduce answers. In any case, a web-based mathematics system already exists; Sage can be run in a browser, and it integrates a number of useful mathematical features with Python: http://sagemath.org/ http://sagemath.org/
- ylem 15y ago
  sympy would be another alternative--it's light, it's python, but has a web interface and has a very active community.

aik 15y ago

Thanks for the response. B) sounds great -- I'll be very curious to see how it's implemented! A critique of the common school system is that it encourages simply giving the answers the system seeks, rather than a healthier and more realistic method of encouraging exploration of problems and spaces and perhaps guiding the student along their journey of discovery (and as a result encouraging innovation, creativity, curiosity, etc.). So I definitely would love to see the problems go beyond this! As an afterthought: I imagine teaching requires these sort of innovative abilities as well. KhanAcademy seems to work fairly well as it is, however there are always more, different and better answers to how learning outcomes can be improved -- they just need to be explored. (Isn't it funny how KhanAcademy is constantly in the spotlight to be the best -- I could imagine the pressure :)!

lobo_tuerto 15y ago

For that kind of problems you could accept any answer that reduces to the expected one, after accepting it you could then show its reduction (going from 6/9 -> 2/3) to enforce the lesson. That way it would only show a sad face if the fraction entered is plain wrong.