The Kahn Institute

Sal Khan and His Academy

In 2004, Salman Khan began tutoring his cousins via the internet so that they could better understand their math homework.  His  platform veered away from the traditional whiteboard lecture that most students are familiar with, and instead focused on a “pen in hand” type instruction, similar to what would be seen when studying with a tutor side by side.  This approach was so popular and successful within his family, that Sal decided to post most of his videos to YouTube for public access.  As popularity increased, Sal began uploading even more instructional videos, which garnered the attention of Bill Gates, Google and the Lemann Foundation.  With grants from these and other interested investors, the Kahn Institute was born in 2006.  This is a non-profit organization that provides perpetually free instruction on subjects varying from Math and Science, to Economics and Art History.  

In this digital age, students have increased access to online “tutors” and “learning supplements”, and parents are utilizing these tools to assist their children with homework.  It is a quick way to get help, although parents don’t always know which sites provide the most reliable and comprehensive information on the subject matter.  When I googled “math instructional videos”, the Khan Academy was the fifth site listed among the results, which puts it in the top tier of parental choices (no one likes to have to click through multiple sources, busy parents want something quick and easy).  One of my biology professors signed his son up for it, stating that it was “very handy to have for supplemental instruction.”  Also, when “reviews of the Khan Academy” the majority of reviews are stellar, ranging from parents, to media spots highlighting what Mr. Kahn has done for “free online education”.  It is seemingly a reliable source for academic instruction.  

So, let’s examine this “Academy” a little further.  We will start with criticism and acclaim.  After receiving funding from Bill Gates, the Academy was positively highlighted on shows such as 60 minutes  and Charlie Rose, and as referenced above, most of the Google results for reviews gives glowing recommendations.  

The reviews on Yelp were positive, with the majority carrying a 5 star rating.  

Common sense media gives the institute an overall score of 12 out of 17, lauding Khan on how well the procedural information is presented, but cautioning parents that the conceptual ideas are less attended to.  

In contrast, a Washington Post blog states “They’re (teachers) concerned that he’s a bad teacher who people think is great; that the guy who’s delivered over 170 million lessons to students around the world openly brags about being unprepared and considers the precise explanation of mathematical concepts to be mere “nitpicking.” Experienced educators are concerned that when bad teaching happens in the classroom, it’s a crisis; but that when it happens on YouTube, it’s a “revolution.”" The Huffington Post states, “No, what bothered me was the program's unspoken implication that the many thousands of American mathematics teachers did not know what they were doing, and that they, or perhaps the kids in our schools, needed "saving." (Some probably do, but some is not the whole system.) It was not Sal Khan himself who gave that impression -- what he said, very clearly, as he has on many occasions, was quite the opposite. Rather it was the way the program (60 minutes) was structured and narrated.”  

 The blog on education week says “procedures are still important, and Khan Academy provides one venue where students can learn them. In the end, I think every young person should have an account there. Even if only one in a thousand or ten thousand benefit, that would be a terrific outcome.”  they posted this satirical video, criticizing his misuse of mathematical terms and teaching techniques: 

         

So what does this Academy offer to the parent/student that signs up for free instruction?  I visited the site and signed up as a parent in order to view and access the quality of the instruction myself.  I have a degree in Biology with a concentration in Microbiology and Genetics, so I focused on the Biology portion of the videos, so as to properly assess them.  

The first video I watched was on Evolution:  Natural Selection:  within three minutes, he made the statement that Great Apes have tails, which is inaccurate.   The mistake was corrected by a small text box in the lower right hand corner, which in my opinion, is hardly noticeable for a busy student/parent.  He did go on to explain natural selection using the peppered moths of the industrial revolution, viruses, and antibiotic resistance.  These concepts were explained in nice lay-person terminology...”dudes” and “willy-nilly”, which would be more entertaining and approachable to a high school/middle school student.  

The next lesson I accessed, was on Photosynthesis:  When explaining the thylakoid membrane, Sal said grana, instead of granum...again, corrected by a text box.  I missed this mistake, and it is really more of a grammatical mistake than a technical one.  He also mistakenly referred to Photosystem I when he meant to reference Photosystem II, which can be confusing for kids to learn for the first time (Photosystem II receives light photons first, it is referred to as II because it was second to be discovered; it is confusing because students want to think that Photosystem I receives the photons first, because it is named I).  I did like the diagrams and he showed PSII as a computer generated protein in order to show the complexity, but also drew it in circles and boxes in order to generally understand what is occurring and where.  Then he got complicated...how many times do you have to say:  from a high energy state to a low energy state?  I believe that the “general overview” could be more simplified.  He said that a future lecture would go into more detail later, but really, he would have lost a high school student at this point.  “Sal”  regularly mis-spells technical words, which is a problem when kids don’t quite know how to spell them.  His “easy” diagrams get cramped and complicated very quickly.  He said “photons” when he means “electrons”, this is also technically wrong and can confuse a student.  

In my opinion, the approach of the Kahn Academy is very open and casual, creating an inviting overall feel for students and parents.  I especially like the format of the presentations, simulating a “person-to-person” feel as opposed to a “lecture hall environment”.  This program has become very successful, due to the popularity of his YouTube videos and the media attention that he has recently been awarded.  Many parents and students highly recommend the videos, and say they have been more successful in their studies because of them.  There are many problems that, if corrected, can push the Academy to the next level.  Networking with current educators would be handy and effective in dealing with the conceptualization issue, having a lecture with both conceptual and instructional components would provide a better experience for the student.  Also, the fact that the videos are not accurately reviewed for mistakes before posting to the academy is disappointing.  I think that Sal could at least hire an intern that can proof the videos enough to make sure those mistakes get corrected.  The small “goofs” that occur in the videos can make lasting negative impressions that are hard for a teacher to alter once the “goofs” are committed to memory.  I think that Mr. Kahn’s idea of a free education is an excellent one.  The only problem I have is that he has no one but himself to provide the lectures.  In the future, I would like to see more collaboration with teachers/professors/institutions, that can provide the type of 360 degree education that all students deserve.  The idea that a businessman can teach in a more effective way without ever encountering a student or a classroom seems a big narcissistic to me.