The ALEKS Knowledge Check
After you register for ALEKS you will be directed to a tools tutorial and then to a Knowledge Check. This knowledge check is not a test. It is designed to determine if there are some course topics you already know and thus can skip relearning them.
This Knowledge Check determines your learning path through the 7 Modules that comprise this course. You want to do your best because this check determines the topics you must learn and master in the course.
It is 25-30 questions and takes about 45 minutes to 1.5 hours to complete. There are no multiple-choice questions in ALEKS.
Tips when you do this Knowledge Check:
Allow enough time and have paper and pencil available
Take it seriously! Not being honest will give you MORE work in the future.
Don’t consult outside resources. Be honest about what you know and don’t know.
Don’t be afraid to click the “I don’t know” button. We don’t expect you to know everything in the course at the beginning. BUT do try the problem first.
Be sure you click the final submit.
VERY IMPORTANT! You may not retake the knowledge check. It is not a test. It simply identifies the topics you already know and the starting point for your learning path.
Points
When you take the initial knowledge check, the topics that you demonstrate knowledge of are credited in each relevant module. So, in some modules you will already be credited as having learned some of the goal topics. The points earned are reflected in the LEO gradebook. They are simply the starting point for each module.
When you look at the LEO gradebook after taking the knowledge check, you can see where you already have a head start. These scores will of course rise as you actively work on the objectives.
What are ALEKS Modules?
Learning the skills for this math course starts with your work in the ALEKS classroom.
ALEKS is organized around modules. There are 7 modules: Course Readiness, Consumer Math I, Exponential and Logarithmic Functions, Consumer Math II, Statistics, Probability, and Logic.
Your learning path is determined by the knowledge check that you take.
Your learning path is composed of topics in each of the seven modules.
Each week, the focus on a particular module. This is indicated on the Schedule part of the Syllabus in the Leo Classroom. The module in focus for a particular week is also indicated in the weekly content accessed from Content on the navigation bar.
Once you reach a minimum progress level, ALEKS moves you to the next module.
You may always work ahead or even catch up if you get behind. All the 7 modules are open for the full 8 weeks of class.
Resources for learning a topic in ALEKS
ALEKS starts with a Learning page which has a question and an explanation of how to answer the question.
On the right side of the Learning page there are icons for related videos and e-text material.
Once you decide that you understand the skill covered by the topic, then you must complete problems to demonstrate this skill.
When you are ready to answer questions, press Start.
When you are presented with a question to answer, you can first click the Explanation bubble at the bottom and practice
If your answer to a question is incorrect you can either retry and recheck or click the Explanation bubble
ALEKS will not move you to the next topic in your path until you demonstrate that you have the skill be correctly solving 3-5 of these problems in a row.
How do I see what I need to do in each module?
In our class, we are focused on Modules and your weekly schedule is organized around Modules.
To see where you stand with each module do the following:
Click the 3 horizontal bars in the upper left of the ALEKS page
Click on Reports
Then Current Module
Then View Full Report
What will this Module Report tell me?
You will see which modules are open for you to work on and which are not yet opened (they are grayed out).
For an open module, you will see a 2-color circle and a number indicating what percent of the topics in that module are already credited to you. You will also get the number of topics remaining to be learned. There are drop down menus below the circle that will provide you with information on the actual topics still to be learned. Some topics will be “locked” because there are topics that precede and are necessary before you work on that locked topic.
For a module that is not yet open to you, you will see a greyed circle with a lock icon and an indication of the number of topics you must learn for that module.
When does a module open?
Our seven modules are arranged in a specific order. You start with Course Readiness.
For each module, there is a minimum percentage of goal topics that you must learn to move on to the next module.
After you take the Initial Knowledge Check, you may find that several of the modules are open. This is because on the knowledge check you demonstrated that you already knew some of the topics.
How are points earned for the module work in ALEKS?
You earn points toward your final grade based on the percentage of goal topics you have learned for each module.
When are the points earned computed?
Your LEO gradebook is updated in real time. If you look in LEO under My Tools > Grades you will see how many points you have earned on each module.
What module should I work on?
Whenever you login from the link in the LEO classroom, ALEKS will automatically start you at the proper place. Once you reach a minimum progress level on a module, ALEKS will automatically starts you on the topics for the next Module.
What if I want to continue working on an earlier module to raise my score?
Log in to ALEKS and click the Continue My Path button:
ALEKS will take you to the next topic ALEKS thinks you should work on. The module will be listed at the top.
But if you want to choose a previous Module to work on, click the down-arrow just below to the topic title:
You will now be looking at the “carousel” of topics for your current Module
Click the down-arrow next to the Module title:
A menu showing all Modules will appear. To return to a previous Module, click it
After clicking that Module, you see a carousel of topics you still need to learn in that module.
How do I change the topic I am working on in a module?
If you are working in a module and there is a topic that is just not clicking in your understanding, you can change the topic and move on to a different unlocked one in the same module.
Click the down arrow that is below name of topic, then scroll through the carousel of topics that are part of that module and choose another topic so long as it is not locked.