ALEKS: An Artificial Intelligence-Based Distance Learning System Free

The educational arena is one of the many areas that have reaped numerous benefits as a result of technological advancements. The Internet has provided a plethora of learning possibilities for today's learners (Web-Based Education Commission, 2000). In the past, students had very limited educational opportunities. Learners were able to acquire an education only in the traditional manner—by attending a brick-and-mortar institution. Today, however, learners have a vast number of educational choices.

Distance education is one of the most popular choices students have embraced today to pursue their educational endeavors. It affords students the opportunity to receive instruction 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from any locale. Seminole State College (SSC) is one of many higher education learning institutions that have incorporated distance learning in their instructional practices. They offer two types of distance education formats for their classes. Learners can complete all of their coursework in an online environment or they can take classes in a blended setting. This article will focus on how SSC utilizes a web-based artificial intelligence learning system called ALEKS, the acronym for Assessment and Learning Knowledge Spaces. The ALEKS system employs a student-centered approach and provides individualized instruction in their blended learning courses.

Distance education has evolved tremendously since its inception. It has come a long way from using radio broadcasts, correspondence courses, and television as a means of providing instruction distantly. The development of fiber optics, as well as the ability to connect computers together over sizable geographical locations, has been very beneficial in the promotion of distance education. As technology continues to progress, it is expected that the field of distance education will also continue to grow.

Many students are turning to distance education as a means to fulfill their educational aspirations. As such, distance education has become a major topic in the academic environment. Schlosser and Simonson (2009) describe distance education as “institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources, and instructors” (p.1). There are a variety of reasons why distance education is so appealing to learners. Some believe that online learning is a means to cater to students with diverse scheduling demands (Cushall, 2002). Others believe that traditional classrooms are a thing of the past; that they are becoming archaic (EdTech Magazine, 2012). Regardless of the reason, we are experiencing an astronomical increase in enrollment of distance learners in schools of higher learning.

There is a great deal of data available that focuses on enrollment in online college courses. In 2011 the Pew Research Center conducted a study that involved about 1,055 college presidents from two and four year public and private institutions, as well as college presidents from for-profit learning establishments (Parker, Lenhart, & Moore, 2011). The study results indicate that 77% of those that participated offer online courses at their learning establishments. In addition, about 51% of the participants believe that there was no difference in value between online classes and traditional classes. The study also suggests that nearly 25% of college graduates take at least one online course while studying for their associate's degree and 17% take an online class while completing their bachelor's degree coursework.

Community colleges are experiencing enormous growth in enrollment in online courses. A recent report by the Sloan Consortium suggests that enrollment of online courses have surpassed those of traditional face-to-face courses (Learning on Demand: Online learning in the United States, 2009).

According to the report, in 2008 over 4.5 million students were enrolled in at least one online class. This reflects a 17% increase in enrollment from 2007. Similarly, a study by the Instructional Technology Council (2012) indicated that there was a 22% increase in online enrollment from 2007-8 to 2008-9. Seminole State College (SSC) is among the many educational institutions that are experiencing a huge increase in enrollment of their distance education courses. Students are able to take classes fully online or they can enroll in blended, also referred to as hybrid, classes.

Blended classes afford students the opportunity to receive instruction both face-to-face and online (Graham, 2004; and Young, 2002). Regarding blended learning, Young quoted the then-president of Pennsylvania State University Graham B. Spanier, as saying “hybrid education may be the single-greatest unrecognized trend in higher education today” (p. A33). Young also mentions an astounding projection made by John Bourne, an editor for The Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks. According to Young, Bourne estimates that within the next few years over 75% of classes offered on college campuses will be blended classes.

Artificial intelligence is gaining considerable attention in the field of education. Hall (2002) described artificial intelligence as “a computer-based analytical process that exhibits what we view as intelligent behavior or actions” (p. 38). He proposed that artificial intelligence attempts to imitate human thought processes through reasoning. Hall indicated that artificial intelligent-based distance instruction is particularly effective for students who juggle school, work, and home. He surmised that artificial learning systems hold considerable promise for enhancing learning and cites artificial intelligence's ability to automate online testing, diagnostics, and feedback as major benefits.

Bitter and Legacy also discussed the impact of artificial intelligent on the field of education (2007). They postulated that artificial intelligence will have a significant influence on student learning in the future. They stated, “because artificial intelligence computers function as intelligent aids to their users … computers will become more effective teachers, listening to the students, responding according to the information stored in memory, and then storing information away for later use” (p. 98). ALEKS is one of the programs that have been designed to carry out most of the functions Bitter and Legacy alluded to.

Out of a desire to increase the passing rate of her Basic Algebra courses, Professor Eden Donahou of Seminole State College piloted the ALEKS system in 2010. At that time, the passing rate was around 42%. She implemented ALEKS in two sections of her hybrid classes involving around 80 students. According to her, passing rates increased dramatically from 51% to 78%. Likewise, Donahou attributes a 17% increase in student attendance and a 12% increase in retention rates as a result of the implementation of ALEKS during the pilot. In fact, the average student-learning rate for those using ALEKS is about 90% (ALEKS, 2013c). SSC now offers 94 ALEKS classes in their math department.

ALEKS is an artificial intelligence learning and assessment system based on the mathematical cognitive science called “Knowledge Space Theory” (ALEKS, 2013d). The ALEKS website (www.aleks.com) describes the knowledge space theory as “the mathematical language … used to form distinct knowledge states” (Knowledge State Theory, 2013). A knowledge space contains all of the topics of a particular subject (Johnson, 2006). A knowledge state indicates topics a student has mastered in that subject. The knowledge state theory is based on computer algorithms used in the development and design of content for each subject.

Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek stress the importance of interaction in a distance education program (2012). The ALEKS system is a personalized learning system with a host of interactive activities beneficial to the learning process. It has the ability to evaluate each student independently and endlessly throughout the learning experience. Student interaction is paramount. ALEKS determines exactly what a student knows, what material they are ready to learn, and monitors their progress as they move towards becoming proficient in the subject matter. It is based on active learning. ALEKS provides one-on-one instruction to virtual learners and acts as a personalized instructor and tutor for each learner. Student results are stored in a database and updated instantaneously to reflect student progress.

Rodrigues, Joào, and Vaidya (2010) stress the importance of having systems in place in the online learning environment that monitor the learning progress of individual students. Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek share their viewpoint. They contend that two factors essential in a virtual learning environment are the evaluation of student progress and being able to determine the degree students acquire learning gains. ALEKS encompasses both of these features.

ALEKS has been used by a vast amount of students in hundreds of math, science, and business courses in K-12 and higher education learning institutions (ALEKS, 2013a). It is the product of a multi-million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation, which was comprised of a team of software engineers, mathematicians, and cognitive scientists from New York University and the University of California, Irvine. Jean-Claude Faimagne, a renowned international mathematician, is founder and chairman of the ALEKS Corporation. Experts with advance degrees in respective fields of study develop ALEKS. They also have extensive experience in the education and teaching field.

The ALEKS system is comprised of two modules: one for the student and one for the teacher. Students enter the ALEKS website with a username and password provided by the instructor. Regarding the student module, when a student logs into ALEKS for the first time, he or she is presented with an assessment (ALEKS, 2013b). The assessment gauges a student's knowledge state for a subject. This identifies which topic the student is proficient in and which one he is not.

Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek imply that one of the features that enhance the blended learning experience is quick feedback. ALEKS offers instantaneous feedback. Upon completion of the assessment, a graphical report illustrating the student's results are displayed in the form of a color-coded pie chart. Each slice of the pie corresponds to a particular topic of the course. The degree of mastery is depicted by the amount the slice is filled in or shaded (Tempelaar et al., 2006). A slice completely filled in indicates that the student has mastered that topic; if the slice is half filled in, then the student has mastered one half of the course content.

The report outlines the learner's current knowledge of the subject and proposes a path of study. Double-clicking a slice of the pie opens up the Learning Mode. Learning Mode contains a list of concepts for the student to work on. This mode offers practice problems, explanation of concepts, step-by-step procedures for each problem, and immediate feedback and suggestions. ALEKS also includes an Explain button that provides an explanation for a specific problem. Usually the explanation is a step-by-step solution for a specific problem.

ALEKS utilizes an adaptive learning practice. It follows the student's progress during each learning sequence and offers suggestions to improve the student's progress. Although most assessments, especially standardized testing, utilizes multiple-choice questions ALEKS applies thought provoking open-ended questions. Hence, students cannot play the guessing game by just selecting a response from a group of answers. To ensure that students retain the knowledge previously learned while working through the learning system, ALEKS refers back to the prior knowledge they have mastered by way of assessments provided throughout the learning sessions. ALEKS also employs input tools that simulate what would be done on paper and pencil. A Homework Center, a message center for communicating with the instructor, a dictionary, and a calculator are also available in the Learning Mode.

The Instructor Module provides many resources to monitor student mastery. Instructors can view when a student logged in, how they worked through a slice of the pie, what content they worked on, and their mastery level. They can also make audio recordings available, as well as PowerPoint presentations to aid the students in learning. Attendance and other administrative tasks (i.e. grades) can be carried out via the Instructor Mode.

Technological innovations have changed how students learn, as well as where they learn. Students have the ability to learn 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world, and institutions of higher learning are experiencing a surge in the number of students desiring to pursue their education in an online learning environment. Seminole State College is one of the many the educational establishments that are facing a growth in their distance education program. Students can take advantage of enrollment in a totally online or a blended learning format.

SSC adopted ALEKS in an effort to provide a student-centered learning experience that would boost their completion rates. Consequently, many of their professors boast of their high passing rates since they have implemented ALEKS in their courses. Some research has been done in the area of artificial intelligence and distance education (Alexakos, Beligiannis, Giotopoulos, & Stefani, 2010; Sari, Sellami, & Seridi-Bouchelaghem, 2005; Taylor, 2008). Further research is needed in the area of utilizing ALEKS in both higher education and K-12 learning environments. There is also a need for research in the area of student achievement, completion rates, and student and teacher efficacy, as it relates to the ALEKS learning and assessment system.