Student Orientation to ALEKS Higher Ed Classic (accounting, business math, and statistics courses)

Agenda What is ALEKS? 1 Getting Started 2 Learning in ALEKS 3 4 Key Tips for Success 5 Registration and Resources

What is ALEKS?

Hello and Welcome! This brief walkthrough will help you to become familiar with the ALEKS program and how it will be used in this class. It will also assist you with the registration process and direct you where to go for help. You will have regular, required assignments in ALEKS, and you can expect to spend several hours a week working on them. In fact, how much time you have to spend in the program will depend on how efficiently you use the ALEKS system. Thank you, [Instructor Name] [School Name]

What is the ALEKS system? ALEKS stands for Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces. It is an individualized, adaptive learning tool that is unlike any other online program available today. Think of it as a human tutor designed to help you learn math. ALEKS uses artificial intelligence to determine what you know, what you don’t know, and what you are most ready to learn. ALEKS then creates a personalized learning plan that gets you to the finish line in the most efficient way. To make sure that you remember what you learn, ALEKS will check your knowledge. These Assessments, or Knowledge Checks, are designed to help you, so take them seriously! Treat ALEKS well and it will treat you well.

Getting Started

Navigating Your ALEKS Account The navigation bar at the top of the screen allows you to access main areas of your course, like the Gradebook, Course Calendar, and extra assignments. Select the Review button to review topics you’ve already learned in the ALEKS Pie. Above the navigation bar you’ll see a few additional links to more features, like your Message Center Inbox and Reports. The ALEKS reports will help you track your time and progress, as well as help you to focus on getting ahead.

Initial Assessment Once you register, you will take a brief tutorial on how to use the system. Next, you will complete an Initial Assessment (or Knowledge Check). Its purpose is to figure out what you know and don’t know, so that you can begin with material you are ready to learn. Take the ALEKS Assessments honestly and seriously so that the system can accurately measure your knowledge of course material. If you don’t, you will only be giving yourself more work!

The ALEKS Pie After you finish the Initial Assessment, you will see your ALEKS Pie. This represents your current knowledge of the course. Notice that ALEKS gave you credit for some topics you already know! Each Pie Slice has two sections: Dark = topics mastered on an Assessment Light = topics learned in Learning Mode Select a pie slice to see the topics in that course area that you are ready to learn.

Learning in ALEKS

Learning Mode You will work in Learning Mode to master new topics. Hover your mouse over a pie slice and select a topic to learn. You will only see the topics that you are ready to learn. As you learn topics, the dark portion of the pie slices will grow and more topics will become available. If your instructor has set up ALEKS Objectives, you will see white dots on each pie slice. Your goal is to work on the topics in these slices, until the dark portion reaches the white dots.

Working on ALEKS Topics After you select a topic, you will work on several problems for that topic. If you know how to solve the problem, do your work on paper and input your final answer. ALEKS will tell you if you answered correctly. Select the Explain button to access: A tutorial on how to do the problem Links to the ALEKS Dictionary Extra resources such as exercise videos, and a link to your textbook Select the Practice button for more problems. Once you have answered enough problems correctly, the topic will be “added to your pie.”

ALEKS Assessments Every now and then, ALEKS will check to see if you remember what you are learning by giving you an Assessment. These assessments are meant to figure out what you remember and what you need to review again. They will appear periodically throughout your learning based on how your instructor setup the course. If you take them seriously and honestly, they will work to your advantage!

Key Tips for Success

Key Tips Don’t procrastinate! Don’t wait until the last minute to meet a deadline – it will be harder to catch up and you will end up having to do more work. Log in every day. Be sure to log in every day. Doing some work every day will get you to the finish line faster than trying to cram. Take knowledge checks seriously! Do your best without the help of outside resources. Your results on each Knowledge Check will affect your pie. Know how ALEKS works. Understanding how ALEKS works is your biggest advantage. Using it the way it was intended will help you reach your goals faster.

Registration and Resources

How to Register for Your ALEKS Class Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Go to www.aleks.com and select SIGN UP NOW! Enter your 10-digit Course Code. Verify that you are enrolling in the correct course. Indicate whether or not you have used ALEKS before. Enter your 20-character ALEKS access code if you have one ready, or purchase one now. Complete the ALEKS registration process if required. NOTE: If you are required to access ALEKS through your Learning Management System (like Blackboard or Canvas), then your instructor may provide alternate instructions.

Managing Your ALEKS Account Home Manage all of your ALEKS classes with one login through your Student Account Home. You can change your account settings, sign up for new classes, buy extra time, and view previous classes. To get to your Account Home from within a class, open the menu from your name in the top, right corner and select Account Home.

Help and Resources Find helpful resources, such as printable tutorials and how-to videos, by visiting the Student Resources Page (www.aleks.com/highered/students) on the ALEKS website. Contact ALEKS Technical Support: Email: http://support.aleks.com (be sure to select your market on the form!) Phone: 714-619-7090 Hours (Eastern Time): Monday through Thursday, 7am – 1am Friday, 7am – 9pm Sunday, 4pm – 1am