“HYBRID LEARNING: KHAN ACADEMY PROMOTING PERSONALIZATION, INDEPENDENT LEARNING AND TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP“

 

by Dr. Hava Vidergor,
Graduate Studies, Gordon Academic College of Education, Haifa, Israel

 

ABSTRACT

Khan Academy (KA) is a useful platform for hybrid learning and especially learning math. However, little research has been conducted on how learners perceive using KA. The case study presented here examined the effectiveness of KA used by students at home combined with traditional face-to face learning in the class.  Twenty-seven secondary school students (N=27) studying math filled in a reflective diary twice, and 18 of them consented to be interviewed. Main categories emerging from content analysis were the teacher, the student, teacher-student relations, subject and content, and learning environment. Main findings show: a. students perceived themselves as independent learners, investing in and aware of their functions as learners, more committed to the subject of math. b. Teachers using KA were perceived as more professional, dedicated, connected to students’ needs, and innovative. c. KA was perceived as encouraging independence, available, and more interesting than books. d. Learning math via KA was more motivating and enjoyable. e. The teacher-student relationship was stressed by students as the most important component, being more valuable than the innovative learning environment. The main conclusion is that KA is effective in promoting personalization, independence, and innovative teaching-learning processes. However, the teacher’s mediation of cognitive and emotional learning is crucial. Hence, teachers should use KA in math and other subjects available, while creating and maintaining direct lines of teacher-student interaction.

 

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Hava Vidergor, PhD, is a senior lecturer of curriculum and instruction in the Graduate School at Gordon Academic College of Education, Israel. She received an M.A. in educational leadership with distinction from University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a PhD in Education from Haifa University, Israel. Her research interests center on learning in hybrid environments, curriculum planning and design, innovative teaching-learning strategies, and gifted education. She has published numerous papers and presented widely in international conferences. She is the author or editor of several books: Applied Practice for Educators of Gifted and Able Learners (with Carole R. Harris), Innovative Teaching Strategies and Methods Promoting Lifelong Learning in Higher Education: From Theory to Practice (with Orly Sela) and Enhancing the Gift of Leadership (with Dorothy Sisk).  She designed a new graduate program called Innovation in Education promoting teacher entrepreneurship in applying new pedagogies and creating and investigating blended learning environments. She serves on editorial board of reviewers of several international and local journals and experienced in editing special issues. Her Multidimensional Curriculum Model (MdCM) focusing on developing high order thinking and future thinking literacy in K-12 students was published in a book titled Multidimensional Curriculum Enhancing Future Thinking Literacy.