Running head: ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE

CLASSROOM
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ISD Team Analysis of Khan Academy and Tablets in the Classroom

Jason Swinehart
Liberty University
EDUC 633
July 3, 2015

ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE CLASSROOM

Abstract
Khan Academys technology is a tool for improved student learning and serves as a conduit for
all curricula - not a separate curriculum unto itself. Learners are exposed to courses that enhance
learning, promote greater flexibility, and diversity. This instructional design (ISD) supports
learning and teaching strategies that align with the Common Core standards, as well as the state
and local standards. Khan Academy is committed to achieving its greatest reach when students
are able to use tablets to adapt their learning and speed to their own level. Accessing Khan
Academys website with the tablets enables students to improve their technological skills so that
they can achieve higher academic standards and be actively engaged in the technological world
around them. Technology use in the classroom will allow students to develop and apply required
technology standards. The teachers and students will discuss and understand basic issues related
to responsible use of Khan Academys technology information and define acceptable and
unacceptable computer and Internet use, to include plagiarism.
Keywords: Khan Academy, online education, virtual classroom, tablets

ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE CLASSROOM

Need Identification
All learners will have engaging and empowering learning experiences both in and out of
school that will prepare them to be active, creative, knowledgeable, and ethical participants in a
global networked society. Technology is changing teaching and learning methods; students have
more control over their learning experience. Due to technological access in the world today,
technology-enhanced classrooms have been created in many schools. Many school districts have
incorporated technology implementation plans (TIPs) into their curriculum. Learning is
becoming more student-centered instead of teacher-centered. Now, teachers have so many
education technology resources at their fingertips. They can create free accounts and use a
variety of programs to enhance their lessons and help with students achievement, understanding,
and overall engagement in their learning. Khan Academy is one such website. Khan Academy is
a global classroom that focuses on learners desire to grow academically. The use of Khan
Academy will offer a personalized learning experience and empower learners to study at their
own pace. It also adds the needed flexibility with resources and performances for students who
need those accommodations. The use of Khan Academy with tablets in the classroom will:

Increase the technology skill set for all users

Increase student access to technology tools
Increase the opportunities for teachers to integrate technology into instruction
Provide teachers and students with updated technology
Goal Statement
Our goal is to engage students in meaningful curricular activities, such as research,
collaboration, and evaluation, through purposeful and effective use of technology, thus providing
students the opportunity to utilize technology effectively as they gain knowledge and develop

ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE CLASSROOM

skills necessary for the 21st century. They will do this through creating, and distributing
technology as well reflecting on what they learned through the use of Khan Academy and tablets.
Students will be encouraged to use nontraditional methods as they use the tablets to complete
assignments while teachers foster education through exploration.
Task Analysis
Determine the instructional objectives that students will perform in Khan Academy
Define and describe in detail the tasks and subtasks that the student will perform.
Specify the knowledge type that students will use in the completion of instructional
objectives.
Select learning outcomes that are appropriate for instructional development
Prioritize and sequence tasks and objectives
Determine instructional activities and strategies that will motivate students and foster
learning
Select appropriate activities that will enhance learning
Construct authentic performance assessments and evaluations (Jonassen et al., 1999).
Gain in depth understanding of the tablet and software use/capability

Identify the critical decision points and appropriate learning techniques to present Khan
Academy lessons.
Identify strategies to integrate tablet use with Khan Academy software/materials for
presentation in a variety of formats.

Context and Learner Analysis

Context Analysis

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Teachers must take into consideration the environment in which learning will take place.

ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE CLASSROOM

Teachers can do this by understanding the setting in which the learning is taking place and can
design and implement activities that make the best use of the educational environment. Teachers
have a responsibility to their students to make sure that learning can take place and that students
are successful. Classroom environment plays a very important role in the lives of students and
their performance in the classroom. It is important for teachers to create a classroom
environment that is friendly, positive, safe, energetic, and one that promotes learning. An
interactive classroom that allows for students to become involved and engaged in the learning
process will help students relate to their learning. Teachers must know what their learning style
is as well as what their students learning styles are. Technology that is implemented in the
classroom correctly will create a learning environment that is interactive and engaging. If
students are involved and engaged in their learning, they will be better behaved, motivated to
learn, and become lifelong learners. Technology is around and can be used in many different
ways. One way is to provide different strategies for students to learn. Educational technology is
a complex, integrated process, involving people, procedures, ideas, devices and organization
involved in all aspects of human learning (Lakhana, 2014, para. 27).
There are two types of contexts according to Dick & Carey (1999), performance context,
and learning context.
Performance context can be defined as the setting that the learners will encounter after
the acquisition of new skills and instruction is completed. It is through the performance that
students can begin learning, showing, and enhancing the new skills they have learned. Several
things to consider when analyzing performance context are:

ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE CLASSROOM

administrative support for the learners

equipment and other resources to be used
social aspect of the setting in which the learners will work
relevance of new learned skills (Dick & Carey, 1999)
Learning context can be defined as the setting in which the actual learning will be taking
place. Several things to consider when analyzing learning context are:

facilities and equipment available and accessible to the learners

compatibility with equipment and instruction delivery
adequate space and equipment for learners to use
authentic learning environment as relevant to instruction (Dick & Carey, 1999)
Learner Analysis
When analyzing the learners for which the instruction is being designed, it is important to
take into consideration many factors including:

age and maturity level -- Middle School ages 12 - 14

disabilities, talents, or giftedness
cultural diversity
socio-economic status
motivation and learning preferences
The use of technology in the classroom gives students the opportunity to learn in a
programs that can help them learn the objective through a different measure. Technology can
variety of ways. Since everyone learns differently, technology opens the classroom up to be
more Academy website how to incorporate Khan Academy into lesson plans for at least one
course in the second 9-weeks of the semester.
Assessments
Pre-Assessment

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Participants, teachers and students, will have their understanding of Khan Academy measured
ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE CLASSROOM

through an introductory survey/assessment/scavenger hunt from teachers pay teachers.

Scavenger Hunt example below:
Name: __________________________ Period: ______
Khan Academy Scavenger Hunt Directions: Go to https://www.khanacademy.org and answer
the following questions to the best of your ability.
1. Find Our Mission on the Khan Academy website. How does it work for students?
2. What are some options you can use if you get stuck during the mission or mastery questions?
3. What other subjects does Khan Academy have that may apply to another course of yours this
year?
4. Who is the Founder and Executive Director of Khan Academy?
5. Look under Subjects and find out where to Learn more about the dashboard. What are
recommendations? Who can make them?
6. Find Test Prep on the website. Which tests can Khan Academy help you prep for?
7. Find Common Core on the website. What does this page tell you about Personalized Learning?
8. What is an interesting topic that Khan Academy touches on in their Blog? (Anj, n.d)
Formative
Teachers will be required to create a lesson plan using Khan Academy and share it with the rest
of the faculty.

ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE CLASSROOM

Teachers will evaluate various technology diagnostic based tools to use as an assessment
accessible by students on their tablets.
Participants will end each module/session with an assessment of the content.
Final Product/Summative
Participants will create lessons by themselves and will share their lessons with other classmates
for feedback. After feedback is given, the participant will then present his/her lesson to the class.
Khan Academy teachers will plan, implement, and evaluate technology strategies that enable
students to demonstrate mastery of technology concepts at each grade level with project-based
assessments in reading, writing, social studies, math, and science.

ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE CLASSROOM

Post-Assessment
Teachers and Instructional Technology Specialists will use Khan Academys technology
instructional program to monitor student progress using the scope of integrated lessons and the
sequence rubric to assess proficiency levels.
Instructional Strategy
The overall strategy for this project is the implementation of technology within the
classroom, more specifically the use of Khan Academy software and tablets. Our first goal is to
get our teachers to successfully create online lessons/assessments through Khan Academy. This
will be completed with six weeks of two hour sessions of professional development. By using
Khan Academy and tablets, teachers will create a virtual learning environment by which the
students are not limited to learning or their understanding within the confines of the school
building. Because of Khan Academys standards and quality, teachers will be able to align their
lessons and assessments with state level of standards and Common Core.
Another strategy being integrated is the development of teachers within the realm of
technology. Many teachers today struggle with the use of technology for various reasons. First,
the teacher may not be familiar with the technology. While attention to choosing the
appropriate hardware and software for the classroom is prerequisite, it is the skill and attitude of
the teacher that determines the effectiveness of technology integration into the curriculum
(Bitner & Bitner, 2002, p. 95). Many teachers who are coming in the teacher workforce have a
good understanding of technology. It is the teachers who have been a part of the education
system for a long period of time who have been required to adapt to the new standards that need
this help. The second reason may be that they have never learned from or with this technology.

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According to one article, Teachers indicated that follow-up and advanced training and use of
ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE CLASSROOM

other advanced telecommunications were available less frequently than professional

development activities (Jones, 2001, p. 35). Similar to the saying more is caught than taught,
many teachers teach as they have been taught in the past. The struggle lies in attempting to
relearn how to teach when they themselves have not been taught in a manner that uses
technology.
A third strategy is to accomplish this learning through the use of tablets. Tablets are a
form of mobile technology that have some of the computing power as a desktop. Another
advantage of the tablet is that it does not require wires to connect to the Internet. It does require
a wireless network, but does not require much more to connect to the Internet. The tablet also
enables the students who use it to learn at their own pace. Many times in a traditional classroom,
a student must learn at the same pace as everyone else in the class. For some, this may be too
slow and for others too fast. By incorporating the tablets with Khan Academy, the students will
be put in more control of their learning.
The fourth strategy being implemented is using both Khan Academy and tablets
for specific learning targets. This does not mean that Khan Academy and tablets are used every
day or for every objective, instead, they are used as a supplemental aspect of the curriculum. By
using both forms of technology, the students are able to work individually as well as
collaboratively. The use of tablets does not leave Khan Academy as the only option for learning.
There are other options available such as TenMarks and Kahoot. However, the focus of this
project is to develop the ability to use tablets, in all possible formats including the interactive
ability, with the teaching content and flexibility of Khan Academy.

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ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE CLASSROOM

Table 1
Summary of Instruction
Goal/Objective

Strategy

Assessment

100% of Khan Academy

standards-based software will
contain lessons that require
technology skills and assess
student ability to perform
these skills appropriate to
their grade level using tablets.

Teachers will create online

lessons and assessments
through the Khan Academy
for students to access using
their tablets on a daily basis.
The lessons and assessments
created will be aligned to
Common Core standards as
well as state standards.

Teachers will use the

information gained from the
Khan Academy assignments
as the assessment method.

100% of school staff will

utilize technology diagnostic
tools to improve student
achievement. Assessments
will assist in prioritizing
individual curricular
objectives.

Professional development will

target the use of technology
diagnostic tools that will be
implemented in the classroom
so that teachers will be
properly trained in the use of
these tools. Professional
Development will take place
over a 6 week period with 2
hour sessions each week. All
teachers will be mandated to
attend the professional
development and will be
required to create a Khan
Academy lesson based on
different standards that will
be presented to the staff at
additional professional
development sessions.

Teachers will provide reports

of data analysis to show the
results of student achievement
through the use of Khan
Academy. Teachers will use
the assigned assessments
through Khan Academy to
generate the reports and
analyze the data given.
Teachers will use quizzes, and
tests provided through iXL to
measure 80% student skill
mastery; they will also assess
performance to improve
student achievement.

90% of students using Khan

Academy will demonstrate
mastery of technology
concepts at the end of Middle
School grades 6,7, and 8.
Mastery of concepts will be
assessed at the end of each
semester for each of the
above mentioned grades.
Students will identify their

Students will complete

assignments that are aligned
to the national and Common
Core standards by using their
tablets on a daily basis.

Teachers will record and

analyze data from the
assignments to determine the
mastery of concepts.
Teachers will use the reports
generated through Khan
Academy to differentiate
instruction and lessons
available to students. This
will allow students to work on

ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE CLASSROOM

strengths and weaknesses

through the use of student
surveys and will be able to
investigate mathematical
problems to help them
analyze problem solving
skills that will allow them to
master skills.
Teachers (or students) will be
able to demonstrate how to
incorporate Khan Academy
into lesson plans for at least
one course in the second 9weeks of the semester.

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their weaknesses and increase

their strengths. It will also
allow teachers to challenge
those students who are going
above expectations on
assignments so that they do
not begin to slack off.

Teachers will create specific

lessons through Khan
Academy that correspond to
specific learning targets.
Students will complete
lessons individually or as a
cooperative group.

Students will access Khan

Academy using their tablets
to complete specific learning
assignments for subjects such
as math or science. These
lessons will be created taking
into consideration students
specific learning styles and
skills.

Where Media Meets Instructional Strategy

Our learners success at all educational levels is contingent upon the design of learning
systems to meet diverse learning needs. The unique features of Khan Academys learning system
incorporates instructional theories and strategies to increase growth in tasks collaboration, and
growth in Web-based instruction.
These instructional theories and strategies foster problem-based and self-regulated
learning based on Piaget's theory of constructivist learning (Tobias & Duffy, 2009) which can
potentially reduce frustration or distraction for both teachers and students. Khan Academys use
of interactive methods in turn helps those students who need differentiation in lessons and gives
them the access to interactive lessons which in turn motivate students, help them gain access to
resources outside the classroom, and allow them to take responsibility for their learning.
Students will also have access to a discussion forum where they can share their thoughts, ideas,

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and struggles with the teacher and other students. This will allow them to not only interact with
ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE CLASSROOM

their peers, but they will also be able to throw ideas around with their peers that can help their
frustrations with lessons or specific activities and can work through the problem together in a
cooperative learning environment.
Technology gives teachers a way to promote active learning with a variety of learning
strategies being implemented in the classroom on a daily basis. If the classroom is well
maintained and the students are well behaved, more learning will be able to take place.
Technology provides the teachers a way to implement numerous strategies to reach those
students who have different learning styles as well as ways to introduce lessons in an exciting
way to hook the students interests in the lesson. When implemented correctly, technology can
have a huge impact on students learning, achievement, and behavior.

Figure 1. Content and Learner Gap. This figure demonstrates that gap
between what is taught and what the students are able to learn (Sockman,
Instructional Objectives
2010)

ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE CLASSROOM

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1. 100% of Khan Academy standards-based software will contain lessons that require technology

skills and assess student ability to perform these skills appropriate to their grade level using
tablets.
2. 100% of school staff will utilize technology diagnostic tools to improve student achievement.
Assessments will assist in prioritizing individual curricular objectives.
3. 90% of students using Khan Academy will demonstrate mastery of technology concepts at the
end of Middle School grades 6, 7, and 8.
4. Teachers (or students) will be able to demonstrate through the use of tablets and the Khan these

strategies will hopefully deepen students understanding. Using these media outlets will
transform concepts and information through communication and innovation with students and
teachers.
Table 2
Defining Media and Instructional Strategy

Media

Instructional Strategy

Asynchronous Web-Based Instruction (WBI)

Teachers will create online lessons
1.
No additional access support needed
and assessments through the Khan
for this form of media outside of a Khan
Academy account.
Academy using a wide range of methods
2.
Students will use tablets (workstations,
(lecture, demonstrations, tutorials, case
laptops, mobile devices may also be used).
3.
Students only need minimal amount of
bandwidth to an operate Khan Academys
WBI; if students have severely limited
bandwidth they can use KA Lite, the offline
version of Khan Academy provided by a
partner organization, Learning Equality.
KA Lite has very low processing
requirements, and can be run as a server on
devices with processors as low-powered as
the $35 Raspberry Pi, using about 100MB of
RAM. There is also low processing power

studies, and simulations). The lessons and

assessments will align with Common Core
and state standards and be assessable by
tablet.

ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE CLASSROOM

required for client devices as well, and any

browser that supports HTML5 video with
h264 encoding or Flash Player should be
able to function as a client device. KA Lite
can run on almost any major operating
system: Windows, Linux, and Mac/OSX.
The only software dependency is the Python
2.7 runtime.
4.
Khan Academys content specialists
create the media used for WBI and their
expertise is varied based on education and
training.
5.
Instructors and students only need
basic computer skills to use the tablet and
navigate through the WBI. Resources and
tutorials are available to parents and mentors
for creating an account, using the WBI.
Articles and videos give parents and students
ideas to help them adapt to homeschooling
and encourage positive learning habits with
computer use and understanding content.
Instructional Television (ITV)/Satellite eLearning
1.
Satellite, cable TV, or Instructional TV
Fixed Service will support this media.
2. Teachers will use a
telecommunications channel combined with
an audio response or keypad system supports
the capability for students to spontaneously
ask questions of the instructor and respond
to other students at multiple remote sites.
3. A telephone carrier utilizing an audio
bridge and normal terrestrial phone service
normally provides the synchronous, two-way
audio. .
4.

The Teaching Channel (TCH) provides

Professional development in the form of

panel discussion, practice, simulation, and
role-playing. It will provide proper
training for teachers use of technology
diagnostic tools implemented in the
classroom.

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ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE CLASSROOM

a variation of this media. It is a new and

authentic dimension to professional
development and teacher preparation. TCH
programming is observational, documentary,
and character-driven programs.
5. Teachers only need to use their
imagination and provide examples to help
other teachers learn. Coaching skills are
developed and subject matter experts share
their knowledge to enlighten peers.

Info and Audio graphics

1.
Smartdraw with live and recorded
audio graphic techniques will support this
media.
2. Teachers will Audiographic Teaching
Configuration Video; a compressed video
technology with higher capacity
connections.
3.
Given a fixed Internet capacity,
delivering distance education with only
audiographics allows five times as many
courses to be supported as would be possible
with audio graphics video, assuming all
students choose to receive the video. Broad
bandwidth, which has high transmission
capacity and is much faster than a 56K
modem, allows users to send and receive
data in terms of megabits, or millions of bits
per second (Mbps) and makes the use of
large files, real-time audio, and video
transfer possible.
4.
Khan Academys content specialists
will create this media.
5. Audio graphics can provide an another
mode of inter-human communication in that
the student receives the body language of

Using their tablets, students will sign in

device for periods of 20 minutes to
complete assignments aligned with
Common Core and national standards.
Methods of instruction can take the shape
of some or all of the design styles and will
facilitate 15-20 minutes discussions, and
30 minute exercises in the form of
illustration, tutorials, problem solving, and
dramatization.

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ISD TEAM ANALYSIS OF KHAN ACADEMY AND TABLETS IN THE CLASSROOM

the instructor in addition to the spoken

language.

Video Teleconferencing (VTC)

1. A two-way communication systems
that offer both audio and video from local
and remote sites and provide for
synchronous interaction between the
instructor and remote students at multiple
locations will support this media.

Teachers will create specific lessons

through Khan Academy that correspond to
specific learning targets. Students will
complete lessons individually or as a
cooperative group through guided
discussion and brainstorming.

2. Teachers will use a VTC transmit that

is IP enabled.
3.
Generally, VTCs transmit and receive
between 384Kbps 1.5Mbps.
4.
Khan Academys content specialists
will integrate the system and establish the
bridges for connection.
5. Teachers and students need a basic
understanding of computer and VTC system
link connection. Social skills are developed.
Other Resources:
The web based presentation can be found at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY2GWRy9uxs&feature=youtu.be

The online lessons can be found at:

Weebly website: http://isd633project.weebly.com/

The two recorded meetings can be found at:

Video of week #5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uiv8VaXLvY0

Video of week #6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9ZqhxA5Cog

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References
Anj, A. (n.d.). Khan Academy Introductory Scavenger Hunt! Retrieved from
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Khan-Academy-Introductory-ScavengerHunt-1766210
Bitner, N. & Bitner, J. (2002). Integrating technology into the classroom: Eight keys to success.
Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 10(1), 95-100.
Dick, W. & Carey, L. (1999). The systematic design of instruction. 4th ed. New York, NY:
Harper Collins.
Jonassen, D., Tessmer, M., & Hannum, W. (1999). Task analysis methods for instructional
design. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Jones, C. (2001, May 1). Preparing teachers to use technology. Retrieved from
https://www.nassp.org/portals/0/content/48158.pdf
Lakhana, A. (2014). What is educational technology? An inquiry into the meaning, use, and
reciprocity of technology. Canadian Journal of Learning & Technology, 40(3), 1-41.
Sockman, B. (2010, July 21). Lesson planning. Retrieved from
http://www.slideshare.net/rajansock/lesson-planning-4809813
Tobias, S.; Duffy, T. M. (2009). Constructivist instruction: Success or failure? New York: Taylor
& Francis.