Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces is a web-based, artificially intelligent assessment and learning system — very similar to a tutor. It uses adaptive questioning to quickly and accurately determine what you know in a course — then instructs you on topics you are ready to learn.
As you work through a course, ALEKS periodically reassesses your understanding of topics to ensure that lessons are retained. ALEKS courses are complete in their topic coverage, and they avoid multiple-choice questions.
ALEKS also provides the advantages of one-on-one instruction, 24/7, from virtually any web-based computer for a fraction of the cost of a human tutor.
Cost: $40 for a six-week access code
| Penn State Course | ALEKS Registration Course Code |
|---|---|
| MATH 004 (Intermediate Algebra) | Y4QL3-T3XLG (Pre-Algebra) |
| MATH 021 (College Algebra I) | G63DQ-FVJYL (Beginning Algebra) |
| MATH 022 (College Algebra II and Analytic Geometry) | C3KQJ-GJHMW (Intermediate Algebra) |
| MATH 041 (Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry) | C3KQJ-GJHMW (Intermediate Algebra) |
| MATH 081 (Technical Mathematics I) | RK4GR-NG3HU (College Algebra) |
| MATH 110 (Techniques of Calculus I) | RK4GR-NG3HU (College Algebra) |
| MATH 140 (Calculus with Analytic Geometry) | NRFX3-TNAVC (Prep for Calculus) |
How to Register
- Register as a new user at http://www.aleks.com.
- Identify your Penn State Course Placement and enter the corresponding ALEKS refresher course code from the table above.
- Confirm your course (i.e. if you place into MATH 021, enter code G63DQ-FVJYL for “Math 004 Content/Beginning Algebra”).
- Select “I have never used ALEKS before or I do not have an ALEKS login name.” You will need to create a NEW user name. DO NOT USE your Penn State login information, as these courses are not connected to the Penn State math placement system.
- Click on Purchase an Access Code Online, and follow the instructions to pay with a credit card.
- Complete the registration process. You will now be ready to have a quick tutorial.
- Take the Assessment after reviewing important information below.
These refresher courses are designed to prepare you for the specific course in which you enrolled by instructing you only on the topics you are ready to learn and in the content you will need to know for that specific course.
If you are a new student who has recently taken the ALEKS math placement assessment, please note that your participation in an ALEKS Refresher Course does not count towards the hours required in the learning modules before retesting for a higher math placement.
Using ALEKS
Once you register, you will be guided through a 10-minute tutorial that will help you become familiar with the ALEKS system.
After the tutorial, you will take an initial placement assessment in the ALEKS “Assessment Mode.” The assessment will create a precise understanding of your knowledge of mathematics. Try to answer each question to the best of your ability. If you do not know the answer, just click “I don’t know.” Answering questions correctly during your assessment will enable you to avoid repeating these topics later in ALEKS.
Once your placement assessment is complete, the “My Pie” report will show you precisely how much of each topic area you know and what you are ready to learn next. You can navigate the pie chart to enter the ALEKS “Learning Mode.” Once you begin a topic (“Practice”), ALEKS will provide you with feedback on your answers and will inform you of how many times you need to answer this type of question correctly to add the item to “My Pie.” If you need help with a problem, just click on “Explain.” Once you see the solution, you can rework a similar problem that contains different variables.
Occasionally, ALEKS may trigger another assessment for you. This is to both reconfirm that topics added to your pie are still mastered and to reassess your overall knowledge of mathematics. Please do your best and take these assessments seriously as they will affect your ongoing work in ALEKS. ALEKS may also take you to a “Review Area” upon logging in, allowing you to refresh recently learned items. If you do not want to work in this area, you can simply click on “My Pie” located on the upper right hand corner to return to learning mode to learn new items.
Support
- If you have questions or registration/system issues with ALEKS, please contact customer support.
- Visit Student Success for additional resources.
- Questions? Call the Office of Student Success & Retention at 814-898-6877.