ALEKS is an interactive mathematics tutorial program which runs through Netscape or Internet Explorer. ALEKS requires a student to register, take an initial tutorial that explains the program, and then a placement test for the particular area to be studied.
The results of the placement test tell ALEKS what areas can be skipped, because you know them already, and what areas you must work on. Your goal is to build up your abilities in these weak spots, by working on problems that ALEKS presents to you. Once you have achieved satisfactory results in an area, ALEKS will note that you have mastered it, and you can move on. In some cases, you must finish one particular area before being allowed to start another topic.
To actually use ALEKS for a course, you are going to need a class code, which your instructor will give you, and a personal access code, which comes when you buy a copy of ALEKS at the book store. In special cases (such as Math 150), it may be that the instructor will be able to give you a personal access code at no charge; the class is applying for special treatment from the company.
Warning: the personal access codes are limited in time, and expire after one semester. This means if you buy a used copy of the ALEKS manual from a friend or from a bookstore, the access code is worthless.
Anybody can try out ALEKS. To do so, go to the ALEKS website and choose
Be Our Guest
At the bottom of several pages of explanatory text, you will see
the buttons
AS A STUDENT AS AN INSTUCTOR
*LOGIN* *LOGIN*
Click on the first LOGIN and enjoy your free testdrive. (Of course
if you're an instructor, click on the second LOGIN
to see how ALEKS can be configured for your class).
After giving you a guest ID and password, you will be offered the choice of working on any one of:
The whole demonstration takes about 15 minutes, and includes a tutorial on using ALEKS, an assessment of your skills, a report, and a learning session.
Your guest ID and password are good for 24 hours; that means that after your demonstration, you can come back later and work a little more. ALEKS will remember you and what you were studying, and pick up where you left off.
ALEKS can only be installed on a PC or Macintosh computer. It will not run on a UNIX or LINUX computer.
On a PC, ALEKS can be used with essentially any "flavor" of Windows, including Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows ME and Windows XP. The PC version of ALEKS can be used with Internet Explorer, version 4.0 or later, and Netscape, versions 4.5 through 4.78. ALEKS is not compatible with later versions of Netscape, such as 6.0!
On a Macintosh, ALEKS can be used with Mac OS 7.6 and later. It can only run under Netscape, versions 4.5 through 4.78. It is not compatible with later versions of Netscape, such as 6.0, and it will not run at all with Internet Explorer.
ALEKS is already installed on all the Macintosh computers, and the PC, in the Mathematics Computer Lab, Carver 449.
If you received a CD as part of your materials for a course, then you can use the CD to install ALEKS on your home computer. This simply involves adding a "plugin" to your Netscape or Explorer program.
If you don't have a CD, you can always install the necessary plugin by going to the ALEKS website. Once there, choose
DOWNLOAD THE ALEX 3.2.1 PLUGIN
(the version number listed here is the current one, but it may change).
This will download a browser plugin program needed by ALEKS.
Once you've downloaded the plugin, you need to restart your computer
before the plugin can be used.
By the way, although this downloading should work fine for your home computer, it will probably fail if you try it on a public computer. That's because most public computers will not allow you to modify the browser directory, where the plugin has to go. If the computer disk is protected in this way, only the appropriate staff persons can install ALEKS for you.