Students spend by far the greatest part of their time in ALEKS in the Learning Mode. The features of the Learning Mode are designed to provide a maximum of support to the student's growing mastery of course materials.

What is the Learning Mode?

[Chapter 5] The Learning Mode in ALEKS contains features to help students practice and master specific business math concepts and skills. In the Learning Mode, students are always working on a specific concept that they have chosen and that, in the system's estimation, they are fully prepared to master. If the learner successfully solves an appropriate number of problems based on that concept, the system will tentatively determine that it has been mastered and offer a new choice of topics. If the student has difficulty, the system will attempt to diagnose and interpret the student's errors. It will also provide explanations of how to solve problems and definitions of business math terms. It may suggest the name of a classmate who can help. If the student is unable to master the concept right now, or if the student wishes to change topics, a new choice of topics will be offered. After a certain amount of time has been spent in the Learning Mode, or after a certain amount of progress has been made, the student will automatically be reassessed.

What is the relationship between the Assessment Mode and the Learning Mode in ALEKS?

The Assessment and Learning Modes work together in a cyclical fashion, beginning with the Initial Assessment (Knowledge Check). A student is assessed, and the results of the assessment serve as a basis for the student's entry into the Learning Mode (the student works on concepts that the assessment showed that student most "ready to learn"). After a certain time in the Learning Mode, during which the results of the previous assessment are tentatively updated according to whether the student masters or fails to master new concepts, the student is reassessed and the cycle begins again. In this sense, ALEKS is an interactive learning system guided and powered by ongoing diagnostic assessment.

NOTE. Students who do not take an Initial Assessment will begin this cycle in Learning Mode.