1. Home
  2. Peer Review: CK-12 PLIX - Interactiven Learning

Peer Review

CK-12 PLIX - Interactiven Learning

Reviewed:

Jan 22, 2019 by Teacher Education
Bookmark

Ratings

Overall Rating: 4.8 stars
Content Quality: 4.8 stars
Effectiveness: 4.2 stars
Ease of Use: 5.0 stars
Overview:

Interactive, adaptive practice activities that cover a wide variety of math and science content.

Online collection of interactive lessons with knowledge checks in the disciplines of math and science focused on grades K-12.  This is a free source that requires a log-in.  Accounts can be made for both teachers and students.  PLIX is part of a larger web site CK-12 where teachers can gather and assign work and readings to their students free of charge.

Type of Material:

Drill and Practice

Collection

Recommended Uses:

  • Elementary and middle school classrooms in science and math
  • Teacher-education courses for primary and secondary educators and learning designers
  • Homeschool parents
  • Tutors
  • Supplementary homework or practice during class
Technical Requirements:

Internet access; Google classroom account if teacher decides to assign through Google classroom, account for site in general

Identify Major Learning Goals:

  1. Incorporate game elements to engage learners
  2. Illustrate math and science concepts in interactive modules
  3. Increase exposure to content in a low-stakes environment
  4. Recall information and test knowledge in a low-stakes environment
  5. Present science and math content in micro-learning capsules
Target Student Population:

College Upper Division, Graduate School, Professional

K-6 teachers, parents, professionals who deal with children, tutors, graduate students in education.

 

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

Basic math and trigonometry are needed to use the physics drill-and-practice.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:

  • Micro lessons are clear and concise. Content is focused, illustrative.
  • Knowledge-check questions reinforce concepts displayed in interactions.
  • Can be used at a variety of levels and in a variety of settings (including in formal and informal learning, in and outside the classroom)
  • Instant feedback provides correct information to students.
  • Clearly identifies standards being addressed.
Concerns:

  • Some of the knowledge-check questions cannot be answered without the addition of outside information.  This requires that the lesson be used as a supplement to other content/material and not in isolation

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:

The immediate feedback option helps students to know what they need help with and teachers to focus their instruction where it will help.  The objectives of the CK-12 site as a whole are identified but each micro-lesson lacks specific learning objectives.  The site can be used with a variety of assignments and can be integrated into Google Classroom with due dates.

Concerns:

  • The objectives of the CK-12 site as a whole are identified, but each micro-lesson lacks specific learning objectives.
  • Concepts are presented in isolation of supporting content. This makes it difficult for the student to answer some questions based on the interaction alone.
  • Some of the interactions are more interesting than they are useful.  For example, in the microscope interaction you have the ability to move the scope up and down but this does not add value or information.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:

  • Interactions and instructions are clear and easy-to-use
  • Graphics are appealing
  • Requires little bandwidth
  • Highly interactive
Creative Commons:
creative-commonscreative-commons by