More community reviews for IXL
Lori C.
June 23, 2024
Helpful but quite harsh
The kids got a chance to experience answering questions under a timed manner and it was interesting to see the kid's response. The kids found some of the questions a bit tedious so then we opted out and tried other options. Beestar was a good resource where the math questions were more relatable and interesting to the kids. Beestar also has an online math competition that gave the kids the confidence they needed.
Linda L. Teacher Canyon Ridge High School Hesperia, CA
May 29, 2024
Try it for yourself
I just read a long essay here reviewing IXL, but everything in it was false. I had to wonder if they were actually reviewing IXL. First, I found that students ask for help and engage in a productive struggle. They try hard and then they are satisfied when they see progress. And yes, they complain about that. That's how I know they are working at it. IXL provides lots of examples and even video tutorials. And yes, the score goes down even though you are "just trying to finish." That is the point: that you actually experience some understanding rather than just moving on. Every problem that a student get wrong comes with a detailed explanation. Second, the question bank, in fact does not repeat. Not only do the questions change nicely but they get more challenging as you go. The score does go up and down, with the level of difficulty, the time it takes to answer, etc. Let's just say, to anyone who thinks it's terrible, try it. You will learn something new. Third, one of the strengths of IXL is that it IS personalized. My high school students vary from 3rd grade level to pre-calculus, and the IXL diagnostic narrows down specific areas of growth for each student to work on. Again, every question has a step-by-step explanation to peruse. Furthermore, the analytics are comprehensive. The teacher can see every question they work on and whether it was from school or work, how many attempts, etc. I don't usually write reviews, and I was originally looking for a comparison to Khan Academy, but I just could not let the bad reviews go unaddressed. Obviously, IXL is just a tool and its usefulness varies with the user. For teachers (and schools) who are committed to using it to help students, it can be very effective. There is no advertising and there are a ton of resources to go along with implementation of any kind. Try it.
Adil R.
May 12, 2024
A different perspective
I was surprised to see the IXL bashing on this forum. Many schools have dropped it due to cost issue but let us look at what it offers. 1. Math is a subject that requires lot of practice and it has an amazing practice bank. 2. It is setup in line with the MAP test. Infact, in the IXL, you can input the latest MAP scores and it will give you a personalized plan that your kid can follow3. The MAP test (which again is reflected beautifully in IXL - the types of questions) is a precursor to PSAT which prepares students for SAT. 4. For kids that struggle on a concept, I drop a grade on that particular concept and let the catch up. I was amazed how this flexibility adds wonders to the platformThe con is that the teachers and the students have to be disciplined. In my teaching experience, it took me a good year to get students to get used to doing problems daily. They do not have to finish every topic they start but I will aks then to gte to 60 percent. This way, I ensure that they are covering all the topics. On topics they struggle, I cover the underlying concepts and then ask them to finish the exercises. I have seen marked increase in scores for all my students and more importantly they got used to PSAT as the style of question matches it perfectly
