integralCALC: The online calculus Academy: After realising I needed help with my Math, I did what many people do and I went online to look for Youtube tutorials. I soon stumbled across a video by Krista King, whereby I followed the links to her personal channel - intergralCALC. What I found surprised me. A fantastic, accessible and comprehensive guide through calculus which is designed almost like an online school. Upon signing up to the Academy Krista explains that she wants you to be part of the Facebook group and to introduce yourself. This made me nervous as my confidence in my mathematical ability is, well, non-existent. However, I introduced myself and explained that I would probably be asking lots of questions. My anxiety was met by complete strangers, many of whom are much more competent in Math than myself, welcoming me with open arms and encouragement. This appears to stem from Krista's own bubbly and enthusiastic approach to the subject whereby many of her videos open with a smile, a wave and "Hi everyone!". Not exactly what you expect from a calculus tutor. At 22,000 Youtube subscribers and 3 million Youtube views, Krista King has not only managed to explain something extremely complicated in an accessible, professional and well-designed way but she has also created a supportive online community where people feel comfortable enough to say "I don't get this!" knowing either Krista, or another member, will jump in and help out. All very impressive feats for something which involves Math! I wish Krista the best of luck and look forward to my future with integralCALC! Here is my interview with Krista where she explains more about the Academy: How long have you been tutoring and what is your background in calculus? "I've been tutoring math for a decade and tutoring calculus for about eight years. I took calculus in college and immediately after finishing it got a job tutoring calculus for the student athletes at my school. I loved it and kept that job all through school, then started making my YouTube videos after I graduated college as I realized I missed the tutoring." Why did you set up the academy? "While YouTube is an amazing resource, it's also a place where people get easily distracted, and sometimes it can be really hard to find what you're looking for. And a lot of people need more than just video when they're struggling with calculus. The Academy is a place where I can offer ad-free, distraction-free help with calculus, where I can organize the videos into manageable courses and order them in a way that makes sense. I can also offer written content, practice questions that let people quiz themselves so they can see if they're getting it, downloadable resources, and more. It makes for an incredibly more comprehensive experience than I could ever offer on YouTube!" How is the academy set up to help people improve their math and calculus skills? "So far, the Academy is organized into 12 comprehensive courses, 4 each for calculus 1, 2 and 3. At the beginning of each course is a section of downloadable resources to help you get through the course. Below the resources are groups of lessons that help keep the information digestible. Within the groups, each lesson topic starts with a written explanation and written examples (like your textbook, but WAY better), followed by a video lesson, and then a quiz. This format really helps you cement your understanding because you learn it in multiple formats and then you get the opportunity to test yourself. When you feel comfortable with a step, you can mark it complete and go directly to the next lesson. The ability to mark things complete and leave others incomplete really helps you track your progress through the Academy and see at a glance what you already understand and what you still need to review. Which means you know exactly what to study again when your next test comes along." How many members does the academy currently have? "integralCALC has 22K YouTube subscribers and 3M YouTube views. I launched the Academy near the end of April, 2013, and I've seen 33% average monthly growth since launch, even through the summer months which are generally slower than September through June, so I'm very excited!" What is your hope for the future of the academy? "I want the Academy to be unquestionably the best place to get calculus help online. I want everyone who signs up to get that "Finally!" feeling. So many people get frustrated because their textbook skips steps, their professor goes too fast and doesn't make sense to them, and they go online and can't necessarily find what they're looking for. I want them to join the Academy and find everything they need, and have it actually make sense. If the Academy takes away all the stress and makes people feel relieved for the first time, I'll have done my job." integralCALC - Main website: Link: http://integralcalc.pathwright.com Last used: September 2013 Click the image to be directed to this site. integralCALC's - Youtube Channel: Link: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheIntegralCALC Last used: September 2013 Click the image to be directed to this site.
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Alainah Rook
BA Criminology & Sociology
University of Kent Third year undergraduate Twitter: Alainah_NTR E-mail: [email protected] kent.academia.edu/AlainahR Archives
July 2014
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