All Community Reviews of {product} | Common Sense Education (2024)

Adil R.

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

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George J.

I am the principal at Jacobs Junior High School. Unfortunately, we've spent hundreds of dollars replacing Chromebooks because many students are raging at their IXLs. Our counselor is seeing the most students because of IXL.

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Grissom

IXL penalizes your child every time they get the wrong answer. For instance, you might get 4 in row correct at 4 points each. Then when you miss one you drop anywhere from 6-8 points. Teachers are using this program to take over teaching while the teacher does not teach. Too many students are having to rely on this software to teach them when the teacher should be doing it. Even teachers say this program is worthless.

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Emma K.

Overall, I think IXL is just a big stress-machine, something that students don't need, especially middle and high school students, where IXL is most used. Others may argue that IXL is great, and that if a kid is stuck on a problem it will give them tips (the tips only appear once they get a question wrong.. seriously?). Again, please, if you use IXL, all it's doing is putting your child under a lot of stress. NO MORE IXL NO MORE IXL!!!

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Bonnie Z.

Introduction:IXL, an online learning program widely used in educational settings, has garnered both praise and criticism. While some argue that it offers a comprehensive platform for students to practice various subjects, others contend that it falls short in terms of promoting meaningful learning experiences. This essay aims to critically analyze the limitations of IXL and explain why it fails to meet the expectations of an effective learning program.Limited Engagement:One major drawback of IXL is its emphasis on repetitive practice rather than fostering deep understanding. The program often focuses on isolated skills without providing real-world context or opportunities for critical thinking. Consequently, students may become disengaged and fail to see the relevance of their efforts.Lack of Personalization:Another issue with IXL is its one-size-fits-all approach. It does not consider individual student needs or different learning styles. As a result, learners who require additional support or those who excel in certain areas may feel frustrated or unchallenged respectively.Inadequate Feedback:While IXL provides immediate feedback on incorrect answers, it often lacks detailed explanations or alternative strategies for solving problems. This limits students' ability to learn from their mistakes and hinders their overall growth.Conclusion:Despite its popularity, IXL falls short in delivering a truly effective learning experience due to its limited engagement, lack of personalization, and inadequate feedback mechanisms. To enhance educational outcomes, educators should seek alternative approaches that prioritize critical thinking skills, personalized instruction, and comprehensive feedback systems. Only then can we ensure that our students are equipped with the necessary tools for success in today's complex world.

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SEBASTIAN P.

Overall, IXL is not a bad app. I personally used this app when I was a middle school student. I liked that this app was very interactive and it had game like rewards. If a person got a set of question correct then they would move up to the next level. However, if a person got the question wrong ten points would be reduced and the topic would be repeated. I liked that this app had a range of math topics, endless amount of useful math problems. This app is also great for teachers because it can show the students reports and analytics. It gives feedback to teachers. For students in particular, it teaches motivational skills and a lesson on goal setting. It makes them strive for greatness and earn new concepts in a fun way. This program is also fabulous because at the end of the section it gives immediate feedback to see which questions were answered wrong. It breaks down into a step by step analysis for the missed questions. There are a few disadvantages with IXL, first the program is expensive for school districts. A membership starts at $299 for 25 students. Another non benefit is the over emphasize on certain topics which can make some students frustrated and upset. The last disadvantage is the reliance of technology, some school districts do not have the infrastructure for this. Overall I would give this app a 3.5/5.

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Broseu O.

I like it. It puts you through a challenge, things like that can help you progress. Do the kids like it, no. They say it makes them stressed and mad, one student remarked; "It makes me wanna' throw the computer to the wall." The only thing i didn't like was the secret word, students will come and ask you to see what their secret word is all the time. I know it's for privacy reasons, but this is a k-12 learning app. It got so bad that I had to write the words on a sticky note. Overall it's alright. Other than the sad point system, that needs fixing.

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drew D. student

My overall opinion about this teaching resource is to avoided it at all cost unless your ok with causing your students unreasonable amount of stress and frustration which can get to the point of the students wish they were dead or have a nervous break down. (this next part is from my "how I used it"). what worked was that the wed site loads very fast but that is about. one of the largest problems is the reward and punishing systems it uses witch it only gives a little bit of smart score (the scoring systems they used) which gives lower and lower amounts for exponentially harder questions. Then when you or a student gets an answer wrong it lowers your smart score by a very large amount which it usually takes 2-3 equation to get back to your original score. Next, another horrible mistake with some questions that requires you to round, it doesn't even do the rounding correctly, an example of this when it askes you to round to the closest whole number with a number like 12.546 which if you round correctly would be 13 but it will say the correct answer is 12, which combined with the horrible reward system will make a student such as my self feel frustrated, and makes you wonder if the next question will round correctly or not. Finally, is with the solutions which you can see when you get a question wrong, It shows how to work through the question you just got wrong, the only thing wrong with this part is it can be very hard to follow the steps. This isn't only my opinion either because I have gown around my high school and asked my fellow classmates and other students about what they liked and disliked about IXL and each one said about the same thing. So if you are a teacher or apart of a schools administrations and are deciding which math program for your students to use and you are thinking about Using IXL I beg you to reconsider.

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Ava C.

The website is laid out in an organized fashion and is easy to navigate. The home page has each grade level with each subject up for the choice of the user. Once clicked, the program directs the user right to numerous games and tests that award them for correct answers and learning! Depending on the grade level, it might create some stress with the subject tests to see poor grades or points when first learning a subject. With older grade levels it can be a motivator to continue learning a subject. When a question is answered wrong, the correct answer is shown along with the reasoning. This program is a great way to add some extracurricular learning over the summer or even during the school year for all students.

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Smail B.

My overall opinion on this resource as a teaching tool is that it is wonderful. It turns teaching into a game, and has a bunch of different levels of math for all ages, including those in middle school and college. My only gripe is that it sometimes is so difficult, and takes so long, that students lose attention.

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