<p>The Khan Academy is a great thing, but it’s best for the kids who are lagging behind and for the kids who are gifted and need to go at a faster pace. I think it’s a bad idea to replace the actual lesson or lecture with a video. Videos are a nice supplement and often lectures are taped for review, but it’s not the same thing. The only reason why it might be better for the California public system is that Khan himself is probably better at explaining math than your typical teacher.</p>
<p>I did hear rumors that U. of Illinois-Urbana was thinking of making organic chemistry an on-line course. That is one of the dumbest things I’ve heard of in a while. If they want to do that, they shouldn’t be charging tens of thousands of dollars in tuition.</p>