Community reviews for IXL

It is awful. It causes kids anxiety when they keep going back. Did you ever think about that?? In theory, ok they need more practice. But the stress it causes kids is overwhelming. It is terrible. As a parent, I cannot stand IXL. The only benefit is it is easy for the teachers. Terrible for kids who struggle. It is cruel and mean. This program is no good.

Not helpful. It only quizzes you. doesn't show you how to do it. They make the kids learn my trial and error. Might work for simple topics, but not complex ones.

As a college freshman who has used IXL all throughout High School and Middle School, dont do this to your students. Please just dont do it, there are so many programs out there that benefit you and your class as a whole more than IXL, this program has just caused so much time WASTED and tears shed. I am watching my sister (Grade 9, pre-calculus) use IXL and it has somehow updated the program to be WORSE? Once you get to a ' smart score ' of 80, the questions only bring you up in increments of 2 -- which I think is ridiculous. This is just promoting so much negativity to learning, I can't even imagine how students that use this program feel right now. The steps used in the explanation arent even correct half of the time too! I am actually in shock that people still choose to willingly give this program to their class and think that it is benefitting them. There are programs such as Edgenuity and Khan Academy that I would've much rather have taken than IXL. Either way I had to use them both to teach me the things IXL couldnt. I also think it's really degrading to students by using an interesting choice of words for their score such as ' smart score ', why would you use these words in order to tell the student their score/accuracy? Could've just said score and avoided so much self doubt to younger students using this program. I honestly could add so many negative things but I do need to go and teach my sister the stuff that she is trying to learn through IXL since the program cant teach properly!

Good for learning. but I dislike the way the questions are explained. Sometimes they can be difficult to understand. And no matter how much I tell them my students don't watch the videos, and the explanations are extremely straight forward. sometimes they include difficult terms that the kids don't know.

IXL, a widely used homework app, presents itself as a comprehensive learning platform. However, a closer examination reveals significant flaws that render it a detrimental tool for students and educators alike. Its purported benefits are overshadowed by a design that actively discourages genuine understanding and fosters a culture of rote memorization. One of IXL's most significant drawbacks is its relentless focus on repetitive drills. While practice is essential for mastering skills, IXL's approach lacks the necessary nuance. The app bombards students with endless, often tedious, exercises that prioritize quantity over quality. This approach fails to engage students critically, hindering the development of problem-solving skills and higher-order thinking abilities. Instead of encouraging a deep understanding of concepts, IXL reinforces a superficial familiarity that often proves fleeting. For example, a student might achieve a high score on a section on fractions but struggle to apply that knowledge in a real-world context. Furthermore, IXL's reward system, while initially appealing, can be counterproductive. The points, badges, and awards, designed to motivate, can distract from the actual learning process. Students may focus on maximizing points rather than comprehending the underlying concepts, leading to a superficial engagement with the material. This emphasis on extrinsic motivation undermines intrinsic curiosity and the inherent satisfaction derived from mastering a subject. The gamification, while intended to make learning more enjoyable, often becomes a substitute for meaningful engagement with the material. The app's interface, while visually appealing to younger students, lacks flexibility and caters to a limited range of learning styles. The rigid structure can be frustrating for students who learn best through different methods. The lack of adaptability prevents effective personalized learning, a crucial element in modern pedagogy. Recent research emphasizes the importance of differentiated instruction, recognizing that students learn at different paces and through various methods. IXL fails to cater to this diversity, thereby hindering the progress of many students. In conclusion, despite its widespread adoption, IXL ultimately falls short as a valuable educational tool. Its emphasis on repetitive drills, its potentially detrimental reward system, and its inflexible interface actively work against effective learning. A shift towards more nuanced and adaptable learning platforms is crucial to ensure that technology enhances, not hinders, the educational experience. The focus should be on fostering genuine understanding, critical thinking, and a love of learning, all of which IXL fails to adequately

It's not great. If you could develop a more detailed answer instead of just the answer. Along with that It can throw extremely harsh punishments for getting a single question wrong. Like give them a chance. a lives system would be great. Like duolingo, In fact If I could I would use duolingo since it builds in difficulty while also giving you support. But also the fact that IXL has awards but they aren't a lot to work for. The only reason my class was so interested was because of the leaderboard. If IXL builds in motivation and center more around a learning space it would be much better. but for now: 2 stars. Since you would need your own forms of motivation. And a lot of patience

I believe IXL is a great platform for homework assignments, or even quick in-class assignments after a lesson. It is a great way to reinforce what students learned, as the questions are usually quick, and get progressively harder as your score increases. I do not believe it should be used as a way to learn, but more as a way to confirm what level you are at, and how well you understand a topic.

I like how many questions were given and topics, it felt like you can find a lot in IXL. IXL allows you to learn new things as well, lets say you know what is going to be taught after one chapter, you can start look ahead and getting familiar with the topic. Overall, I found IXL very helpful and fun to use!

IXL has to be the worst choice possible for any teacher to use. My students have came up to me crying asking why they got a question wrong because the explanations don't make any sense. Students have been sent to GUIDANCE because IXL is so frustrating. This company has potential, but what makes it so bad is that the points are unfair. Ex. A student has 75 smart scores and gets one wrong, the software takes away 5-9 each time you get it wrong, and rewards you for a correct question with 1,2, or 3 points. If that was tweaked it could be easier to cope with. The best thing to do on this program is a group jam, it lets students work together and answer the same question, and is teacher-paced, so we can go over it if needed. But, in totality it comes down to the teacher, and how they use their tools and resources to speak there lesson, and how they use IXL. I currently teach 8th graders, which is the highest grade in our building. I give them 10 minutes of IXL, and 5 minutes of Pre-K, or Kindergarten skill sets as a brain break. Because the feeling of completing one is overwhelming. I have tried it out for myself. It's doesn't really teach students, it more makes them feel bad about themself getting it wrong. The only thing that you get out of completing a skill set, is a little sticker for their PFP, that's it. As a teacher, I know when something isn't right and it is difficult for my students. Which is why I don't overuse IXL.

The way the questions are structured and how the point system works is extremely frustrating to me and the students. If it weren't required by my school district, I would absolutely not use it.