Education without limits
When he was filling out the forms to establish his new nonprofit in 2008, Salman Khan paused at the mission statement section. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology grad, a math and computer whiz with an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, thought for a moment, and then jotted down a powerful response: “A free world-class education for anyone anywhere.” With the academy, Khan told a crowded Radcliffe Gymnasium on Wednesday, he hopes to advance a vision of education as “a fundamental human right.” He is well on his way. Khan Academy offers, at no cost, entertaining and informative videos, online lessons, and interactive software tools its founder hopes will help transform teaching and learning. With Khan’s digital tools, teachers can closely track student performance through a color-coded spreadsheet, identifying learners who are excelling and those who need help. Khan said his videos and tutorials also enable each learner to master introductory concepts at his or...