Kahn Academy vs LWDS vs Outschool Reviews & Compare Differences

Live Classes on Zoom: Do groups of learners meet for live classes with a real, live teacher on Zoom or any other video chat platform? Live classes usually meet at a schedule set by the teacher.

Video Courses (Pre-recorded): Are there pre-recorded video courses that don’t have any live teacher. Such courses are often referred to as self paced courses, because learners don’t have to maintain a schedule set by a teacher.

Ph.D. Curated Curriculum: Who’s in charge of maintaining the overall set of classes and courses? Are the course materials curated by a Ph.D. with an interest in producing college ready students from K-12 learners?

Certificates and Grades: Are there certificates of completion and grades included? These are important especially for homeschoolers who are required to keep certain records of their classes taken.

Orientation for Parents: Do parents get help figuring out which classes to take in which order? Do parents know how the platform works, to the extent that they are sure their kids are using all of the available materials correctly, thus getting the most value for their money.

Teacher support by email, phone, and Zoom: Can you actually talk to the teacher if there’s a problem? How would that work?

Depth of Courses: Academic depth refers to having a series of courses that build on each other. For example, a middle school level physical sciences class, followed by a high school level physical science, followed by a second year of deeper emphasis on that same topic, for example an AP or college level class.

Breadth of Courses: Academic breadth refers to the variety of classes offered. These classes don’t build on each other. For example, taking a saxophone class, a science experiments class, a Native American history class, and a creative writing class would give a student breadth. The courses don’t build to a deeper level, but rather provide for a more well-rounded student.

Pace of Courses: What does the schedule look like for a typical student. How flexible is the schedule?

Makeup Policy: What happens if a student missed a class? Are there makeups?

Safety and Privacy: How do these organizations deal with the safety and privacy of kids and adults online? Do they go above and beyond the law, or are they doing the bare minimum to meet local legal requirements?

Sell Parent’s Personal Data: Does the organization sell the personal data of parents to online marketers?