Geometry is a course that several students struggle with mainly because the topics covered in this course uses a lot of logical thinking.
The bane of a lot of students’ existences is learning and doing proofs. I know this from my five years of teaching Geometry at the high school level.
So, if a student plans on taking this course online, it is critical that the course designer implements as many supportive resources as possible to help the student learn the material.
The following article takes a closer look at the various online course options for that student interested in digital learning, so join me as we dive right in.
Become a Geometry Master – Krista King
The first course is titled, “Become a Geometry Master”.
This course was created by Krista King, a juggernaut in the online learning community.
Ms. King’s courses are designed to appeal to all kinds of students at all different levels of learning. She really takes the time to be very intentional in the way she structures her courses.
For example, Ms. King’s preview video is very engaging and fun to watch.
She very clearly explains and breaks down the basic parts of all the different aspects of her course.
Every lesson in this course has notes that were created by Ms. King ahead of time to help the students follow along with the very engaging and helpful instructional videos that she includes in each section of the course.
The videos themselves are a fantastic resource for demonstrative learners that like to see problems worked out for them ahead of time before trying problems on their own.
Ms. King’s Geometry course has 172 video lectures spread out over nearly eight and a half hours.
She has included small 3-4 question quizzes throughout each course unit that helps students regularly check for understanding.
On top of video lectures, Ms. King has included formula sheets and hundreds of practice problems in the course. There is also a final exam included at the end of the course to assess student understanding of the material.
Overall, I would highly recommend Ms. King’s course for anyone who needs support as they learn the course material.
Her fun and engaging videos along with her course material would be beneficial to any students who struggle with doing problems on their own. I would recommend this course to students who want more from a course than just straight video lectures.
Master Geometry: Full Curriculum with Practice – Grant Hall
The next course is titled, “Master Geometry: Full Curriculum with Practice”.
The course was created by Grant Hall, a math and business double major with a passion for teaching others. He has over six years of experience tutoring students in mathematics and finance.
Mr. Hall’s course has nearly eight hours of video lectures in his course. One thing I noticed as I was looking through the materials available in the course was that his videos can be separated into two categories.
The first video category is instructional in nature. These are classic video lecture notes to teach students various concepts related to Geometry.
The other category is meant to show students how to put these concepts into practice. He goes through several example problems in the practice videos. I think it’s great that Mr. Hall has videos dedicated to showing students how to put the concepts into practice because it will really help the students learn the material easier and with less stress.
In addition to the video lectures, Mr. Hall has short quizzes embedded into the course throughout each unit. This would really help students check for their understanding of the course concepts.
Overall, I would recommend this course to any student who wants to see how the concepts learned in Geometry can be applied to related problems and the real world.
Geometry – The Basics and Beyon – Michael Taylor
The next course is titled, “Geometry – The Basics and Beyond”.
This course was designed by Michael Taylor, a mathematics teacher who has worked in both the public and private sector.
He has a Master’s degree in Education and holds an undergraduate degree in technology.
The most memorable feature of Mr. Taylor’s course without purchasing it was his initial course preview video.
He starts the video juggling and then throws in a ton of mathematical puns which help grab the viewer’s attention. His course has nearly five hours of video lectures.
While this may not seem like a lot, he actually has some pretty creative titles for his videos such as, “My Parrot Left, Now Polly Gone.
Shapes, Bad Puns, and Important Vocabulary.”
These funny titles may peak students’ curiosity and help maintain their attention throughout the videos.
I recommend this course to any students who enjoy bad puns and wants to watch engaging videos that keep their attention.
Master the Fundamentals of Geometry – Math Basics by LetsTute
The next course is titled, “Master the Fundamentals of Geometry: Math Basics.”
This course was created by LetsTute, a group of educators with several courses available on udemy.
They have been creating educational content in mathematics, science, and accounting for over six years.
The first feature of this course that I really liked a lot is the very vibrant and eye-catching lecture videos they have available as part of the course materials.
This really helps grab students’ attention and is a good addition to their lectures since at least one of the instructors has a rather thick accent.
I think it is so great that LetsTute recognized this and has overcome student confusion by having great pictures and animations in their instructional videos. This course also has a few other useful resources.
In addition to the video lectures, LetsTute has also included video quizzes in each unit of their course.
I was unable to sample one of these quizzes, but I think it is a really interesting idea to have these video quizzes available to students because the teacher could walk through the question before the student gives or comes up with an answer.
There are also 15 downloadable resources available for students, so that they have even more practice problems to do.
Overall, I would recommend this course to any student who likes engaging video lectures.
Introduction to Geometry by School Yourself – EDX
The next course is titled, “Introduction to Geometry.”
This course was created by School Yourself, an online tutoring company that is reinventing self-paced learning.
The instructors for this course are Zach Wissner-Gross, John Lee, Vivek Venkatachalam, and Kenny Peng.
This course is by far one of the best self-paced courses I have seen as I was doing research for this article. The one ingenious feature of this course is the way they structure their video lectures.
Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Didn’t you just say that video lectures are included in all the courses you have reviewed so far? What makes this one any different?” That is a fair question.
What makes these videos so different and unique is the fact that there are quiz questions embedded in the video. The video will literally stop once a question is asked and let the student choose a response. The video will not advance until the student has answered the question correctly.
This is an amazing teaching tool! This really helps a student check for understanding in the middle of a video before he or she continues with the lecture as opposed to waiting for the video to end and then answer some quiz questions.
Overall, I would highly recommend this course to any student who enjoys interactive lessons.
The video lectures show a true mastery of mathematics teaching by making a student answer a question before continuing a lecture.
School Yourself truly has reinvented the online mathematics education space!
High School Geometry – Khan Academy
The next course is titled, “High School Geometry.”
This course was created by Khan Academy, a giant in the online learning community. They have a plethora of mathematics courses available on their website, and their courses are a great example of self-paced learning.
As a past user of Khan Academy when I retaught myself several Calculus concepts, I can say that the way they teach the related course material is unique and fun.
In this course, there are knowledge checks and short quizzes along the way to check for student understanding of the related Geometry concepts.
Passing the quizzes and knowledge checks earns “skill points.” The great thing about the 3-4 question quizzes is that, if you get a question wrong on the quizzes, you have to take the whole quiz all over again.
While this may seem cumbrous at times, this format teaches students mastery of the material, which is ideal for a self-paced course.
Once you earn a certain amount of skill points you “level up,” which makes taking this class feel like playing a video game.
Overall, I would highly recommend Khan Academy’s Geometry course to any student interested in learning the material in a fun way. The way that Khan Academy organizes the material is innovative and interesting. This would make any student engaged in learning the related Geometry concepts.
The great thing about this course is that professors or high school math classes teachers can use the material on the website as curriculum for an online or home schooled course and high school or college credit can be earned this way.
Barron’s Painless Geometry by Lynette Long
The next course is actually a book. This book is titled, “Barron’s Painless Geometry.”
This book was written by Lynnette Long, Ph.D. Dr. Long is a licensed psychologist and a former college professor who has written more than 25 books.
There are several aspects of this book that makes it unique. One of the book’s great features is the fun and eye-catching illustrations.
It keeps the reader’s attention, and makes it more enjoyable to read.
Another feature of this book that is really helpful for Geometry students is that complex processes are broken down into a sequence of simple and easy to follow steps. There are several brain teaser problems in this book spread throughout each chapter that really help students use what they have learned to tackle harder problems.
There are little hints throughout this book that are titled “Caution: Major Mistake Territory” that helps show the reader where students typically make mistakes.
I love seeing hints like this in math books because it really helps prevent students from making mistakes as they do problems on their own.
In addition to these hints, the book also provides study strategies to help students prepare for exams, state tests, or even standardized tests like the ACT or the SAT.
There are even mini proofs throughout the book to slowly introduce the reader to the concept of geometric proofs.
Geometric proofs are a critically important concept in Geometry, so any way to make this concept easier would be beneficial to any student reading this book.
Overall, I would recommend this book to any student who wants to have fun reading and learning about Geometry.
Now that you have read about all of the various options available to take Geometry online, the following section of this article answers some frequently asked questions that are posed by potential Geometry students (children and adults alike).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Geometry?
Contrary to popular belief, Geometry is about so much more than just shapes. Geometry is the study of points, lines, and planes and the relationships between all three of the aforementioned terms. Geometry also contains an introduction to the realm of proofs and trying to find out how the rules that apply to points, lines, planes, shapes, etc. were proven.
Who should take Geometry?
Geometry should be taken by students who have at least taken and passed an Algebra I course. It is typically taken by high school sophomores, but it could also potentially be taken as a remedial math course at the college level.
Can you finish this course in a month?
I would not recommend attempting to finish this course in a month because of how disjointed the topics in Geometry can be. You could certainly try, but I don’t think you would get a lot out of the course if you attempt to finish it in a month.
How do you prepare for Geometry?
To prepare for Geometry, students should have a solid understanding of basic Algebra I topics because there are some topics in the course that require students to use their knowledge of Algebra.
What are the benefits to taking math classes online as opposed to taking them in a brick-and-mortar school?
This is a fair question. Taking math classes online usually gives the student the opportunity to go at his or her own pace. Students can focus on topics that they are struggling in while advancing past concepts that might come easier to them.
Can you skip Geometry?
I do not recommend attempting to skip Geometry because this is an essential course for students to learn. Geometry helps students practice logical thinking. Logical thinking is extremely important not only when learning the material, but it is also important in the real world. Any career you can imagine requires the use of logical thinking in some way.
Is Geometry an easy course?
Geometry is easier for the student who has a good understanding of spatial and logical reasoning. Some students who really excel in Algebra can sometimes struggle in Geometry, but, as an educator myself, I have also seen students who excel in both Algebra and Geometry. It really depends on the student taking the class.
Where can I find practice tests and practice problems online outside of paying for online courses?
There is a large variety of sites where practice tests and problems are available. Here are a few good options for students to practice the related course material outside of paying for courses.
- https://www.studyguidezone.com/geometry-help.htm
- http://www.math.com/practice/Geometry.html
- https://www.test-preparation.ca/basic-geometry-practice-questions/
- https://www.mathopolis.com/questions/skills.php?year=G
- https://www.tests.com/practice/geometry-practice-test
- https://www.classzone.com/books/geometry/oltp_welcome.cfm
- https://www.testprepreview.com/modules/geometry.htm
As I stated earlier, there are countless other options and programs out there for you to practice Geometry beyond the sites provided above.
When am I ever going to use this material?
This is a valid question that is heard in Geometry classrooms all over the world. However, the fact of the matter is that the logical thinking utilized in Geometry can be applied to any career you can imagine such as a teacher, a scientist, a lawyer, etc.
Does the word self-paced mean you are teaching yourself?
This is a valid concern, but self-paced does not mean you are teaching yourself.
The courses that are created to be taken online are designed by professional teachers who usually include video lectures that explain the course concepts in an easily comprehensible way.
These instructors also include practice problems for students to do to apply the topics they are learning in the class with in-depth solution descriptions. Therefore, students should not feel like they are teaching themselves about Geometry.
How do you study for tests in Geometry?
With any math class, the most important thing a student can do is practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more. The more you practice, the more familiar you become with applying the geometric concepts learned in the class, which means your test scores will increase overall.
Conclusion
In conclusion, no matter what online Geometry course you take, it is important that the course you pick has a strong structure that focuses on teaching students how to master the concepts. Because a lot of courses that are taught online are self-paced, students who are mastering the concepts are more likely to succeed in future higher level math courses such as Algebra 2 or Pre-calculus. Having a firm grasp of the material taught in Geometry will result in a good grade in a course like Algebra 2.
It is also important that students select a course with detailed and engaging video lessons that break down the course concepts, especially if the videos are on the longer side. The online course that a student selects should be designed by a creative instructor who finds a way to make learning the material fun and interesting.
To succeed in any online class, you have to remain focused and motivated since there is not a physical teacher in the room with you making sure that assignments get completed on time. Taking a great online Geometry class will help any student succeed in future mathematics courses.
I tutored full time for the Ohio Graduation Test in my home state of Ohio for one year, and I have taught Math at the high school level for over 5 years.
In my time as a high school mathematics teacher, I have taught Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Statistics, and Advanced Placement Calculus.
