ok, so I've been hearing this thing, it goes as follows. I'm not totally sure it's true.
Hey guys,
KA is planning on releasing a feature that will remove avatars, discussions, energy points, and badges for classroom users. If you'd like to keep using those features, you need to unlink all teachers and coaches from your KA account.
Spread the word.
I have read the official KA posts about KA Reimagined, and cannot figure out if the claims in the viral post are true or not. I have submitted a Request to KA support to find out (I also encouraged them to make an official announcement that clarifies these things). I'll let you know what they tell me.
~ Janice, KA user
I got answers to my support request. Basically:
If a user is linked to a teacher or coach but not enrolled in a classroom, they will have discussions available.
If a user is enrolled in a classroom, they will not have discussions available.
If a user unenrolls from all classrooms, they will again have discussions available.
Here's the full answer I got from Alex G (KA Community Moderator):
When will the change happen?
Beginning Monday the 29th [of June], users in the United States who meet the criteria for the Reimagined experience will be moved into that experience. Additional regions will follow in the weeks after.
What specifically determines whether a user will be able to use discussions? Is it whether they have a teacher or coach linked?
Students who are part of at least one classroom will not have discussions available as part of the Reimagined experience.
One important nuance is that simply being linked to a teacher does not, by itself, change a learner's experience. A learner would also need to be enrolled in a classroom. It's possible for a user to be linked to a teacher without being enrolled in that teacher's classroom.
If the change happens for a user, but then they unlink their teachers and coaches, will they be able to use discussions again?
If a learner unlinks themselves from a teacher, they are automatically unenrolled from any classroom they share with that teacher.
Once the learner is no longer enrolled in any classroom, they will return to the Classic experience, where discussions remain available.
In practical terms, if a student wants to regain access to discussions, they would need to ensure they are no longer enrolled in any classrooms. Unlinking from the teachers associated with those classrooms would accomplish that.
Does this help?
Here's the answers Carol with the KA Support team gave to 2 more questions:
>If a user loses access to discussions, but then regains access (because they are no longer enrolled in any classroom), will all their previous posts still be there?
Yes, all posts should still be there.
> It sounds like if someone is enrolled in a classroom for one course (such as math), no discussions in any course will be available to them. Will the Questions, Tips & Thanks, and Help Requests on their programs (JavaScript, HTML, Python, ...) be available to them?
On the new Reimagined experience, no discussions are visible regardless of what classes the student is enrolled in or courses they're working on.
There is one exception, though, and that is Computer Science, which is one area of Khan Academy that will remain as is. This means that students will be able to find the Computer Science course from the new Reimagined design, and it will open up in a new tab in the "Classic" experience.
Does this help?
Thank you for asking questions rather than spreading rumors that you haven't verified.
~ Janice, KA user
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