Who are Khan Academy's ideal learners?

Most people assume that Khan Academy is going to work great for “motivated learners.” And that is true. If someone is driven there's really nothing to stop them now. They can go on Khan Academy, and start wherever they are and can just keep going. And we get letters to that effect all the time.

The surprise for me is that category of motivated learners is far larger than any of us thought it was. Most people think motivated learners is maybe 5, 10, 15, 20% of people. This is because in a traditional system students are being pushed ahead at a set pace. In the process they are accumulating gaps in their knowledge. And at some point, those gaps became so significant that it is debilitating. And it isn't for a lack of motivation. It's just that they keep hitting their heads against a wall because they are missing key skills.

In the mastery-learning world that Khan Academy offers, I’m convinced that MOST people can learn MOST subjects.