Overview
Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission to provide a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere. Its flagship product offers free online instruction and practice materials to learners all over the world. The nonprofit's materials, programs, and learning dashboard have empowered students of all ages and subject areas to achieve their educational objectives. In addition to reaching students directly, Khan Academy partners with school districts — including teachers, administrators, and parents — so they can implement Khan Academy in classrooms.
The challenge
Khan Academy's existing user base consisted of learners from all backgrounds, but most had found the platform through word of mouth. Leadership wanted to invest in understanding the experiences of historically under-resourced (HUR) communities — to offer solutions to their specific challenges and barriers to access. To inform new products and services intended to reach these students, Khan Academy sought Substantial's expertise in equity-centred research, strategy, and design.
“The research not only shaped discussion around student needs — it helped students feel like they had more agency over their educational experiences.”
What we did
We designed and implemented qualitative research focused on under-resourced student populations in the 6th–10th grades, with a secondary emphasis on teachers, administrators, and community leaders. To mitigate researcher bias and maintain research integrity, we enlisted a cultural moderator. Broad recruitment efforts ensured representation from students with varied lived experiences, and the team adopted new methodologies to carry out the project during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Designed an equity-centred research programme focused on historically under-resourced student populations in grades 6–10, with secondary research across teachers, administrators, and community leaders.
Enlisted a cultural moderator and adopted new pandemic-era methodologies to maintain research integrity and ensure representation from students with varied lived experiences.
Used narrative storytelling — videos, direct quotes, and research activities — to elevate students' authentic voices and emphasise individual stories and lived experiences.
Took a systems approach to research synthesis, mapping internal and external student support systems and identifying opportunities for Khan Academy to improve engagement.
Delivered contextual insights, opportunity areas, and equity-centred guidance in multiple formats — videos, visual designs, highlight reels, key takeaways, and team onboarding materials — to support Khan Academy's mission across the organisation.
The results
Foundational understanding of student experiences
Substantial's equity-centred approach yielded a nuanced understanding of HUR student experiences and provided a roadmap for future research across the organisation.
Strategy, research, and initiative prioritisation
The identification of contextual insights and opportunity areas is helping Khan Academy leaders guide strategy, advance research, and prioritise initiatives that serve under-resourced communities.
Storytelling that connects across the organisation
A variety of formats — videos, visual designs, highlight reels, interviews, and onboarding materials — support Khan Academy's mission to truly connect with the lived experiences of students and onboard new employees with context about HUR populations.
Students with more agency over their education
The research itself shaped discussion around student needs and helped students feel like they had more agency over their educational experiences.