When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. However, this does not influence our evaluations.
Want to develop your problem solving, critical thinking, logical reasoning or STEM skills?
Then Brilliant.org could be the platform you’re looking for.
But if you’re here, you might be wondering, What is Brilliant.org? How does it work? Is Brilliant free?How much is Brilliant.org and can I get a refund if I don’t like it?
Well I’ve completed some of their the most popular courses on the platform and in this Brilliant.org review I’ll be answering these questions and sharing everything you need to know to help you decide if Brilliant.org is right for you.
But first, here are the highlights:
.
Quick summary
Features
- 10 million users
- Active learning through one-of-a-kind interactive visualizations and problem solving
- Provides instant feedback
- Promotes mastery over memorizing
- 100+ courses in Math, Science and Computer Science
- Available on desktop and via the Brilliant app
Pros
- Helps you think laterally and solve problems creatively
- Provides a frameworks for seeing the world differently
- Key takeaways highlighted and revisited in an array of real life contexts
- Helps you excel in math, logic and science
- Builds skills incrementally and provides stretch and challenge
- Clear hints and explanations that make it easy to learn
- Fun and engaging user experience
- 4.7 rating on TrustPilot and over 50k 5 star reviews on Apple store and Google Play
Cons
- Could use some downloadable crib sheets of key terms, etc. to save note taking
- One or two typos or omissions in the three courses I took
- Could be more predictive in terms of suggesting alternative pathways if users are making fast progress or struggling with new ideas
Best for: Brilliant’s target audience is broad: ambitious learners aged from 10 to 110! To be a little more specific it’s fantastic for anyone wanting to develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills and those who enjoy puzzles, challenges and quizzes. Also great for anyone who has struggled to learn STEM subjects using more traditional methods.
Cost: From around $13 per month. Click here to check latest Brilliant prices.
Overall: Brilliant.org is great fun and cunningly put together with tons of visuals, animations and games to make abstract ideas accessible and fascinating. The short, sharp interactive lessons build skills incrementally in a range of contexts making STEM topics come to life before your eyes in an exciting new way.
Now for the detail, this review will cover:
- What Brilliant.org is and how it works
- Reviews of three Brilliant classes
- What I liked about Brilliant and what I thought could be improved
- Who Brilliant is for
- How much does Brilliant cost? And alternatives to Brilliant
- What others have said
- And…. Is Brilliant worth it?
So, let’s get started.
What is Brilliant.org?
“Brilliant seeks to change the way people feel about STEM subjects — from scary, abstract, or frustrating, to inspiring and fun.”
The ability to evaluate, problem solve and be forward thinking in today’s changing world has never been more important.
Yet these skills rely on a grasp of STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and math – that many people feel are dry, difficult and even scary.
Brilliant.org is an online learning platform which aims to revolutionize that perception by making learning those subjects fun, inspiring and effective for everyone. There are no passive videos, the platform is 100% about active learning.
It’s available on desktop and via the Brilliant app.
It was founded by Sue Khim in 2012 and its radical approach to education led to Khim being named in Forbes’ 30 under 30 in Education listing.
How does Brilliant work?
Brilliant works by gamifying the learning of complex ideas and abstract concepts. Short interactive lessons, quizzes and challenges keep students engaged and progressing.
Courses are designed to tap into your intuition, pique curiosity, keep you constantly ‘doing’ and encourage you to be open to failure.
There are 100+ courses across a wide range of topics that basically teach STEM concepts for students aged from 10-110 of any ability.
To sample Brilliant you can use the limited free version or enjoy a free 7 day trial of their premium membership. Membership gives you access to all 100+ courses, provides you with daily challenges and enables you to learn on the go with the IOS or Android Brilliant apps.
When you log in for the first time you answer a few short questions and Brilliant uses these to suggest a learning pathway that provides a good fit for your needs. You are also free to browse all 100+ courses and make your own choices.
Courses are available in:
- Algebra
- Mathematical Thinking
- Geometry
- Statistics and Probability
- Contest Math
- Calculus
- Advanced Mathematics
- Scientific Thinking
- Classical Physics
- Quantum Mechanics
- Applied Science
- Foundational Computer Science
- Applied Computer Science
A typical format for a course is as follows:
- Start with simple questions and stories that tap into your intuition and build foundational skills and insights
- Use these skills and insights to solve more complex problems and quizzes
- Play with different ways to approach problems that may seem out of your grasp.
My review of 3 Brilliant classes
To give you a good overview of the range of courses on Brilliant, I chose three of their most popular courses that provide a solid foundation for learning to think and problem solve creatively:
- Probability Foundations
- Logic
- Mathematical Fundamentals
I completed each course in full over a number of days, usually spending around an hour a day working through the problems and challenges.
After completing Mathematical Fundamentals my conclusion was – if this method of learning was compulsory in schools, all children would LOVE math!
Probability Foundations
You will learn how to:
- Compare your intuition to reality and avoid common intuitive errors!
- Understand the connection between counting problems and probability problems
- Optimize your chances of winning probabilistic games
- Recognize when a game is fair
- Master the basic math rules behind probability
Pros:
- Fun quizzes with clear graphics
- Games such as craps, roulette and shut the box are used to demonstrate concepts
- Clear explanations if you slip up (which I did, quite often)
- Positive messaging to keep you engaged
- Builds skills incrementally but makes your brain work hard
- Revisits concepts to illuminate them in different contexts
- Shows % of people who answer correctly (which is encouraging as it’s never 100%)
- Gave me a real sense of achievement
Cons:
- No downloadable ‘crib sheets’ so you have to make copious notes
- Some unfamiliar terms used that I did not know which was frustrating
- No approximate indication of how long the whole class might be so it’s hard to know how long to set aside
Length of Course: There are 22 quizzes/problems and each one took me between 5-12 minutes to finish, depending on difficulty. In all I spent just under four hours completing the course over three sessions.
Best for: Anyone with basic math skills who wants to put their decision making on a more secure footing. Young or inexperienced mathematicians would also benefit from learning the fundamentals of probability in a wide variety of fun contexts.
Overall: A compelling course that was manageable but also challenging. Though I took a lot of mis-steps, I didn’t feel discouraged or foolish. The explanations, graphics and examples helped me learn from my errors and I finished the course with a massive sense of achievement.
Logic
You will learn how to:
- Tone your critical thinking skills
- Solve problems by visualizing relationships
- Use worst case analysis to arrive at a logical strategy
- Use a range of techniques to eliminate the impossible to arrive at the truth
Pros:
- Fun visual and kinaesthetic games and puzzles to aid learning
- Visual solutions and explanations help to understand errors
- Hints to help you see the clearest way to a solution
- Key takeaways and concepts highlighted for review and reflection
Cons:
- Again, a downloadable crib sheet would be useful
- Instructions could have been clearer in one or two places – it is possible to comment on this with every exercise
Length of Course: There are 18 games and puzzles and each one took me between 5-10 minutes to finish, depending on difficulty. In all I spent around three hours completing the course across two sessions.
Best for: Anyone wanting to sharpen their ability to analyse information and solve problems. Also great for developing your powers of persuasion and composing rational arguments.
Overall: A course that was fun and cleverly constructed with lots of visuals, animations and games to make abstract ideas accessible. Again, I did not find it easy and, as the challenges grew harder, made many errors. However I felt motivated to persevere and now feel better equipped to filter out fallacies in a modern world that’s full of them!
