This is a preserved snapshot of Khan Academy's educational platform from 2010-2012, representing a pivotal moment in online education history. This codebase powered millions of students' mathematical education and demonstrated that high-quality, personalized learning could be delivered at global scale.

⚠️ Legacy Notice: This is a historical artifact using deprecated Google App Engine Python 2.7 runtime, preserved for educational and research purposes.

The main homepage featuring Sal Khan's introductory video, library browser, and navigation to exercises

The interactive knowledge map showing prerequisite relationships between math topics and student progress

• Personalized Learning: Students progressed through math topics based on mastery, not time
• Gamification: Energy points, badges, and streak mechanics motivated learning
• Data-Driven Education: Detailed analytics tracked learning patterns and identified struggling students
• Free Access: High-quality education made available to anyone with internet access

• Interactive Exercises: JavaScript-based math problem generators with immediate feedback
• Knowledge Map: Visual representation of prerequisite relationships between topics
• Scalable Architecture: Google App Engine handled massive user loads
• Streak System: 10 consecutive correct answers required for exercise mastery

Technology Stack:

• Google App Engine Python 2.7 (deprecated)
• Django 1.1 templates with custom GAE integration
• Google Datastore (NoSQL)
• JavaScript exercise framework
• YouTube video integration

Core Data Models:

• UserData: Student progress and analytics
• Exercise: Math problems with prerequisites
• Video: Educational content
• ProblemLog: Individual problem attempts
• UserExercise: Student mastery tracking

The legacy runtime requirements are documented in a two-stage containerized development setup:

Stage 1: Base Development Image (udi-base.dockerfile)

FROM quay.io/devfile/universal-developer-image:ubi9-latest

Installs modern development tools:

• Claude Code: AI coding assistant (@anthropic-ai/claude-code)
• Java 21: OpenJDK for modern tooling
• CLI Tools: tree, htop, fzf, tmux for development productivity
• SonarQube MCP: Code quality analysis integration

Stage 2: Legacy GAE Runtime (udi-gae-legacy.dockerfile)

FROM harbor.ethosengine.com/devspaces/udi-plus:latest

Builds the deprecated Python 2.7 + GAE environment:

• Python 2.7.18: Compiled from source with shared libraries
  • Source: https://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.7.18/Python-2.7.18.tgz
  • Build dependencies: gcc, openssl-devel, libffi-devel, zlib-devel
• Google App Engine SDK 1.9.91: Last version supporting Python 2.7
  • Source: https://storage.googleapis.com/appengine-sdks/featured/google_appengine_1.9.91.zip
• Legacy Python packages (exact versions for compatibility):
  • webapp2==2.5.2, jinja2==2.10.1, webob==1.8.7
  • django==1.3.7, pyyaml==3.13, requests==2.25.1
  • Optional: lxml==4.2.6, pillow==6.2.2 (with fallbacks)

Build your own development images using the provided dockerfiles based on Universal Developer Image (UDI) for Eclipse Che compatibility:

• udi-base.dockerfile for the base image with modern tools
• udi-gae-legacy.dockerfile for the legacy GAE runtime environment

From devfile.yaml, the environment setup includes:

1. Environment Check:

   gae-check  # Verify Python 2.7 and GAE SDK installation

2. Start Development Server:

   run-gae-dev-server  # Launches GAE dev server on port 8080

3. Load Sample Data (optional):

   load-sample-data  # Populates datastore with 48 playlists, 2128 videos, exercises, the gae-dev-server must be running.

• Main application: http://localhost:8080
• GAE admin console: http://localhost:8000

This codebase pioneered concepts that became standard in educational technology:

• Mastery-based progression instead of time-based advancement
• Learning analytics for personalized education
• Gamification elements that motivated sustained engagement
• Teacher dashboards for classroom integration
• Open educational resources supporting global access

├── main.py                 # Application entry point
├── models.py              # Educational data models
├── app.yaml               # GAE configuration
├── exercises/             # Math problem templates
│   ├── addition_1.html    # Basic arithmetic
│   ├── algebra_*.html     # Equation solving
│   └── calculus_*.html    # Advanced topics
├── javascript/            # Exercise framework
├── sample_data/           # Development test data
└── devfile.yaml          # Modern development setup

Recent commits show efforts to preserve this historical codebase:

• Template compatibility patches: Fixed Django template registration for modern environments
• HTTPS migration: Updated embedded content for security
• Container development: Docker setup for running legacy Python 2.7 stack and Google Apps Engine
• Eclipse Che integration: Cloud development environment configuration

This codebase provides insights into:

• Early EdTech architecture patterns and scaling solutions
• Gamification implementation in educational contexts
• Learning analytics data collection strategies
• Open source educational content development approaches

The code demonstrates how a small team created a platform that fundamentally changed how millions of students learn mathematics, establishing patterns that continue to influence educational technology today.

This repository preserves an important milestone in educational technology history, documenting Khan Academy's transformation from video library to interactive learning platform.