Using Technology to support revision

Not every pupil achieves their potential in external examinations. One reason for this is revision technique; even the most innovative and engaging lesson is unlikely to have much of an influence on a student’s final grades if he/she is unable to recall the learning outcomes. Linear examinations mean that nearly two years may have passed (maybe more if you start GCSE classes in year 9, like dukkhaboy) between the lesson and the examination, making effective revision crucial. How can technology help pupils revise for Geography examinations?

One method was demonstrated to me by Will Wright, a Maths teacher and recent Microsoft Partners in learning teacher award winner. He uses Community Clips, basic screencasting software for Windows, to record instructional videos as an aid to revision. These ‘Mathscasts’ are then uploaded to his YouTube channel for the students to view and revise at their convenience.  He uses interactive whiteboard software to present his mathscasts and an audio commentary. Here is an example:

There are a number of reasons screencasts appeal to me to support students when revising:

1. The clips are designed to support the lessons taught and directly reflect desired learning outcomes (this is great because I’m likely to make use of a variety of case studies, many of which aren’t referenced in revision guides. The guides themselves may not be written with our examination board in mind and in the target language of Welsh).
2. Students are more likely to watch a YouTube clip than pick up their course files and revision notes.
3. Listening to the clip with headphones means less distraction.
4. Students who are daunted by lots of text and find it difficult to access will be able to listen to the commentary and view an active demonstration.
5. The clips can be made available to download onto mobile devices.
6. They are easily available, provided there is internet access.

It would be great, for example, to provide students with a tailor made guide, easily produced and based upon digital resources that I’ve already created to:

• Demonstrate how to make effective use of resources such as maps and photographs in exam papers by referring to a past examination question.

· Explain processes such as atmospheric circulation or the formation of landforms associated with different plate boundaries.

· Deliver a commentary on a mind map created by the class as the basis for an essay based question.

· Create a ‘walk through’ of pre-release material in preparation for a synoptic examination.

· Produce a library of case studies.

 A variation on this theme would be to create podcasts using free software such as Audacity. 
  

Will has taken this idea further by encouraging students to create their own Mathscasts. I love this idea. Taking ownership of the revision guides consolidates previous learning; viewing them on laptops or mobile phones is in tune with students preferred means of communication and, for some, more accessible than course notes.  

The community clips software is also used by the Partners in Learning community of innovative teachers to provide online guides or innovids for educators.