Using research to design a revision session

Having blogged on how we should ditch revision or at least some of the ways that it is organised, I was reminded of this excellent post called ‘no more highlighting‘.

I thought about how I might steal and adapt this into a set structured revision lesson. I’ve personally always found ‘revision’ lessons difficult as they seem to lack structure and students don’t always see where they’re going.

The lesson includes two important techniques that the research indicates as effective; testing & quick repetition of content (see Ebbinghaus forgetting curve).

Here is the lesson structure:

Note: This structure starts properly after 2 lessons 

 

In one lesson, 3 topics will be referred to but each topic will also be covered in 3 lessons. The idea is that covering the content over 3 lessons in a row but in a different format, one being recalling/testing will help with remembering it.

This gives ‘revision’ lessons structure so students know what will happen but also provides them a structure for their own revision at home.

It is also great for people that have lost of classes as it doesn’t require any marking of the questions as this is always completed in the next lesson. This can vary between self and peer marking using the exam mark scheme.

Once students are used to the structure they will get used to how they need to behave and think in the content section as this will be the one in which needs to be remembered instantly in the ‘transformation’ section.

I have created a brief selection of possible ‘transformation’ teachinques for students to choose from. I don’t care how they do it, as long as it:

• Covers ALL the content
• Is completed in the time given
• Makes sense so that anyone could use it to understand the content

This means there isn’t time for colouring or spending time making booklets. I will tell them if they wish to use these techniques they must arrive with pre-made booklets ready to fill; it’s not a colouring & cutting out lesson.

I’m going to use this with my year 11s this year. I will blog in the summer on how effective I think it was.