Exams MADE Easy
FreeAbout this course
Everyone knows that to get the best possible marks in your forthcoming exams, you will need to remember what you’ve learnt – and to remember what you’ve learnt, you will need to revise. But few people seem to know how to revise.
Rationale
Revision strategies are the activities necessary to prepare for and take exams, including self-testing, time management, memorising and retrieval. McCabe (2011) showed that the majority of students are unfamiliar with existing revision strategies that could enhance performance, suggesting that training students in applied learning and memory would benefit their metacognitive judgement. We aim to bridge this gap by equipping your students with an in-depth range of thinking skills covering key aspects of revision and exam preparation. This two-hour workshop allows students to both learn and apply the strategies for themselves, leaving them feeling empowered to master their own revision. A systematic review of meta-analyses found that students’ attainment is higher when they employ a strategic approach to learning (Schneider & Preckel, 2017). Therefore, it is essential to prioritise the development of effective revision strategies for students, in order to help them achieve their academic goals. The skills learnt within this workshop will allow your students to plan and implement their revision in an efficient and successful manner.
The average impact of metacognition and self-regulation strategies is an additional seven months’ progress over the course of a year.
EEF Toolkit
Objectives
- To learn and master a range of effective revision strategies.
- To build confidence in their own abilities and potential.
- To increase motivation to study and revise.
- To know how to use revision time efficiently.
- To identify at least one new revision strategy that will be incorporated into their revision plan.
Skills taught and their Benefits
Benchmarking is an analytical process aimed at helping students to measure their progress and attainment across multiple areas of study. It enables students to then prioritise their efforts accordingly.
Active Reading involves more than simply reading a text – it involves questioning, reflecting, and evaluating the information presented in the text. With this skill, your students will become focused and proficient readers.
Mind Mapping is used to visually organise information within a hierarchy, showing relationships between topics and ideas, which can help students better understand and remember the material.
The Memory Palace is a technique that taps into a person’s natural ability to remember places; their spatial memory. Developed by the ancient Greeks, this strategy is considered to be one of the most powerful tools for memorisation.
Revision Planning is essential for effective study. Students will learn how to apply Spaced Learning and the Leitner System to make the most of their time.
Cue Cards are useful tools for memorisation, as they encourage students to condense and filter information, which can improve understanding and retention.
Outcomes
By the end of the workshop, your students will have:
- Identified which revision techniques work best for them and understood how to use these in their revision plan.
- Improved their memory skills and metacognitive abilities.
- Gained confidence in their own abilities and potential.
- Increased motivation and reduced stress levels connected to revision and exams.
- Developed a positive attitude towards revision , exam preparation and independent studies.
79% of students found that they were “more confident in their ability to revise for their exams”.
Survey from 1200 students conducted by Greater Manchester Higher on MADE Training.
Statutory Guidance, Curriculum and Frameworks
GATSBY Benchmarks: 3,6
NERUPI Framework: Practise
PSHE Core: Living in the wider world
- Exams MADE Easy contains strategies that are also featured in PH: Rapid Revision.
- If students are taking part in Exams MADE Easy they should not also take part in PH: Rapid Revision in the same school term
- Many schools that book Exams MADE Easy find that these additional workshops work well in combination: The Lighthouse, Self MADE Motivation
- Recommended add-ons: All Power Hours, Parent Workshop, Staff 1hr CPD
Note to parents
The strategies within this course are designed to help your child plan, structure and conduct their revision in the most effective manner.
It is important to note that each child has individual strengths and preferences and will therefore benefit from a tailored and personalised approach to revision. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ magic rabbit foot for passing exams. There are, however, a range of techniques that have been proven to assist in increasing focused attention, understanding and recall. We encourage students to experiment with a variety of these techniques so they might develop an approach that works for them. A good time for trying out different revision methods is in the lead up to the mock exams. Help them to analyse which techniques work for them, so that when they are revising for their main exams – they know how to revise in a confident and effective manner.
Discuss revision with your child and encourage them to discuss it with their friends and siblings. Encourage your child to attend any additional revision sessions organised by the school; these will be focused on the key topics that will come up in the exam. Your child will also get the feeling that they’re not alone in this; all their friends are going through it too. Attend any parents’ evenings put on by the school. It’s useful to be reminded of things you might not have thought of or forgotten. Also, it’s a great time to hear from other parents and how they’re all experiencing similar issues or challenges.
We wish you all the best in supporting your child through the intensive and often stressful time leading up to exams. The act of you reading this text, infers that you have your child’s best interests in mind. I’m sure they will benefit massively from your help, support and encouragement.
Best,
Sander de Groot
Head of Training
Syllabus
Below is a detailed listing of all the modules in this course. Each module contains a series of text or video-based lessons. Each lesson should take you between 1 and 5 minutes. The lessons work best when you fully engage with them and perform any required activities. Remember, performing the activities and engaging with the thought experiments will accelerate your learning and enable you to master the techniques rapidly and ultimately, achieve better results.
Module 1 0/3
Benchmarking
Benchmarking is a technique which encourages you to become aware of your current performance levels and compare them to your target levels. It can help you to identify areas which require your attention and to prioritise your efforts accordingly.
Module 2 0/6
The Memory Palace
The Memory Palace is a unique technique that allows you to lock information to significant locations within a room. It uses a type of memory called spatial memory; that part of your memory responsible for the recording of information about one's environment.
Module 3 0/3
Number Words
The Number Words technique is a mnemonic device specifically designed for memorising numbers. It’s perfect for when you want to remember a significant date, value or statistic.
Module 4 0/3
Cue Cards
Cue cards are small, portable cards on which to record condensed notes. Creating cue cards encourages you to analyse and filter your notes. Carrying them with you and reviewing them regularly will increase your understanding and memory retention.
Module 5 0/3
Mind Mapping
A mind map is a diagram which organises information around a central concept or topic. You can use this technique for brainstorming ideas, creating detailed revision notes, essay plans or to structure and guide your thinking before answering an exam question.
Module 6 0/3
FLORA
The FLORA curve demonstrates what we remember during a period of learning or studying. Use it to structure your revision sessions in the most effective way.
Module 7 0/3
Revision Planning
"But I don’t have the time to revise!" Really? Let’s find out. This simple exercise will reveal how much time you have. Use the technique to balance your time between studying, relaxation and other commitments.