It’s been 25 years since I sat my Leaving Cert, yet the memory of highlighting textbooks and copybooks, writing out notes and rhyming off details is one of those core recollections powered by the anxious repetition and routine of sixth year.
Today, a lot has changed and students have far more choice in how they revise. While we had textbooks, printable materials, references and past exam papers, students today have interactive quiz platforms, video revision channels, mobile revision apps, online past paper collections, revision guides, worksheet collections, formula sheets and customisable study tools.
Everything is available, quick and in their hand wherever they are.
“Twenty-five years ago, revision was largely based around textbooks, handwritten notes and past papers,” says Áine Devlin, founder of ExamRevision.ie and a maths and Gaeilge teacher. “Those are still important, but students can now combine them with video tutorials, interactive quizzes, digital notes and worked solutions.
READ MORE
“One of the biggest changes is that students can now learn at their own pace. If something doesn’t click in class, they can go back over it later, pause a video, replay an explanation and work through the topic in their own time.”
If I was to sit my Leaving Cert again, I feel I would be somewhat overwhelmed by the amount of resources available. What works best? Which site is better? Do I need them all or just a few? What are my friends doing?
While being online is a natural environment for students these days, there is much to consume from multiple and varied resources. How can an individual choose the right revision supplies suitable for how they like to learn?
Revision is not one-size-fits-all, considering students are likely to learn at their own individual pace and in different ways. While one student may find video tutorials to not only be easily accessible but also easier to consume and understand, others may prefer to engage with the more tactile approach of printed-out revision notes and highlighters.
How a student comes to revising for exams is as individual as some of their exam-day answers. It can vary between the visual learner and the practical learner, the person who understands first time and those who need more time, or the student who needs more direction and discipline and their peer who can bounce from one resource to another depending on their mood.
But there is no doubt that there is something for everyone. Students will uncover better revision results when they use materials that align with their natural learning preferences. “Some may prefer written notes, while others benefit more from video and visual explanations,” says Devlin. “That is why supporting different learning styles and accessibility needs has been such an important part of how we have built ExamRevision.ie. For example, students with dyslexia may benefit from our accessibility toolbar, which includes features such as text-to-speech and screen masking to make content easier to access and engage with.”
Rereading and notetaking were my go-to revision methods back in 2001, spending countless hours forcing, or willing, the information to stay. It was exhausting. Looking back, it feels a little incompatible with how a brain retains details. Neuroscience suggests that learning is an exceptionally complex process, involving a combination of strong memory networks, sensory responses, emotional conditions, stress levels and our cognitive processes. For this reason, Devlin recommends students have not only a good study plan, but one that is quite specific to their need, how they prefer to study, and how their brain works.
“‘Study biology’ is too broad,” she says. “‘Revise genetics, complete a quiz and answer two exam questions’ gives a student a clear goal.” This kind of “active learning” is essential. “Students should be answering questions, testing themselves and explaining concepts rather than just rereading material.”
Devlin’s advice is to focus on effective study rather than simply counting hours. To do this, she suggests breaking each subject down topic by topic. “Revise a topic, then test yourself with a quiz or an exam question,” she says. “That tells you much more about what you actually know than repeatedly reading notes. Students can start by using quizzes to assess their prior knowledge and identify the areas within a topic that need the most attention. From there, they can move between topic videos, notes, past exam questions and worked solutions to strengthen their understanding.”
Of course, it can feel promising to focus revision on a subject you’re comfortable with. It feels safe and somewhat productive, but that may counter the purpose of revision and utilising all of these amazing resources when the harder subjects become more and more daunting regardless of the supports you have.
“The worst thing a student can do is look at the entire course and think, ‘I have to catch up on all of this.’ Break it down,” Devlin says. “Identify the most important gaps, speak to your teacher, who will know best, and tackle one topic at a time. Being behind at one point in the year doesn’t mean you can’t recover. Consistent, focused work can make a huge difference.”
With so many resources available to students, they have the opportunity to use varied materials, which may counter the boredom factor when revising. While I was glued to pages of dancing words day in, day out, students today can watch videos, read, challenge themselves with specific quizzes, and consume revision in a way that is supportive of how they are feeling on the day.
“Students will naturally have good study days and bad study days,” says Devlin. “Sleep, exercise and breaks matter too. A student who is exhausted is unlikely to retain information efficiently.”
Back in my day, if we needed a little more education we signed up for grinds. I went weekly to a maths teacher and found it tedious to have to go back to school in the evenings after an already long day of school and revising. But it was necessary. Whether students today choose grinds over online resources is dependent on the student and how they learn. Both, however, need one crucial thing – self-directed learning. Revision is somewhat passive. An engaged and motivated student will gain from either grinds or revision websites.
Devlin says that a good revision website will give students the structure, flexibility and independence needed for their individual needs.
“It allows a student to identify a topic they are struggling with, move their learning forward and immediately test their understanding. Ultimately, technology can never replace teachers. The teacher remains central to a student’s education. What technology can do is extend that learning beyond the classroom and assist with revision. It gives students the opportunity to revisit an explanation, practise independently, and learn at their own pace.
“Not every student will understand something the first time it is explained and they shouldn’t be disadvantaged because of that.”
