Revision Time Goes Online

by Tim Ewington

Home learning is critical to exam success and the computer industry is strengthening links between family and school. Free internet access at home is a huge step in making online education accessible to everybody. As students start to sweat in the run-up to their exams, many of them are turning to the web to supplement their knowledge. The following text is a description of some websites of this in Britain. .

The tension is rising in the Kelly household. Two dates are ingrained in the family's collective consciousness: May 22 and June 19. They mark the first and the last of Paula's written GCSE exams. "All the time I feel that I need to do a lot more revision. I know I must get down to it," says 15-year-old Paula, who is a student at Victoria College in Belfast. "It's not so much my parents who are putting pressure on me, though I know my mum's a bit uptight, but I have two older brothers and a sister and they all say that they were doing a lot more revision at this stage than I am."
    Across the country, 700 000 students and their families will heave a collective sigh of relief when the exam season comes to an end. "Even my granny is telling me to do more revision," says another 15-year-old, Steve Burgess from West Yorkshire, who is sitting nine GCSEs. "The dog seems to be the only one who doesn't use the dreaded ‘R' word every time he sees me."

When exams were invented so too was revision, but two inventions have transformed the way we prepare. A generation ago, revision notes became a lucrative industry, published under such imprints as Brodie's and York. The second, to which Paula and Steve's generation is turning, is the internet.

The leading exam revision site is GCSE Bitesize, from the BBC. It received almost 750 000 hits each week in mid-March, and expects to double that number this month. Channel 4's more broadly based service, Homework High, which helps students aged 9—16 with their homework, is claiming up to 1.3m hits per week.

The demand has put tremendous pressures on both services. "Every day we have more than 3 000 kids trying to ask our teachers a question online," says Paul Ashton, the commissioning editor for special projects at Channel 4, "but the most we can manage is 300 answers. We also had to close the chat rooms because they were far too successful. As more students joined in, new chat rooms automatically opened, and at one stage we had 30 chat rooms supervised by only one moderator.

There are good reasons for this phenomenal demand. Students are one of the groups most likely to have access to the internet in Britain. Research recently conducted by NOP Kidsnet shows that 57% of school-age children can now access to the internet either at home or school, up from 51% just six months ago. Internet penetration rises to more than 70% for 15- and 16-year-olds who are studying for GCSEs, in contrast to less than 30% of the population as a whole.

Feedback shows that important student needs are being satisfied by the internet. Websites provide information, support and encouragement when parents aren't around; students having difficulties in particular subjects can choose their own pace, away from the classroom, to study examples, tests and explanations on the web; students who are missing school through illness can keep up. Of most concern, many students say that websites provide better resources and support in the lead-up to exams than their weaker teachers.

Paula Kelly is sanguine about online revision. "I have used the sites a bit, but not that often. They have really helped in specific areas, such as science—it is so useful to see exam questions and ideal responses as a guide, particularly when you are less confident in that area. I do get frustrated, though, when I know what I want is out there but it takes a long time to find."

Judith Addley, one of Paula's teachers, reflects the views of many professionals. "Revision sites don't replace traditional approaches such as note-taking and practicing exam papers—nothing can do that—and they certainly aren't a substitute for hard work. But Bitesize and the rest are a really good part of the mix and I am sure that they will become better in the future."

We all know that revision is boring, but because the online approach can be quite different from that of a teacher, studying alone can break a mental log jam. Steve Burgess, who is finding the revision of factual subjects such as history and geography hard to face, says: "After reading and writing notes for a few hours, it's great to revise on the computer. The sites are more interactive, with tests that the computer marks and perfect answers so you know what you're aiming for."

    He is far more effusive about revising online than Paula. "I found it so difficult to start revising, but I have used the websites most days. When I sit with books and notes and try to learn them, my mind starts wandering after 10 minutes, but I like computers and because I have to move around the site and fill in the answers, it keeps me going. If I haven't touched the keyboard or the mouse after 60 seconds, I can't hide from the fact that I'm doing nothing."

In surveys, helping their child's education is the most important reason parents give for buying computers with net capability, so demand for online revision and homework services is set to grow. With the government's information-technology initiatives taking effect, the number of students with net access at school has now overtaken those with access at home, and, one way or another, three quarters of school-age children are expected to be online within the next year.

Though only two years old, the BBC's GCSE Bitesize is the daddy of internet sites for schools. As the name suggests, it provides revision in chunks that are easy to digest, covering 11 key subjects closely matched to the national curriculum.

"Bitesize was initially targeted to help every student using the service to gain at least a grade C," says Frank Flynn, the head of commissioning for schools and colleges at the BBC. "Since the launch, we have added more stretching material. Our long-term aim is to raise the standards achieved. We have a proven ability to do so."

Among educators, there is much debate about the effectiveness of learning with a computer. What is clear is that the quality of the content and the nature of the interactivity involved is critical. Simply sitting in front of a PC—surprise, surprise—does not help a student learn, but certain types of computer-based interactive exercises are particularly effective, especially for students who find it difficult to acquire knowledge through reading and listening.

The BBC has already extended its service to help Key Stages 2 and 3 students facing exams this month and has ambitious plans for the future. In four years' time, BBC Online's content will cover most of the national curriculum, from the age of five through to GCSEs. Flynn explains: "We want to provide comprehensive, integrated learning packages that will build a bridge between home—and school-based activities. We want our online materials to draw in students who are in danger of being turned off learning but also to allow more ambitious students to approach the whole curriculum at their own pace."

Channel 4's Homework High is more funky. Five cartoon-style characters inhabit the school, representing English, maths, science, geography and history. The site shows no lack of confidence, describing itself as the world's best homework website. It is very good. Students can ask questions at the end of school, between 4pm and 5.30pm, or at home between 6.30pm and 9pm Monday to Thursday. If your question is accepted, it will be answered within 24 hours, faster than on other free sites, and the quality of the answers is high. The level of demand means you have only a one in 10 chance of receiving a reply, but the reserve of 10 000 answers that has already been built up means that there should be solid, if less specific, help in most areas.

"We are very careful about the answers given," says Paul Ashton of Channel 4. "We provide colloquial advice so that students receive immediately useful help but can't simply copy the answer into an essay. They have to think about the response, what it means, and then mould it into their work."

Homework High is expanding to catch up with demand. New teachers are on their way, the service is being extended to Sundays and students' questions will be answered by star guests as diverse as poets and scientists, to offer a contrasting style of answer to those of teachers. The chat rooms will be more controlled and there will be rooms for both students and parents—separate, of course.

In the meantime, let's wish every success to Paula, Steve and all those students and their families facing their final weeks of revision leading up to GCSEs.

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