It’s already April – a challenging, crucial time for students and educators. Spring Break has just ended, and IB DP and AS/A level students have left for study leave. Teachers are now facing the challenge of ensuring every student has accessible, differentiated and engaging exam prep. I remember those days so well. Like many of you, before I could jet off to Sri Lanka for some much needed beach time, or Europe for my dose of history and culture, I was always left rushing to meet the demands of the syllabus.
Drawing from my years in education, I’ve collated five essential tips for educators to help their students excel while minimising workloads. With this guide, you’ll be relaxing by the sea a whole lot quicker, with a whole lot less stress.
1 – Provide exam-type questions
Success in exams largely depends on students’ familiarity with the format and types of questions they’ll encounter. By employing a platform like Education Perfect (EP), teachers can create bespoke, exam-type questions from scratch or use the platform’s multi-levelled, differentiated question banks to meet their learners’ needs. You can also use EP Studio to upload, adapt premade assessments or search for appropriate engaging material from teachers across the world, via our shared teacher community.
2 – Leverage automated marking and adaptive learning pathways
After assessments, the EP platform automatically grades short response questions and generates personalised learning pathways. These pathways help students address knowledge gaps through differentiated consolidation material, enabling independent learning without direct teacher intervention. The platform’s upcoming advancements in AI and automated marking for long response questions are worth keeping an eye on in the near-future.
3 – Monitor progress in real-time and provide meaningful feedback
EP’s in-platform, live monitoring features allow teachers to track student engagement and performance remotely. This functionality aids in identifying areas of difficulty and providing timely feedback through audio and written comments, facilitating a proactive approach to student support.
4 – Manage your expectations
Setting achievable learning goals is critical. The EP platform enables educators to assign meaningful tasks and assessments with flexible conditions, such as multiple attempts or extended time for those who need it. This approach helps manage students’ cognitive load and prevents burnout by fostering realistic expectations and better time management.
5 – Make it fun, varied and engaging for ALL students
If your revision material isn’t diversified, are you really challenging your students and encouraging them to learn independently? EP Studio allows the integration of multimedia resources, such as Youtube videos and interactive content, alongside gamification elements like the EP Dash Game. The lessons in the EP content library are “levelled” to meet the needs of all learners. When creating your bespoke assessments and revision quizzes, there is variety in all questions.
These tips are by no means exhaustive. There are so many other useful suggestions that can support students in this crucial part of the year. EP also offers free Professional Development (PD) and training opportunities to help educators maximise their EP subscriptions and best prepare their students for stressful exams.
Interested to learn how EP’s features can support your classroom needs? Reach out to your EP representative today
Ravi Sekhon | Customer Success Manager (MENA & Europe)
Ravi has spent 21 years in UK education, 13 years internationally. He has held several roles in educational middle management, such as Head of Mathematics, Head of Pastoral and Senior Teacher. Ravi is a keen advocate of educational technology and has helped many schools across Europe and the UAE establish their resources and, more specifically, the EP platform, into their workplaces.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
