Few educators can say that they've figured out how to make test prep engaging for their students. A major obstacle is that traditional methods of test prep are very different from how today's students prefer to learn and connect. In the United Kingdom, to prepare seniors for the General Certificate of Education (GCSE) exams, which are required for graduation, more than 150 schools provide students with access to a series of podcasts. The unique service, called GCSEPod, stimulates the minds of tech-savvy students and even helps image-conscious teens maintain their cool while digging deeply into content.
The company, which is the brainchild of Anthony Coxon and Ian Thompson, designed a tool to be more accessible to the modern learner after Thompson helped his son study for the GCSE exams and concluded that there had to be a better way to help students prepare. GCSEPod delivers educator-created podcasts on a variety of subjects covered by the GCSE, including math, science, English, accounting, technology-related topics, and the arts.
Students can access the podcasts on the go through their mobile phones and laptops, which helps them to learn content in ways that best engage them.Thompson jokes that using the program also provides a "cover" for kids who worry about being teased for beingtoo studious.
"Students learn in different ways," says Coxon. "The fact that they are plugged in to a device of one sort or another for quite a bit of the time makes them more receptive to other forms of content they can access on those devices. They can still look cool whilst learning and revising."
Another useful tool is the "Recommended for You" function that allows students to personalize the way they study by downloading the podcasts they need for the exams they are studying for. This feature "allows students to plan their revision based on what they need to know," says Coxon. "The feature has received great reviews by teachers as they realize how easy it makes it for students to see what they need to know for each exam."
The service has been successful so far, garnering praise from both students and teachers for its blending of technology and classic learning to help students do well on their exams and as an alternative method to encourage them to study.
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