LearningWhat is your current affiliation and role?
Sevenoaks School (UK) – Head of Chemistry
What drew you to write teaching & learning resources for us?
They provide an excellent way to think about the delivery of material in a condensed, highly focused manner. The flashcards represented something very different to the ubiquitous textbooks. There was no mainstream publisher offering a resource like the flashcards so it presented a great opportunity to be involved in something innovative.
What do you see as the principal challenge(s) in teaching the new Science curriculum?
Finding the “right” teaching order (if there is such a thing) in order to create beneficial links between concepts. The IB has introduced guiding and linking questions, as well as a new structure for content delivery. For most schools, finding a way to “chop up” content in the way that suits the students best, whilst allowing the links between sections to be highlighted, is going to be the main challenge.
Looking at your subject, how does the new syllabus impact teacher planning & course delivery?
Ultimately, this will depend on how your department’s scheme of work is sequenced. It is possible to fit the new content into the existing framework of topics. This would keep the planning time needed to a minimum and have the least impact on course delivery. Timings for each topic (based on the old syllabus) will differ depending on whether content has been removed or added. Attempting to deliver the course using the new Structure and Reactivity themes in the first year of teaching will be a significant challenge and require teachers to re-order content delivery. Fortunately, most of the content from the old syllabus has been preserved and new core material has principally been extracted from the old Options. This reduces the need for completely new resource creation.
What recommendations or practical tips would you give teachers as they prepare to teach the new curriculum? (What do they need to change, incorporate or do differently?)
Make sure to read the Teacher Support Material when it is released in September. This will have lots of useful tips for structuring and delivering your course. It may be wise to keep the content within the tried-and-tested topics within the current syllabus and fit the new material around those; at least for the first iteration. The IA now focuses on concluding and evaluating, so be sure to have a strong focus on these skills in the first half of your course.
What needs do the materials that you are developing fulfill for students? For teachers?
Beyond complete syllabus coverage, the flashcards provide a concise way for students to consolidate and review content. They are an essential distillation of what needs to be known and are, therefore, an essential aid for exam preparation. Also, because the flashcards are highly focused, students can feel confident they have covered the key skills and facts, which they often find harder to do when using conventional textbooks. The flashcard system also makes it much easier for students to track their own progress. For teachers, the flashcards can facilitate end-of-topic reviews, or help them to develop their own condensed resources. The flashcards can also be used to encourage students to consolidate their learning outside of class more frequently.
What do you like best about the resource package that is available on ManageBac / Pamoja Study Companion for student learning & review (exam practice / theory videos / flashcards / revision guides)?
The fact that these resources provide comprehensive coverage of the journey for students (and teachers) through the IB course is brilliant. Having a single location from which to access everything makes this package highly attractive. Students will find the video walkthroughs of exam questions invaluable when it comes to exam preparation. Reminding students that the flashcards are always accessible on their phones will, I hope, encourage them to study more efficiently and productively, at their own pace.
