Active Recall.

Before we go through the activities that will (hopefully) help you to revise we are going to watch a YouTube clip which explains what 'active recall' is and why it is important to engage in this process of revision. Answer the following question:

1. Which commonly used study methods do not work and why?

2. What is active recall as a method of study?

3. By what percentage does using active recall improve student performance in tests?

4. Bullet point the different apps/sites or ways to put the active recall method of study into action. There is one in the clip but what else have you been shown or used?

5. Choose one method of active recall to use for your next test. Commit to having a go. Now is the time to try things out while the stakes are relatively low. 

The Process

• Decide on a method of active recall.

• Read through your notes, yes low productivity but it is the first step.

• As you read through your notes create questions about the key concept and content that you have learnt. This could be anything from key terms, formulas, labelled diagrams, to questions, etc. 

• Create the notes directly into or on what ever method of active recall you are using. 

• Use the method to revise a little and often. The space interval, time of forgetting, is important to make the information 'stick' in your head. 

Useful Resources

Activity Two - Using AI to create question for flashcards

As you have seen from the clip there is no real quick fix to creating flashcards and ultimately it is how often you use them to review your notes that is key. That said, maybe AI has a place in this process. You still need to feed your preferred AI - ChatGPT - text and you need to create your APE prompts (thank Mr. Allaway of www.geographyalltheway.com). It can work though and if anything it could give suggestions of how to write the questions for the flashcards.

Activity Three - Revision Clock - Example Changing Population

As you have now learnt it is vital to move away from just reading through your notes to methods of 'active recall' to increase your brain's capacity to hold information. You may have used this approach from Mr. Allaway before - the Revision Clock or Grid Approach (I do the grid).  The idea is to have each key knowledge point from the subject guide for a particular unit as a header for a section on the page. You then write everything you know about that single syllabus point within say 5 minutes. You then review your notes to see what you have missed. The more often you do it, hopefully, the less you miss. 

Example One - Geography - Paper 2 - Unit 1 Changing Population

Follow the steps below to go through an active recall activity:

• • 1. Collect the worksheet below.

    2. Choose a colour. Write everything you know about point one on the worksheet. You will have five minutes to do this.

    3. We will then discuss as a group the knowledge that you already retain.

    4. Choose a different colour to write in from  the one used in point two. You will be given a further five minutes to consult your notes and add information to the box you have just written in.

    5. Choose a third colour to write in. Turn your page over. In corresponding box to that you have just written in create a series of questions to test yourself.

    6. Share your questions with the group and add any created by your peers that will help you to test yourself.

    7. Repeat steps 2 to 6 for all of the boxes on the worksheet.

    8. Now comes the really hard part! When you revise this unit only use the questions to help you to recall the content and understanding for each syllabus point.

Example Two - Geography - Paper 2 Unit 2 - Global Climate - Vulnerability and Resilience 

Now you have learnt how to do the above active recall revision strategy you can now apply this to the other units within the course. Below are a series of worksheets that break down the different units for  Paper Two.

Example Three - The Revision Clock - Future Cities - Year 11 I&S

Activity Four - Concept Mapping

This may or may not work depending on your subject package but most of you will either be doing a Group 3 - Individuals and Societies or Group 4 - Sciences based subject. These subjects, as I am sure you are now aware, can be content heavy and the content may either overlap or build up your knowledge to further your understanding. If I taught you last year in Year 11 you have done this before, if you weren't you may have seen my group on the floor in the corridor with flip chart paper. The idea behind it is to initially start with four words and to try and link them together. If you can make a link you join the words together with a single line and then write on the line how they link together. You then have another set of four words and repeat the process but only initially linking the second set of four words. Only after you have exhausted linking the second set together can you then cross polinate and link the first and second set of words together. As you add more and more words, yes it does make the page look busy but the idea is to get you to think how different ideas can link together both within a unit and between them. 

Example of the full process - Geography - Paper 1 Freshwater

1. Collect a sheet of flipchart paper and a set of coloured pens.

2. Remember to use one colour only for each set of words.

3. Write set one words in capital letters anywhere on your flipchart paper. Remember to not write them too big.

4. Now link the words if you can make a connection. Explain the connection on the line that you have drawn.

5. Now choose another colour and write the second set of words in capitals.

6. Connect that set of words and explain the connection.

7. Then cross-pollinate using both colours. Do any of the words from each set link? Explain the link.

8. Repeat the process with the third and fourth set of words.