PEShare.co.uk Shared Resource
- 1. A Level PE Learning and Revision guide Name: Learning Style: Revision techniques: Don’t Panic! And some other top tips…
- 3. Revision Techniques For most of us, the thought of exams does not make us feel happy; in fact they usually bring on a feeling of dread! I want to show that most of us have the same feelings towards exams and that there are things you can do to improve your revision techniques in order to get on top of all that new information and really improve your exam performance. Just knowing these techniques will help to build your confidence and help you feel more confident about your exams, which should help you get even better exam results. Index cards, mind maps and notes • Use to record key points • Incorporate pictures, colour, highlighting Learning posters and visual material • Use pattern, colour, symbols and drawings • Cover key points and topics • Develop diagrams for your course if relevant • Pin them up where you’ll see them often Key words, phrases, themes or concepts • Use the course introductions, summaries, key questions to discover what’s key in each block • Use two or three sentences to define, add course example and diagram if relevant
- 4. Summary tables or grids • Compare or evaluate competing theories or key people Teach someone • Teach a topic to a fellow student or a friend • Thinking it through is effective revision • Fill in the gaps in your knowledge as you identify them Reinforce your memory • As you end a revision session, review key points • Review again regularly
- 5. Index cards, mind maps and notes Index cards We use these as glossary cards from the beginning of the course. They are simple to make and are very useful for new words, and concepts. Front Topic/Chapter The new word or concept you want to remember Back A definition of the word or concept in your own words. It is important that you do not simply copy the words from the book. Choose the key words in the definition, write them in a Front Chapter 1: Health, Exercise and Fitness Skill related components of fitness
- 6. When completed these glossary cards can be used as Flash Cards. You can use these to test yourself and others. Use the “Question the question” sheets to construct your personal perfect answers. Back Skill related components of fitness How a performer can successfully complete a specific skill. They are dependant on the efficient working of the
- 7. Mind Maps. The computers in college have a programme called Mind Genius. It is easy to use and can help you organise your thoughts on complicated topics. If you want to know more about using this programme please ask. We will be looking at it in Revision sessions. You do not need a special programme for mind maps. You can use coloured pens and paper to quickly get down your thoughts. Notes When taking notes it is important to make sure that they will be useful to you later in the course. You should use colour to make key words stand out, use pictures or diagrams to help you ‘see’ and understand concepts. Most importantly you should avoid copying chunks out of the text book or copy and pasting form websites. You will understand, and therefore be able to use, information more completely if you use your own words. The Power Reading technique will help you to do this.
- 8. Power Reading – makes reading more efficient and easier. Scan the text for an overview and then summarise every step of the way. Stop at the end of each step and make a note in pictures or words. Ask yourself: What did that tell me? What was that about? Icons or key words Step 1: Titles Step 2: Subheadings Step 3: Diagrams or charts Step 4: Detail: Para 1 Detail: Para 2
- 9. Detail: Para 3 Detail: Para 4 Do you need to read every word in every paragraph? The first and last sentences in a paragraph give a flavour. Find out before detailed reading if you really need that section.
- 10. Question the question Question: Active play is considered to be a valuable activity for young children. What are the characteristics of play and how do children benefit from play? (4 marks) What are you being asked to do? Keyword/s: and characteristics children benefits 4 marks 2 characteristics 2 benefits How will you do it? Use key phrases 2 characteristics of play are 2 benefits of play for children are
- 11. You should use this table to describe each type of question you find in the question banks. Use the information the front of your textbook to help you understand what each of the key question words mean, e.g. State: Present in a brief, clear form. Usually only worth 1pt, this is an A01 style question. Explain: Give details about how and why something is so. Usually the second part of a 4, 5 or 6 point question, this is an A02 style question. In both types of questions you must use the key words you have learned to be able to gain the available marks.
- 12. Question What are you being asked to do? How will you do it?
- 14. When to start revising? Last-minute 'cramming' for exams is the worst of all worlds - it is very stressful, is unlikely to lead to good marks and you won't be able to remember much of it within a few days of leaving the exam room. So you will have to learn it all over again when you go on to University or into a job! It makes much more sense to start exam revision in plenty of time – well, now would be a good time! All it takes is a little planning and self-discipline to avoid those late nights, cold sweats and disappointing grades. Remember you have set yourself target grades, now you must start to work towards achieving them! Here are nine tips on revising for exams: a. Make use of your learning style when you revise b. Plan in good time c. Active revision d. Old exam papers e. Pace yourself f. You’re not alone
- 15. g. Reward yourself h. Trust i. Look after yourself Read on for more details. a. Make use of your learning style when you revise Take a test to see what kind of learner you are http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/ Quick Tips for Visual Learners • Rewrite your notes as mind-maps • Use colour to highlight important things • Draw diagrams and sketches to help you remember points. Quick Tips for Auditory Learners • Read your notes aloud • Record yourself on cassette reading key points of your notes aloud, then listen to the tape afterwards • Revise with other students if you can • Sing the main points. Linking them with a tune may help you remember them.
- 16. Quick Tips for learners who are readers and writers • Copy out your notes. • Read your notes silently. • Rewrite the key points using different words. • Write down key points from memory. Quick Tips for Active Learners • Move around the room • Revise while you do kung-fu moves or other physical activity • Mentally review what you’ve been revising while you’re swimming or jogging. You will probably find that you are not simply 1 style of learner but that you have 2 main learning styles. So you might find it useful to mix and match these strategies, e.g. an Auditory, Active learner could record their notes and listen to them whilst jogging/training. b. Plan in good time Try this test, are you a Time Lord or a Time Waster http://studytips.admsrv.ohio.edu/studytips/? Function=TimeMgt&Type=pretest Timetable • How much time have you got?
- 17. • What do you need to do? • Write up a timetable for your week and keep to it Targets Be realistic about: • the targets you set yourself • how much time you will need. Balance Aim for a balance between subjects you’re strong in and those which you’re less confident about. A month before • Check your progress, have you done all you should have? • Identify any topics you need to focus on • How much time do they need? A week before Aim to have your revision completed by a week before your exams. This gives you: • flexibility in case of illness • a chance to spend longer on something that proves difficult • a break before you sit your exams.
- 18. c. Active revision It’s not enough just to re-read notes, make your revision active! Use all of the revision and note taking techniques you have practiced. Use the techniques that best fit your learning style…. And revisit each topic regularly or you will forget almost all you thought you had learned. As the chart diagram shows, without revision, we forget 82% within 24 hours. We remember better at about 10 minutes after the learning finishes. The reason for this strange memory phenomenon is simple: at the moment learning period finishes, the brain has not had enough time to organize and store the last items. It needs a few minutes to store, organize, integrate the last items. Regularly revisiting all topics is the only way to keep all of that hard learned information inside your brain. This is why
- 19. we, teachers, keep going on about regular revision timetables and consolidating your learning. So get to it, revisit your notes regularly, jog your memory! d. Old exam papers Look through the question banks – remember this year there are few past exam papers that you could use all of, so I have collated the useable questions for you in PowerPoints, one for each chapter of the textbook. Make outline plans for the answers, use the “Question the question” sheets to do this Note carefully the slight differences in how questions are asked from year to year. Could you possibly make a ‘power answer’ for any specific area? e. Pace yourself Use your time well. Don’t try to do too much at once. Take a break from time to time in each study period.
- 20. f. You’re not alone Revise with other people sometimes; if you don’t feel that you’ve entirely grasped a topic, or don’t have any ‘new’ ideas on it, discussing it with other students can be helpful. This is especially useful for Auditory Learners. g. Reward yourself Recognise the targets you have achieved. Mark your progress on your revision plan so that you can see what you are achieving. h. Trust Trust your memory. Once you know a subject thoroughly, move on to the next. Don’t keep checking your memory to see if it’s doing its job.
- 21. It’s like a filing system, and it will produce what is required at the appropriate time. i. Look after yourself Sorry to sound like your Mum, but... Diet Try and eat a healthy diet, not just chips and burgers! Take time out for meals; don’t try to work while you’re eating dinner. Caffeine Too much tea and coffee can increase your anxiety levels and induce insomnia. Caffeine tablets and Red Bull have the same effect. Exercise Get some exercise! You don’t have to go mad. 20 minutes exercise 2-3 times a week will give you more stamina, help reduce stress and help you to sleep. Rest Don’t try to work through the night before an exam. You should have finished your revision by now! Go to bed in good time and get as much sleep as you can.
- 22. What else? And that’s it. It really isn’t too difficult to do your best. It just takes commitment and planning. What’s stopping you from achieving your target grade? Remember you can always ask Stef or Sarah for more help with any part of the course. Your tutor is also available to help with any problem you might experience whilst at Hartpury. All you have to do is ask!