Preparing students for their IBDP examinations requires a strategic approach to identify learning gaps, reinforce concepts, and provide ample practice. Kognity offers a range of features designed to support teachers in this crucial period. This guide outlines best practices and tools within Kognity to help your students succeed.
Identify Learning Gaps with the Insights 'Questions' Tab
Utilize the Questions tab within the Insights feature to pinpoint areas where your students are struggling and need additional support.
This feature displays the percentage of total questions answered correctly from all questions taken by the student (including assignment questions, strength questions in the Practice Centre, and exercise questions in the textbook).
Heat Map Analysis: As a teacher, you can follow our heat map visualization to gain a clearer understanding of your students' performance. This visual tool helps you quickly identify specific topics or question types where students need more help.
Detailed Filtering: Filter the data by topic and/or activity type to get an even more detailed understanding of student performance. This allows you to plan your revision classes effectively, focusing your valuable class time on addressing areas of weakness.
Leverage Kognity's Interactive Textbook Material
Make the most of your valuable class time by using our interactive material, call-out boxes, and visual elements within the textbook. This approach helps ensure that the entire class achieves the same basic level of understanding across all areas, providing additional support for students who need it.
Ensure Students Cover Required Reading
Confirm that your students have completed their required readings using either the textbook or your Insights feature.
Via the Textbook: Identify students who have covered the required reading by clicking on the number shown under each topic. You can then use this information to send book assignments from this section to those students who need to catch up.
Via the Insights Feature: Check the Textbook tab in Insights to observe each student's progress through the syllabus. This tab shows which sections of a topic students have read and completed, and which sections still need to be finished.
Student Self-Tracking: Guide your students to use the platform to track their personal reading progress in their own time. They should aim to see only 'green colored' Progress markers in their Table of Contents as they approach the exam period, indicating completed sections.
Copy and Resend Old Question Assignments
A significant benefit of using Kognity regularly throughout the school year is the ability to easily copy and resend any assignment between classes during revision periods.
Time-Saving Feature: The 'copy icon' (often located to the right of each assignment) is a great time-saver, allowing you to manage multiple classes efficiently.
Reviewing Questions: You also have the option to view questions you haven't sent out to students before. Make sure to review the question list for each topic to confirm if you've covered all necessary material.
Utilize Draft Assignments for Future Revision
Create new assignments or copy old ones and save them under 'Draft assignments' in the Assignments section.
Advance Preparation: 'Draft assignments' can be easily created in advance and sent out in the future, specifically for revision purposes. This streamlined process means you just need to push the 'send' button when ready.
Student Practice: This set of previously created assignments will be ready for your students to practice, test their knowledge, and enable you to identify any areas for further improvement.
Implement Exam Style Questions in Your Classroom
The Exam Style Questions featured in Kognity are new questions formatted like past exam questions. These unique questions are paired with example answers and mark schemes, created by experienced examiners and teachers knowledgeable about IBDP examination requirements.
Accessing Exam Style Questions: Your students will find Exam Style Questions in their Practice Centre. You can find the same questions in the Table of Contents and your Assignment area.
In-Class Time: Utilize these questions as advanced material to foster higher-level discussions among your students. Share your screen and encourage them to discuss the Exam Style Questions, providing their answers and reasoning. This enhances engagement and allows you to gauge their understanding.
Send as an Assignment: You can send these exam-style questions as assignments. Students will complete them on paper and return them to you for marking and grading. This is an excellent opportunity for students to practice and become comfortable with this question style before taking actual exams.
Adding Instructions: Students will complete assignments following the submission instructions you add to each assignment. It is also important to explain these instructions during class time, allowing students to ask questions and ensuring they fully understand your requirements.
Don't Forget the Exam Tip Boxes!
Our textbooks contain various Exam tip boxes. These tips build on common struggles from previous years' exams, helping your students avoid similar mistakes. Incorporate these into your exam preparation strategy to guide your students effectively.
Use the Internal Assessment Guide
Leverage the Internal Assessment guide, found in your Table of Contents, to aid exam preparation. This guide includes tips, criteria explanations, and examples to help your students prepare for their exams and develop their research skills.
Share Your Ideas!
Do you have any other ideas on how to incorporate Kognity into exam preparations? We'd love to hear your best recommendations!
Please email us at support@kognity.com or contact us through the chat bubble in the lower right corner of your screen.
Best of luck with the exam preparations!
The Kognity Team