These are some my favourite revision techniques – ranked in order of how useful I think they are.
1. Essay title on the board – with a selection of words (studies/ names/ perspectives/ evaluations that are related – students to write sentences that answer the question. For example…
Examine the explanations for why crime rates vary across differnent localities and times of day (12)
Some of the words below are related, try to match them up and then write coherent sentences in answer to the question above….
| Fortress cities | Cognitive maps | Tipping |
| Drink culture | Rational Choice Theory | Domestic Violence |
| Crime Displacement | Zones of Transition | Sink housing estates |
| Brantingham | Broken Windows | Rape |
| British Crime Survey | Charles Murray | Opportunity |
| Underclass | Night Time Economy | Masculinity |
| Inner cities | Higher crime rate at night | Relative deprivation |
| Victims | Winlow | Feminism |
| Situational Crime Prevention | Wilson and Kelling | Rural areas |
2. Completing a gap fill essay plan and then memorising it – to be modified and combined with other similar gap fill essay plans depending on the questions that come up in the actual exam.
For example look at this gapped essay plan on control theory – EP social control blank 2010
3. Podcasts – these are a little more passive than the essay writing practise techniques but still offer useful overviews
This is a good example of one on ‘Is Sociology a Science!’ – actually it seems to be more about ‘Sociology and Value Freedom! You may have to go through the sub menu to get to actual podcast
4. A Cartoon dialogue overview of a topic in the course. Like this…from the previous post!
5. A quiz game – like this! –
Big_Board_Answers-v2 – This opens in powerpoint, you have to view the slide show to get the feel for how it works…
If yer an A level student let me know what your fave revision techniques are and why! – Us teachers love ‘hearing the learner voice’ after all – we’re literally mad for it.
I would use Podcasts and Cartoon dialogues as they are a break from staring madly at pieces of paper that can do little but stare back!
Also, they are easier to transport and both can be transferred to MP3 players and therefore listened to before sleep (scientifically proven to be when the brain is most receptive) and easier to memorize with very little effort. 🙂
In that case I’ll endeavour to make my lessons even duller to induce a state close to sleep so students’ brains are more receptive.