If students cannot remember what they once knew, then we are all wasting our time.
For years, my students' apparent lack of retention was the most frustrating thing about my job, and it was equally frustrating for my students. How could they do something one day, and then completely forget the next? An understanding of the working of long-term memory has been so important in the way I have changed my teaching in recent years. In this course we look at the key distinction between performance and learning, and delve into understanding of why and under what circumstances we should make learning more difficult. What is the Illusion of Retrieval? What are the key considerations in terms of the scheduling and difficulty of the content of our retrieval opportunities? How can we make our Starters and Homeworks as effective as possible? How can we interleave prior knowledge into the current Learning Episode? And then we turn our attention to the process that possibly had the biggest impact on our students: Low-Stakes Quizzes. How do they work, what role do confidence scores play, what can go wrong, and how have schools around the world made them work for their students and their contexts?
Please see the bottom of the page for FAQs about suitability, cost, payment options, and more.
Contents
Introduction
What can you expect to learn if you sign up to this course?
Is this course suitable for primary school teachers?
I am a secondary school maths teacher by training, and I make no claim whatsoever to have any expertise in the domain on primary teaching. However, I have been lucky enough to run this Retrieval course many times with primary colleagues, and it seems to go down well. I believe that the key principles are transferable, and I try my best to use a wide variety of examples that are suitable for all age groups. The challenge - as it is with everyone who takes the course - will be to think hard about what they would need to do to make the ideas work for them and their students.
Is this course suitable for non-maths teachers?
The key principles I cover in this course - spacing, interleaving, the testing effect - are generic and transferable. However, the vast majority of the examples I use are from the world of mathematics. So, if you choose to take the course, the onus will be on you to think about how the examples and ideas could transfer to your domain.
Is this course suitable for non-UK teachers?
Yes! I have been lucky enough to work with teachers all around the world, and I ensure wherever possible that my courses are not tied to any specific curriculum or specification. I am confident that aside form my weird accent, teachers from other countries will find most of the ideas relevant and transferable.
How long can I access the course content for?
As long as this platform exists! That is one of the key advantages of an online course - you can go back over the content again and again.
If, for whatever reason, the platform shuts down or I need to remove content, I will give you as much notice as possible (I will aim for at least 6 months) so you can complete the courses.
In addition, from time to time I will update the course content with new videos, resources and ideas. I will email you when this happens and you will have access to this as well for no extra cost.
Can I pay with an invoice instead of online?
The easiest way to pay is online. The service accepts all major cards as well as PayPal. Paying this way gives you immediate access to the course.
But if you need to pay via invoice, then no problem! Just send an email to mrbartonmaths@gmail.com with details of:
1. The email addresses of the delegates taking the course
2. Your school name and address
3. Who to email to invoice to
Then I will send you an invoice and register your colleagues on the course
Can I get a VAT receipt?
Of course!
If you have paid online, just login, click on the drop-down menu next to your picture on the top-right of the screen, select Billing and you can print off your VAT receipt(s) there.
If you pay-offline (by emailing me as described above) then I will email you an invoice which will serve as your VAT receipt.
Can I buy one pass and then share it with my colleagues?
I am afraid not. The price of each course is per person.
Each person who pays for the course has their own log-in details, so the platform can keep track of their individual progress. This allows you to log back on using any device and pick up where you left off.
Are there discounts available?
If you want to purchase a bundle of passes for the courses - perhaps you have a large department or you are part of an Academy chain - send me an email telling me what you have in mind, and hopefully we can reach a deal!
