BBC Bitesize Revision
For almost a decade, BBC Bitesize
has proven to be one of the most widely used online revision resources in the United Kingdom.
Its easy to use layout and educational reliability has resulted in thousands of
people using it over the past years, both pupils and teachers alike. The
following article is the first of many reviews of educational websites and
online resources that may prove useful to primary school teachers.
Unlike
the majority of British educational websites, every school subject from the
national curriculum are reviewed on BBC Bitesize. Every subject is filled with
relevant topical information and is accompanied by numerous activities and
mini-tests for Key Stages 1 to 3 and GCSE. BBC Bitesize boasts at providing
concise and key facts in any given subject and illustrations, diagrams, sound
bites and videos frequently accompany the core note. Crucially, however, the
website also takes the variation across the English, Scottish, Welsh and
Northern Irish curriculums into account by providing them into subgroups with
their own necessities for learning.
Using the English curriculum’s section as an example, the website used to only cover numeracy and literacy for Key Stage 1, and then include Science for Key Stage 2. However, now the website takes into account all subjects that may be taught throughout primary education, from Art & Design, PHSE & Citizenship to Modern Foreign Languages (please see below).
Using the English curriculum’s section as an example, the website used to only cover numeracy and literacy for Key Stage 1, and then include Science for Key Stage 2. However, now the website takes into account all subjects that may be taught throughout primary education, from Art & Design, PHSE & Citizenship to Modern Foreign Languages (please see below).
However, BBC Bitesize has proven to have had its flaws in the past.
Namely, the Computing Studies section
has been criticized for being inaccurate and dated, and some tests have marking
flaws; infrequently marking a user’s incorrect answer as correct (or vice
versa). It could also be argued that the multiple choice format is not very
challenging for some pupils; any child has a 1 in 4 chance of guessing the
correct answer if ever they are uncertain.
Nevertheless, overall BBC Bitesize can act as an excellent online resource for pupils and trainee teachers alike. It offers plenty of revision resources for pupils and an excellent means for a teacher to remind themselves of the core essential subject knowledge before delving deeper at the planning stage of a lesson. More useful educational websites shall be reviewed over the coming weeks.
Nevertheless, overall BBC Bitesize can act as an excellent online resource for pupils and trainee teachers alike. It offers plenty of revision resources for pupils and an excellent means for a teacher to remind themselves of the core essential subject knowledge before delving deeper at the planning stage of a lesson. More useful educational websites shall be reviewed over the coming weeks.