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As the Summer Term gets into its stride, some Lower School boys have been reflecting on their remote learning experiences.

From the early frustrations of not being able to meet friends and the challenge of summoning up the requisite self-discipline, to the acquisition of new skills, boys are having to adapt to a new way of living and learning.

Trying to keep to a similar time frame to that of a typical day at School, including taking regular exercise, has been Dylan Domb’s main priority. He was also one of the QE boys who, at the suggestion of the Head of Technology, Michael Noonan, has been using his 3D printer at home to manufacture face shields for NHS workers. “I delivered my first batch on Monday, so somewhere in the country, front-line NHS workers will be wearing the masks that I have made.”

Praising the versatility of the staff, Dylan, of Year 10,  said: “Home learning has been a new and exciting endeavour for me. I have been given access to a whole host of new resources.”

He has been able to continue studying at a steady pace, using eQE – particularly the facility to ask questions of teachers and receive feedback on his work – just as he would at school. A picture of Dylan’s desk illustrates the article on remote learning by Deputy Head (Academic) in this edition of QE Update.

Dhruv Chadha, of Year 9, misses being in class but is finding the new experience interesting. “I like that all the resources that we would normally be offered in the classroom are on eQE and that we can ask our teachers questions, as it is really helpful. The resources provided are, in my opinion, reducing the damage which is being created right now.”

He has also been making use of the time to try out new things he would not usually have time for and has been learning Korean, Persian and Arabic. “I find these particularly challenging and fun, and I plan to continue studying them after this situation is over.”

Anoop Donthireddy, of Year 8, initially found the completely new style of learning something of a challenge but he is getting used to it now. “You need to follow the teachers’ online instructions carefully to complete the tasks in the correct way within the due date.” He has found working through eQE has become easier and that the teachers’ online help and the resources available there have provided him with the support he needs. “I miss the Science practicals and the after-school clubs, but I have been using the James Dyson Foundation Challenges and maths diagnostics quizzes, which are interesting and fun.”

At first, Rahul Belavadi, of Year 10, was challenged by the change of pace but is now finding the system “quite successful”, as questions can be sent through eQE. In his view, the quality of his learning has not been badly affected by the circumstances. In particular, he has developed his independent learning skills and has valued having more time to take detailed notes, which he thinks will be useful for revision in the future.

“My progress hasn’t really been hindered, as lesson PowerPoints are sent out through eQE, so the teacher’s comments are still part of the lesson,” he said.

He particularly enjoyed the Kerboodle tasks that were set for Biology, finding them engaging, as the questions were set out in a quiz-like style.

Rahul is using his free time to volunteer at a hospital. He distributes donations to staff members in the wards. “I have found this really rewarding, as anything small which makes their life easier, such as a dinner, definitely goes a long way.”

Deputy Head (Academic) Anne Macdonald explains the principles underpinning remote learning at the School and how these are being applied progressively, as the educational experience evolves and new methods and resources are integrated into eQE.

In normal times, our teachers habitually work together across departments, benefiting from the experience of colleagues as they plan lessons and deploy resources in the classroom. During the current extraordinary circumstances, we are strongly encouraging staff to maintain and strengthen this approach, making the most of each other’s particular knowledge and expertise so that departments work efficiently through collaboratively planning both remote learning activities and the use of resources.

We are working hard to balance the need to provide a curriculum that brings the challenge that our boys need with a recognition that it will take students longer to complete work independently, with less opportunity for the spontaneous collaboration and interaction that is readily available in the classroom. Ongoing feedback from the boys through their bespoke online tutorials will provide us with some of the information we need in order to strike this balance successfully. For however long the current situation continues, we want to make sure that remote learning at QE places our boys on a trajectory for future exam success.

We are, therefore, pointing boys towards an increasing range of internal and external online tools and learning resources, where we adjudge that these provide appropriate challenge for QE pupils. These include, for example, resources from our own Queen’s Library, University of Oxford podcasts and TED talks. A new addition is the Classoos online textbook service, which the School can now access. Departments may reorganise curriculum content a little to ensure it is best adapted to the needs and capacity of pupils studying from home, whilst ensuring that plenty of additional opportunities are available to stretch those boys looking for extension. Teachers in some subjects are also considering how they might set some work which is not computer-based.

Audio and video-recording – especially when embedded in other materials such as PowerPoint presentations – are helping us to retain some of the benefits of face-to-face teaching. This can be particularly helpful with more difficult curriculum content, bringing further variety to remote learning and especially engaging those boys for whom auditory learning is most effective. Such approaches will be used selectively to ensure that their impact is not diminished. Teachers who are more experienced in such areas have been sharing ‘how to’ guides with their colleagues to ensure the recordings are professional and purposeful. The eQE forums provide us with a useful way of facilitating collaboration, and a forum area has now been created for all departments. These enable teachers firstly to create threads and then to draw boys in, encouraging them to get involved in lively online discussions.

We are also progressing cautiously with the use of platforms allowing video discussions, such as Zoom and MS Teams, our top priority being to ensure the use of such technology is not only professional, but also safe. To date, this has been used by the Senior Leadership Team with our senior prefects – in order to discuss their experience of remote learning – and it is now being introduced for bespoke tutorials in other year groups too.

Just as we are using eQE’s extensive capabilities to maintain collaborative learning, we are similarly making use of the platform to enable teachers to assess pupil learning and to provide opportunities for pupils to receive feedback to help them progress. Tools on eQE allow teachers both to mark work and provide comments to aid improvement, and to construct knowledge-checking tests for the boys to complete, which self-mark to provide automatic feedback.

My colleagues have been working hard to produce remote learning activities and resources for our boys since the lockdown began. In the coming weeks, through some of the steps I have outlined above, we will be redoubling our efforts to enhance remote learning, using eQE to ensure the QE experience is as good it can possibly be in our current situation.

QE Virtual Concert Programme Summer 2020

These are unprecedented times in the modern history of Queen Elizabeth’s School. Follow our Six Ss below to get the most out of this Summer Term in lockdown.

SET-UP
If you have not already done so – and hopefully many have – create an environment to support effective learning. Set aside a study space, or at least one that is dedicated for learning during study hours. This makes it easier to avoid distractions; it places pen, paper and key equipment in easy reach, and it should put you in the frame of mind for work. For some, creating the right environment might mean putting on proper clothes, too!

STRUCTURE
Much was said in the first QE Update about the importance of a routine; it certainly makes things much easier, both in terms of effective study and of your overall wellbeing. Structure is a good weapon against procrastination; it helps ensure a suitable balance between different subjects (by working on subjects Monday–Friday, as they would be on your timetable), and it gives us a sense of purpose, while helping maintain clear boundaries between work, recreation and rest. Aim to build in sufficient breaks to enhance overall productivity and wellbeing.

SOCIALISING
Maintaining social interaction is very important for wellbeing, whether that is with your family or with friends and peers. Many avenues for this have emerged, including the form forums on eQE for Years 7 and 8. Think about collaborating and communicating with others about work where relevant, as well as talking to them as friends. Try to look out for one another: with all that is going on, some may be having a harder time than others.

SWITCH OFF
Build in time for rest and relaxation, and switch off from work at the end of the day. It is all too easy to end up glued to electronic devices, so take time away from screens, too. Within the boundaries of the social distancing rules, try to get out, if only for a short while, and enjoy some sunshine and fresh air, thus benefiting from opportunities for exercise, as well as simultaneously boosting your mood and vitamin D levels. In the current crisis, many are turning to mindful activities that are good for their wellbeing, appreciating afresh life’s simpler pleasures.

STAMINA
We do not know how long this situation will all last. Whilst term will not be as high-octane as when we are at School, it is important that a good, even pace is kept up, so that you are covering the material you need to learn and feeling that you are achieving things during this period. We cannot make up all this time when we are back in School, so everyone needs to stay on track.

SCHOLARSHIP
The greater reliance on independent learning methods is actually a prime opportunity for exploring different ideas and approaches, and drawing on different sources, to aid deeper and broader thinking. There will be greater scope for you to shape the direction of some of your learning, allowing you to develop your own interests within a subject. For those in Year 11 and Year 13, the extended transition to A-level and university provides an opportunity to get ahead by engaging with material that you are drawn to.

Heads of Department provide a quick summary of news and innovative developments during lockdown.

Sarah Westcott, Head of Science

“We are making full use of online resources so that, on the one hand boys can interact with their teachers and, on the other, we, as teachers, can assess and support pupils’ learning. Across all age groups, eQE forums are enabling boys to ask questions about the topics being taught and receive personalised answers: these can be seen by all students, thus helping everyone who may have a similar question. ‘Dynamic learning’, involving the setting of quick progress tests and quizzes, gives teachers an instant view of their students’ progress and level of understanding. Creative open-ended assessment tasks linked to thinking skills are being used across age groups in Chemistry and in the Lower School, so that students can demonstrate their ability to apply knowledge, as well as recall it.

“Of course, normal School life is not only about lessons and what is in the syllabus, and we are now developing online club provision, so that students can explore science ideas at home, using simple ‘kitchen’ experiments to research projects that also make use of The Queen’s Library resources.

“Year 7 and 8’s Summer Term online Science projects will be linked to the America’s Cup yacht race, giving students the opportunity to research and explore ideas around materials science, sports technology and nutrition.”

Emily Parry, Head of Geography

“Each week, we provide all students with lessons set up in eQE in PowerPoint format that include a range of tasks which students should be confident to complete independently. Embedded within the PowerPoint presentations are links to videos and websites for further research.

“The following week, students self-review and mark their own work, using mark schemes we send them. In addition, eQE’s technological capabilities are being used to monitor progress, with timed class tests being set which are automatically marked so students instantly receive their marks.

“There are also plenty of enrichment activities taking place in Geography. Over the Easter holidays, boys were given a range of fun activities. We made a special eQE page for Earth Day, featuring two climate-themed competitions for which there are just a few more days to submit entries, and we have now launched the Royal Geographical Society Young Geographer of the Year competition at QE.

“We are continuing to run our Sixth Form extension group via an eQE forum: the current topic is exploring Doughnut Economics. Year 12 are to be invited to join a series of five webinars run by the Geographical Association to help them prepare for their NEAs (Non-examined assessments, which will make up 20% of their overall A-level mark).”