Teach Secondary - Issue 13.2

30,000 The number of primary pupils with high attainment in maths who go on to achieve a Grade 6 or lower in the subject at GCSE Source: Survey of Y6-Y9s by the recently launched education charityAxiomMaths (axiommaths.com) Pearson’s Les Hopper highlights the notable edtech developments that educators can expect to see over the coming year... ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Alongside national initiatives and experimentation within companies like Pearson, many secondary schools are taking steps to better understand AI and how to manage it. Leaders at Denbigh High School and Chiltern Learning Trust, for example, have implemented an AI Steering Group to support staff and ensure that learners use AI safely, strategically and impactfully. Others are now teaching students ‘Prompt Craft’, experimenting with creating online quizzes and developing joint marking initiatives. Here at Pearson, we recently announced our Pearson Edexcel EPQ:AI, which will allow A level students to study the role and ethics of AI, critically analyse trending tools like ChatGPT and build key skills for the future. INCREASED STUDENT ENGAGEMENT The number of students taking GCSE computer science is on the rise, and teachers report seeing ever more interest among students for using tech in class and utilising skills such as touch typing. 91% of learners we surveyed said they were actively preparing to spend their futures in a digital world, with some calling for ‘Better training in programming and AI’ and ‘More computer-based lessons.’ YOUR GUIDE TO... THE DIGITAL TRENDS OF 2024 LES HOPPER LEADS ON PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND SUPPORTING DIGITAL INNOVATIONAT PEARSON. THE 2023 PEARSON SCHOOL REPORT CAN BE DOWNLOADED VIA BIT.LY/TS132-LL5 ; FORMORE INFORMATION, VISIT BIT.LY/TS132-LL6 A teamof neuroscientists based at Columbia University’s Teachers College inNewYork have published a study that identifies notable differences in 10- to 12-year-olds’ comprehension of text presented via physical print material, versus text presented digitally and rendered on a screen. 59middle-school students were tasked with reading passages in both digital and print formats andmaking single-word semantic judgements about each, while their brain activity was recorded. Analysis of the participants’ N400 brain activity –which forms part of the brain’s natural response to words and other visual, auditory and olfactory stimuli – appeared to show, as the study’s abstract puts it, ‘ Deeper reading of text passages that were presented in print, and shallower reading of texts presented digitally. ’ The full study notes that the situation isn’t entirely black and white, with some prior experiments having observed faster reading speeds of digital compared to print, while others found the opposite. Observations of faster reading times for digital text do, however, appear to tally with lower rates of comprehension accuracy. More pertinently for TS readers, though, is an aside within the study that children seem to have fared significantly better in exams after studying with the aid of paper-based learning and revisionmaterials compared to digital equivalents. The team’s research paper, ‘Middle-schoolers’ reading and processing depth in response to digital and print media: AnN400 study’ can be read in full via bit.ly/ts132-LL1 INNOVATIVE ASSESSMENTS We’re witnessing growing support for on-screen exam options among both students and teachers. Last year saw a 47% uplift in the number of on-screen Pearson Edexcel GCSE and International GCSE exams that were taken, so it follows that we can expect to see more on-screen exam options become available year on year. We’ve also piloted remote invigilation for high-stakes assessment – something never previously attempted at scale. Big changes are clearly taking place, but it’s vital that those changes only occur with robust systemic integrity and security measures in place. In the meantime, we’ll continue working with teachers, students and regulators to explore how, where and when technologies can enhance assessments, and become a realistic option for all. PERSONALISATION AND UNLOCKING ACCESS One in three teachers in our Pearson School Report stated that new technologies have improved engagement and accessibility for learners with SEND. The aforementioned remote invigilation pilot saw 150 learners – some with SEND, anxiety and health issues – sit their exams from home and other remote locations last summer, thus widening access to formally assessed qualifications for students who might otherwise have been unable to achieve their potential. L E A R N I N G L A B 77 teachwire.net/secondary