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  Last September, following a successful trial in Halton High School, games based revision tool ‘I am Learning’ was implemented across all primary and secondary schools in Widnes and Runcorn. bee-it caught up with Widnes and Runcorn City Learning Centres (CLCs) as well as a number of schools to find out exactly what changes have been seen since using I am Learning.
With over 50,000 curriculum questions covering Key Stages 1, 2, 3 and 4, I am Learning plays a key part in the education of some 300,000 users across the UK.
Nick Amyes, Director of Runcorn CLC explained his involvement with I am Learning:
“Back in 2009, Halton High School (now Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy) was asked to evaluate I am Learning so that we could assess how beneficial the system may be to other schools across Halton. Our schools had been using another online revision tool for several years, however we felt that our pupils were not getting the most out of the system and therefore, we wanted to see if there was any mileage in using I am Learning instead. It quickly became apparent that I am Learning was the way forward for us and so Ray Weaver (Director of Widnes CLC) and I began setting targets with BECTA that related back to the Harnessing Technology scheme, meaning we were able to make a local authority-wide purchase of the system.
I am Learning was installed in 60 primary schools and eight secondary schools in September 2010 and so far, feedback from both teachers and students has been impressive.”
The I am Learning system encourages pupils to learn by rewarding them with a short game of their choice after successfully answering questions on a given topic. Answering questions correctly increases the chances of success in the games, and the more the pupil revises, the more games are made available. The pupil’s scores are then instantly uploaded to a school and worldwide league table, encouraging competition. I am Learning believes that this ‘makes it cool to succeed’.
 The worldwide league table encourages competition
Mr Amyes continued:
“Children are actually used to the I am Learning concept before they use the system. They are aware of Flash based games and competition across the globe, so adding revision questions to the games just makes sense. We have seen cases where groups of students are playing quick fire question rounds, opting not to play the games but instead answer more questions, earning credits quicker so that they can upgrade their avatar and ‘buy’ more games than their friends at a later point.
Interestingly, we often find that pupils who were historically less engaged in lessons are the ones spending the most amount of time on I am Learning; the system certainly makes it ‘cool to succeed!”
A recent piece of research by C3 Education suggested that ‘I am Learning is an enjoyable and effective way to learn’ and is ‘likely to improve results’. Martin Draycott, Communications Manager and ICT purchaser at The Bankfield School agrees. He said:
“The students have responded really well to I am Learning. The system is very easy to use, has heaps of interactivity and is regularly updated with relevant content and questions. Our students are more enthusiastic about learning than ever before and we regularly have students using the system in their own time.”
 Multiple-choice French question
Tony Quinlan, Deputy Head of St Bedes Catholic Junior School added:
“Due to the levels of enthusiasm towards I am Learning, we have had to create a timetable which pupils can add themselves to in order to be able to use the system in school, out of hours. This has proven particularly beneficial for our pupils who do not have internet access at home, by giving them a way to continue their learning. Pupils have also been known to ask for I am Learning based homework; quite an unusual request!”
Learning whilst having fun is one thing, but it is vital for a system such as I am Learning to have a comprehensive reporting tool so that teachers are able to assess the overall progression of their pupils. According to the C3 report, 84 per cent of teachers felt I am Learning covers this need, as Mr Draycott explained:
“From the teacher feedback I have had, the general consensus is that the reporting function is very, very good. A teacher can look at everything from individual pupil performance through to whole class results. This has been particularly helpful for our Maths department to instantly see where students or classes are struggling, alerting teachers to potential issues. The simple ‘traffic light system’, which shows how well a pupil has performed during a task, is very visual and highlights to both the teacher and student where strengths and weaknesses lie.”
 The traffic light system makes reports very visual
The reporting system has had an unexpected impact on numerous schools across Halton. Mr Draycott continued:
“Traditionally, as a school we spend a lot of money on ink due to the vast volume of worksheets that we print. However we have managed to save a significant amount of money by using I am Learning. Teachers have been setting homework tasks through the system, and as users can create their own question banks, teachers can personalise the homework just as much as they could by creating worksheets. The automated marking system in I am Learning means students can instantly see how well they have performed without having to wait for a teacher to mark their work.
The C3 Education report suggests that ‘71 per cent of teachers rate I am Learning as better than books’ for revision. Tony Quinlan feels this is because “I am Learning approaches revision in a completely different way to books. With the system, the motivation is to play games, upgrade avatars, outperform friends and so on, whereas with book based revision, there is little motivation to spur the pupils on.”
 The student room can be customised and adorned with trophies
Mr Draycott added:
“The I am Learning system is available anywhere, anytime and encourages independent learning at the pupil’s own pace. The questions are regularly updated and provide much greater flexibility due to the question authoring tools. Additionally, pupils don’t need to worry about remembering a text book or what might happen if they lose a textbook with their notes inside.”
Nick Amyes summed up his experiences:
“The students have simply loved using I am Learning and our teachers have really taken a shine to it. As the reports only look at how much time has been spent answering questions rather than playing games, we have been able to see real benefits in using the system.
I am Learning promotes itself as a games based revision tool, but it is much, much more than this. I would highly recommend both primary and secondary schools invest in the system.”
Combined Ratings: (1-poor, 5-excellent)
Ease of Setup - 5 Ease of Use - 4.5 Fit for Purpose - 5 Value for money - 5
For more information about I am Learning, click here.
To request a free trial, click here.
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