This is the third in a series of blogs this week that I have written about how I use AI in the classroom.

At the end of yesterday's blog I finished with this...

I use AI to create these for students and parents which highlighted weaker areas and set targets for further improvement with tasks to bridge the gap. Last year, after marking the mock papers, I created short note-form sentences on strengths and weaknesses (this can be done using audio notes to text) and the sections they scored more highly on. Each paper took a couple of minutes each. I then put the notes into ChatGPT (names removed), prompted it with a range of statements, some suggestions of the types of tasks which could be set as a target and then added brief audio notes per student. This allowed me to give individualised detailed feedback which students and parents found very useful in our post-mock parents evening. It provided a clear focus and concrete activities for students to focus post-mocks.

So this final blog is all about how I have used AI to help with exam feedback to students and parents/guardians...

Above I talk about using audio notes as I mark mock exam papers. Here is an example of feedback generated from brief voice-to-text notes...

Name of student:

✅ What went well: You’ve summarised general urban trends well - I really enjoyed reading it. Your map plotting of the world’s megacities is accurate too.

🔄 Even better if: Adding city names to your plotted points will make your map clearer.

💡 Advice: After completing the MS Forms quizzes, write down what you need to improve on - this will help you target your revision.

However, AI can also generated much more detailed and useful feedback - something that would be completely unsustainable to do if you tried to do this without the help of AI! Here is an example of mock feedback generated with AI...

Mock GCSE Geography Exam Feedback

Dear XXXXX,

Well done on your mock Geography exam. It’s clear that you’ve worked hard, and there are several strengths to celebrate in your performance. Below, I’ve outlined what you did well, areas for improvement, and advice for preparing for the next test.

Strengths

• AO1 (Knowledge) and AO2 (Understanding):
  • Your answers demonstrated clear knowledge and understanding of the topics. It’s clear that you’ve been revising effectively, and this is reflected in the quality of your responses.
• River and Coastal Formation Questions:
  • Your longer mark responses on these topics were strong, with clear sequencing of processes and appropriate use of geographical terminology.
• Case Studies:
  • You used the Lagos case study well in the waste disposal question, showing a solid understanding of how to apply specific examples in your answers.

Areas for Improvement

1. National vs. International Importance: You need to work on distinguishing between these concepts, as this led to some errors in your answers.

2. Flood Management Schemes: There was an error in your knowledge here. For example, your mention of “river reprofiling” was inaccurate. Ensure you are revising strategies used by the exam board in flood management.

3. Interpreting Questions:

• Water and Energy Conservation: This question wasn’t based on cities, but your answer focused on urban strategies. Misinterpreting questions can result in lost marks.
• Percentage Change: There was a mistake in a percentage calculation. This is an area to practise further.

4. Timing: Towards the end of the paper, your answers appeared rushed, and there were several misinterpretations. This suggests that timing may have been an issue.

Advice for Improvement

1. National and International Importance:

• Clarify Definitions: Practise distinguishing between national and international importance with examples (e.g., national importance relates to a country's economy or social aspects, while international importance involves global trade or connections).
• Apply Examples: Ensure your answers include relevant case studies that reflect both levels of importance.

2. Flood Management Knowledge:

• Focus on Real Strategies: Review real flood management schemes like dams, levees, and floodplain zoning. Avoid adding unfamiliar or incorrect terms to your answers.

3. Interpreting Questions:

• Read Carefully: Take a moment to double-check what the question is asking before starting your answer. Highlight key terms to avoid misinterpretation.
• Practise Variety: Work through questions covering different topics to build confidence in understanding how they are phrased.
• Percentage Change: Revise percentage change formulas and practise them in the context of geographical data. Look for past paper questions involving calculations to strengthen this skill.

4. Timing:

• Plan your time: Allocate a set amount of time to each section, leaving space at the end for review. Practising timed papers will help you build a sense of how much time to spend on each question.

Final Thoughts

You’re showing great potential, XXXXX, with clear knowledge and understanding, particularly in physical geography and case study use. By refining your knowledge of certain topics, improving question interpretation, and practising timing, you can boost your performance even further. Keep up the great work - you’re on the right track!

So as you can see AI can make your exam feedback much more detailed and personalised - and therefore much more useful!