New platform content: ‘Preparing for Exams’ Island learning module

Persona Life Skills e-learning now includes a new Island learning module, 'Preparing for Exams', in which students learn social-emotional life skills to give themselves the best chance to do well in exams.

15-May-21

By Dr Leila Khouja Walker, Chief Product Officer

In the Persona Life Skills social-emotional e-learning platform, 'Preparing for Exams' is a new Island learning module where students learn how to give themselves the best chance to do well in exams. 

"It increases my focus level, and patience level." – Year 11 Student

Students are taken on a journey through different pre-examination scenarios. They learn, through observing and reflecting, how to cope with the pressures associated with the lead up to exams, and how to manage their time and emotions, so they can perform to the best of their abilities.

Questions and activities in this Island help students develop three social-emotional life skills, through a personality insights lens:

• Goal-setting – Setting myself achievable goals
• Time management – Managing my time, so I don’t disappoint myself or others
• Perseverance – Keeping going, on something worthwhile, even when things get hard

In the 'Get Your Bearings' warm-up, students are asked to consider different exam scenarios and consider what causes them the most stress, leading up to exams. Activities prompt students to choose life skills and revision techniques that may reduce their exam stress and result in better outcomes.

In the 'Explore' knowledge acquisition section, students use their knowledge of personality styles as well as their own Persona, to better understand the life skills and revision techniques they find most difficult. They then start to consider strategies for adopting these more challenging – but useful – behaviours.

As students reach the 'Viewpoint' plenary at the end of the Island, they are asked to reflect upon positive characteristics in their mix of personality styles which can help them to prepare for exams successfully. Finally they select an exam preparation strategy to adopt as a growth area for further success.

Preparing for Exams is part of the Discovery Islands curriculum – the Persona Life Skills life challenge learning modules, available with a subscription. 

Persona Education offers free access to its Persona Life Skills e-learning platform for secondary schools and colleges interested in developing their students’ social-emotional life skills, to boost wellbeing and employability. To request a live demo of the platform please get in touch – we would love to talk to you!

About the author: Dr Leila Khouja Walker has been working in the education sector for 25 years. An ex-teacher and pastoral deputy head, she is now a respected edtech and pedagogy thought leader, leading development of the personality insights life skills e-learning app Persona Life Skills, at the Bristol based edtech company Persona Education Ltd. www.persona-life.com