OCR and Sonocent announce GCSE (9-1) Interactive Activity Packs – Building on language learners’ oral skills

Bett, ExCeL London: Awarding body OCR with education software developer, Sonocent, have today announced the launch of interactive activity packs for OCR’s new GCSE (9-1) English Language, English Literature and MFL qualifications.

 

Written by OCR and powered by Sonocent, the innovative series of interactive activities and teaching resources are designed to support OCR’s new GCSE English and Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) qualifications.

 

The packs, accessed via a new subscription service, provide a growing collection of resources designed to use oral skills as the starting point for the teaching and learning of topic components and core skill development for these qualifications. They will equip teachers to better support their students and capture evidence of their progression, especially reluctant writers, dis-engaged students or emerging language learners.

 

Will Burrows, Head of Education Technology and Commercial Services, at OCR said ”The multimedia approach is ideal for teaching all the components of the English and MFL GCSE qualifications and engaging students of all abilities. As students work through the lesson activities in groups, pairs or individually, the combined use of audio, images and text helps them to synthesize information and understand key curriculum concepts.”

 

Dave Tucker, director of Sonocent, added: “The material is designed to enhance the classroom experience through the use of Sonocent’s Audio Notetaker software. Scribing is removed from the immediate learning process, putting learners of all abilities and preferred learning styles in a position to contribute with equal ease using oral skills. It emphasises the fact that all learners have a lot to contribute and that their progress can be made in clear, achievable steps that are engaging and rewarding.

 

“By presenting audio in a similar way to text with each phrase visualised as a coloured chunk, students can read and write through the medium of audio. Audio content can be edited, re-ordered and segmented into key sections (equivalent to paragraphs) as if it were text.  The technology visualises the audio on one side of the screen while the other side allows users to make textual notes or add images or slides. Sections of audio can be colour annotated (just like a highlighter), allowing students to pick out important concepts, example usages of grammar and vital keywords that they may normally be missed when listening.”

 

The materials will be first shown in public on the Sonocent stand (B140) at the world’s largest technology in education show, Bett 2016 (January 20-23, ExCeL, London). Sample packs will be available on stand.

 

For further information please visit www.sonocent.com.