The other day I was speaking to a mum and she was about to invest in some GCSE revision books for her daughter costing in excess of £20 each. I suggested that I had bought similar books for my 3 and they hadn't used them, Instead, they had used their own notes from their books instead. The mum then explained that her daughter wasn't allowed to bring any of her books home from school. I suggested that prior to buying all the books she could perhaps use ChatGPT to help with revision.
I put this to ChatGPT and asked it if it “could explain in UK English (in first person) how you could help with homework and year 11, revision”.
This was the response I received:
I completely understand the frustration of trying to find the right resources to help your child revise, especially when they're not allowed to bring their schoolbooks home. Before investing in expensive revision books, I’d like to suggest an alternative that might work just as well, if not better—using ChatGPT as a revision tool.
ChatGPT can help in several ways with both homework and Year 11 revision:
1. Explaining Concepts Clearly
If your daughter is struggling to understand a particular topic, she can ask ChatGPT to explain it in simple terms. Whether it's a tricky maths problem, an analysis of a poem, or a science concept, ChatGPT can break it down into easy-to-understand steps. Sometimes, hearing something explained in a different way makes all the difference—just like how you and I explain things to our own children differently from their teachers.
2. Personalised Practice Questions
ChatGPT can generate practice questions tailored to the specific subject your daughter is studying. For example, if she needs help with algebra, poetry analysis, or history, she can ask for questions on that topic and then work through them. I can even provide step-by-step solutions or explanations if she gets stuck.
3. Revision Planning
Creating a study plan can be overwhelming, but ChatGPT can help organise a revision timetable. Your daughter can input her subjects, and ChatGPT can suggest how to structure her revision time, ensuring she covers all areas before exams.
4. Reviewing Past Papers
Although ChatGPT can’t provide official past papers, I can help go through typical exam-style questions. Your daughter can ask about the types of questions that usually come up, and I can guide her on how to answer them effectively, including advice on how to structure essays or responses in timed conditions.
5. Summarising and Quizzing on Notes
If she prefers using her own notes but isn’t sure she’s retained all the information, ChatGPT can help by summarising key points or creating quizzes based on the notes she inputs. This can be a great way to test her knowledge in a fun and interactive way.
6. Quick Help with Homework
For day-to-day homework, if there’s something she doesn’t understand, she can quickly ask ChatGPT for guidance. Whether it's a maths problem, a science question, or help with writing an essay, ChatGPT can provide instant feedback and support.
7. Revision Resources
In addition to answering questions, ChatGPT can provide recommendations for additional online resources, videos, or websites that might be useful for revising specific subjects. It’s like having a revision guide, tutor, and planner all in one place!
I hope this helps to show how ChatGPT could be a valuable, cost-effective tool for your daughter's GCSE revision. It’s flexible, available 24/7, and adapts to whatever topics she’s working on. If you'd like, I can show you how to use it effectively for revision too!
In response to this I asked if it could explain. Again, here was the response it gave me:
Absolutely! Here’s an explanation of how ChatGPT can be used specifically for revision:
When it comes to revising for GCSEs, ChatGPT can be a fantastic support tool because it adapts to your daughter’s needs and allows her to approach revision in a flexible, personalised way. Here’s how she can use ChatGPT to make the most of her revision sessions:
1. Topic-by-Topic Explanations
If your daughter is revising a particular subject or topic but feels unsure about certain areas, she can ask ChatGPT for a clear, step-by-step explanation. For example, she could ask:
"Can you explain Pythagoras’ theorem?"
"What are the key themes in ‘An Inspector Calls’?"
"How does photosynthesis work?"
This way, she can review any topic quickly and easily, without needing to search through books.
2. Generating Practice Questions
Practice makes perfect, and ChatGPT can generate customised questions for any topic your daughter is revising. She could ask for:
- Multiple-choice questions for science.
- Essay-style questions for English or history.
- Short answer questions for maths or geography.
Once she’s answered, ChatGPT can provide feedback or explain how to arrive at the correct solution, helping her identify any gaps in her understanding.
3. Flashcards and Quizzes
Revision often involves memorising facts, definitions, or formulas. ChatGPT can create flashcards or quizzes to help your daughter test her memory. For instance, she could ask:
"Can you quiz me on the key events of World War II?"
"Give me some flashcard-style questions for the GCSE biology syllabus."
"Test me on my French vocabulary for GCSE."
This interactive revision approach keeps things varied and engaging.
4. Essay Writing Practice
For subjects that require essay writing, such as English literature, history, or religious studies, your daughter can use ChatGPT to practice structuring her answers. She could ask ChatGPT to:
Provide essay questions on specific topics.
Help her outline her ideas before she writes an essay.
Review a sample essay and suggest improvements in terms of argument structure, use of evidence, and clarity.
It’s a great way to refine essay-writing skills in preparation for exams.
5. Summary Creation
Your daughter can input her own notes or key points from her textbooks, and ChatGPT can help summarise them. For instance, she could paste in a long passage and ask:
"Can you summarise this section on plate tectonics?"
"What are the main points of this history lesson?"
This helps to condense complex information into bite-sized chunks, making it easier to revise and remember.
6. Exam-Style Timed Practice
If she wants to practice answering exam questions under timed conditions, she can ask ChatGPT to simulate an exam. For example, she could ask:
"Give me a 10-minute set of maths problems to complete."
"Can you give me a 30-minute English literature exam question to work on?"
This way, she can build confidence in answering questions within a specific time limit, just like in a real exam setting.
7. Reviewing and Clarifying Wrong Answers
If your daughter gets a question wrong, she can ask ChatGPT to explain why the answer was incorrect and provide guidance on how to solve it. This instant feedback helps her learn from her mistakes and solidify her understanding of challenging concepts.
8. Building a Personalised Revision Plan
ChatGPT can also help your daughter create a tailored revision timetable. She could input the subjects and topics she needs to cover, along with her exam dates, and ChatGPT can suggest how to break down her revision into manageable chunks. This helps to keep her organised and ensures that she covers everything in time for the exams.
9. Revising with Past Paper Style Questions
Even though ChatGPT can’t access official past papers, it can generate questions similar to those found in past exams. Your daughter can ask for specific types of questions to practice:
"Can you give me an English literature exam-style question about Macbeth?"
"I need some algebra word problems to practice for GCSE maths."
This provides excellent practice for exam techniques and builds her confidence in approaching the types of questions that might come up in the actual exam.
10. Staying Motivated
Revision can be overwhelming, but ChatGPT can also help keep her on track with encouragement and tips for staying motivated. If she feels stuck, she can ask for advice:
"How can I stay focused during revision?"
"What’s a good way to take study breaks?"
"How can I manage my time better?"
This flexibility allows your daughter to use ChatGPT as a supportive study companion, available whenever she needs help.
In summary, ChatGPT can be a versatile, personalised tool for Year 11 revision, helping with everything from understanding difficult concepts to creating quizzes, practising questions, and staying organised. It’s an interactive and accessible way to support learning without the need for expensive resources.
You can't ask for AI to do the work for you, but you can treat it as a more knowledgeable other and ask for help, or a peer that you are working alongside.
I hope this helps. ChatGPT does have a free version, if you do pay it’s around £20/month. I use it a lot and it has saved me a lot of time. Because it’s free, I would suggest giving it a go, if you’re not happy with it nothing ventured nothing gained.
