Reports from SNAB centres
Here are reports from centres teaching the SNAB course. We hope to collect some reports on the 2008 course.
OFSTED like SNAB
These quotations are from the January 2004 Ofsted report on King Ecgbert School, Sheffield, one of the SNAB pilot centres.
Biology in the sixth form: "Within a very short period of starting the course, students have learned to think as biologists think, and to use the language of the subject fluently and accurately. ... they continue to learn very well throughout the course so that in some lessons their work is truly stunning ... excellent involvement, outstanding motivation and attitude to their studies ... A major factor in this excellent teaching is the new course which the school has recently adopted. Superb activities and excellent use of information and communication technology lead to progress of exceptional quality. All students achieve very well."
Here is the full Ofsted report (a search on "biology" is useful).
Reports from centres teaching the course
- Report from students at Esher College, Surrey
- Report from staff at Richmond-upon-Thames College
- Report from students at Richmond-upon-Thames College
- Report from John F Kennedy School, Hemel Hempstead
- Report from Roundwood Park School
- Archbishop Tenison CE High School, Croydon
- Queen Marys College, Basingstoke
- Sedbergh School, Cumbria
- Report from a centre we think should remain anonymous
Report from Esher College: students' comments
SNAB course content
The storylines allow you to understand what you are learning in context.
We learn things that relate to our lives.
SNAB is relevant to the modern world.
I have gained a wider knowledge and understanding of the body and illnesses etc.
The topics are interesting.
SNAB shows a relevance to real life.
I enjoy doing SNAB modern issues.
I think the SNAB syllabus is interesting and relevant to modern issues.
SNAB online ICT resources (snabonline)
I find the SNAB interactive activities helpful, more than just answering questions.
snabonline is very easy to use.
SNAB website (snabonline) is very effective, particularly the interactives.
SNAB interactives are good for visual learning.
I enjoy the interactive tutorials and find them really helpful.
It is good being able to access SNAB (snabonline) from home.
The interactives on SNAB support the worksheets.
The interactive tests are very good.
The interactives on SNAB help me learn more effectively.
snabonline is good so not everything is done from the textbook.
There is a good mix of computer work and written work.
I like using the computers.
Textbook and activity sheets
SNAB textbooks very useful.
Textbooks are good to read by yourself.
Textbooks have detailed information in them.
Practicals
Doing practicals helps me to remember and understand the topic.
Practicals make it simpler to understand.
Some of the practicals are fun and put a different angle on a topic
e.g making marshmallow babies!
Report from Richmond-upon-Thames College:staff comments
"The contextual approach to topics which for the most part start at topics of interest and relevance to 16/17-year-olds. They all feel included, and competent to comment and discuss, rather than being disadvantaged through different GCSE science backgrounds. The approach stirs and holds students interest as depth of content increases and before they know it they are discussing the November 2007 stem cell developments with some understanding. Easy to resurface to simpler strata if people get lost en route." Monica
"As the SNAB course develops, there is an increasing facility for students to develop independent thought and the ability to think scientifically and present arguments." Barbara - AS Teacher
"There are ready-made activities to demonstrate principles of the subject. Student website: students relate quickly to accessing information online and can use it at home (www.snabonline.com). It brings students facetoface with really modern Biology." Mawgan - AS Teacher
"The variety of resources available text book, website, activities. Some include interactive tutorials. At AS, GCSE review tutorials and tests which are set online. Students find these helpful as a common base on which to build topics." Andrew - A/AS and A2 Teacher
"I like the way SNAB has inbuilt ideas in each topic, and develops the concepts more as they come up again and again." Andrew R - AS & A2 Teacher.
"Teaching SNAB biology allows me to put many challenging principles in context. Students particularly enjoy most of the practical activities in AS and most seem able to relate their aim to underlying biological principles. The A2 coursework challenges students their practical skills and gives them confidence in expressing their theoretical knowledge. SNAB provides up to date advances in biological research and helps awareness of related ethical concerns." Susan - AS & A2 teacher
"SNAB is a wonderful course. I really like the technical information on the SNAB website. SNAB communication forum is excellent for technicians trying out new things and getting ideas from other technicians. I like going out on visits with the AS students." Dipti - Biology Technician.
Notes from Jean Douglas:
"I was really scared about 150 A2 students completing individual research projects! Its not easy, but Im so impressed with the inventiveness, diligence and high quality scientific skills employed by the students. We are all energised by the process!
The assessment scheme credits so many different student abilities, students find new ways of shining!
How easy it is to communicate with other teachers (snabonline forum), SNAB course developers, and Edexcel subject officer (email). Responses are immediate and always helpful.
The course has given us strength of argument in acquisition of new resources (data projectors, laptops, data loggers, electrophoresis kits etc), we've moved into the 21st century.
Local teacher networks have been great to afford mutual support, and to make inviting external trainers financially viable." Jean - Programme Manager/ A2 Coordinator / A2 Teacher
Report from Richmond-upon-Thames College: students' comments
I have enjoyed this course because ...
Interesting very / extremely (lots of students saying this!) It's about what is in the news / recent developments.
Lots of fun / enjoyable/ never boring. ... It's hands on. ... Experiments were fun to do.
Lessons were really useful. ... Well-planned /organised/variety teaching methods. ... Presentations / group work really helps. ... My teacher forces an enormous amount of knowledge into my head the right way!
Expanded my horizons of reasoning. Raised my passion for carrying on learning Biology.
The course is easy to follow. ... The SNAB book is clear to learn from.
My favourite course both years.
The course was / was not what I expected ...
Didn't realise how interesting bio is. ... It's better, relevant to my interests.
There's more focus on ethical issues.
I had thought it would be mostly about humans.
The coursework so interesting. ...
There's lots of project / practical work. ... Practical work kept me interested.
Its' very challenging. ... The jump from GCSE to A-level is huge. It's a lot harder and more work (lots said this). The course improved in second year ... a good mix of activities.
Fulfilled all expectations. ... I under-estimated difficulty. ... Still enjoyed despite being difficult. ... Internet support really helped.
Our advice to students before they start
You do not get spoon-fed on this course. Be ready to give the time it deserves. You need to make an effort. Be open to large range ideas. You need more than biological knowledge.
Keep up with deadlines. Don't fall behind. Know the plan for the year. Go on the field trip.
Read ahead in the book before lessons, and read your notes too. Go through your notes at end of each week. Revise regularly. Do past papers.
Buckle up your seat belt, you're in for a good ride!
Report from John F Kennedy
What students enjoy about SNAB ...
We knew the students and staff would enjoy the course when we first viewed the materials. We were not disappointed, and continue to enjoy SNAB. It is also good news that the 2008 syllabus is following more or less the same format.
Both staff and students really enjoy the contextual approach, and the real life scenarios at the start of each topic. They are interesting and relevant as most of the topics always seem to be in the news, and they succeed in engaging students of varying ability levels.
The content is introduced in a way that even surprises the students by how much knowledge they are absorbing and processing during the course. This is a bonus when teaching the more challenging aspects.
The online web-based activities are popular with all students to maintain interest and aid in organisation of learning in conjunction with their texts.
The GCSE review tests give students a starting point to check background knowledge and the end of topic tests are an indication of their progress.
The skills support is invaluable for students who may have gaps in their knowledge or need to revisit areas in which they are less confident. We have produced student booklets with the activities for the topics enabling the students to organise their work.
Students also enjoy the practical work, which continues to build on the practical skills developed in earlier years and provides the important foundation to be able to devise and carry out their A2 practical work and problem-solving in further education. The interactive activities, model-building and role plays were clearly enjoyed, allowing students different opportunities to learn and then demonstrate their knowledge.
By the end of the topics the students have a deeper understanding of many of the issues, aided by the up-to-date web links and news items on the snabonline website. This generally increases students' confidence and ability to understand the theoretical content, and to discuss and challenge the ethical issues posed by the subject matter. In later topics and in the A2 many concepts are revisited and explored further in order to help students develop the skills needed for the synoptic assessment and allow continuity, rather than studying topics as a separate entity. After all, in real life situations the initial problem is presented first, and to find a solution it is necessary to know how things related to it work.
What are the changes from what we were doing before (a while ago now in our case!)
The course we were doing before SNAB was content-based with little practical work, and therefore provided fewer opportunities to develop sound practical skills.
It was a joy to see a course that had been well thought out, and it was a privilege to have been part of the initial pilot and to provide feedback which helped in the production of a course which both staff and students found worthwhile and could discuss.
The online forum and networking of schools in regional areas is valuable support for teachers, and the SNAB team
Adjusting to teaching the context-based approach was a great learning experience, certainly taking me out of my comfort zone. However it's a skill I have had to try and master and surprisingly have enjoyed over the years, so much so that it would be difficult to go back and teach the content-led approach, despite its availability in the new Edexcel specification.
The web links and relevance to contemporary issues has increased our own knowledge and professional development, especially in the areas of stem cell research and the brain.
The AS visit/issue report and the A2 scientific articles brings science in the work place and scientific research to life, and provides the students with opportunities to see how scientists work and evaluate their findings.
What are the challenges?
When we first taught the course, students found writing up the core practicals and the core practical exam a challenge. However they appreciated the advantages of developing these skills. Completing the topics in the AS was challenging, especially in the first term where the students were introduced to quite difficult concepts very quickly. However this seems to have been addressed in the new specification starting September 2008.
Finally, developing the skills needed in the synoptic assessment is a challenge.
What students may go on to next ...
Many students have gone on to study biology-related subjects at university, including medicine, psychology, and physiotherapy. The feedback from many of them is that the SNAB course has provided a solid foundation for their chosen courses, and some have gone into postgraduate research in biology-related areas.
The contemporary topics studied in SNAB provide invaluable discussion points for interview. Many students have had the confidence to use skills developed during the course to express their points of view coherently.
And another thing ....
We are continuing to teach the SNAB style in the new 2008 syllabus and are pleased that the context-led approach still remains.
For those contemplating this approach it is well worth the perseverance, and satisfies the Ofsted criteria in the drive to promote more student-based independent learning. It is a very enjoyable course to teach, and a welcome change to the usual style of A-level Biology teaching. It has allowed opportunities for staff to visit and interact with scientists in their specialist fields, and has provided me personally with the inspiration to visit places like the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in Jersey that are referred to in the texts. This course is not just for the students!
It's a great opportunity to explore areas not encountered previously, and the introduction of similar skill areas in the new GCSE science courses will provide a good foundation to continue the development of the Biology Alevel knowledge and skills.
by Gianna Foster, John F Kennedy School, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
Report from Roundwood Park School, Hertfordshire: teachers' comments
We started on the SNAB course in September 2005 having previously been doing AQA. We set up Field Studies Council courses at Preston Montford for A2 coursework and booked the Natural History Museum for visits. We got Dr Dann in from SAPs to cover the work on electrophoresis using Nature's Dice to demonstrate finding carriers of diseases like CF. We also got projectors in each lab and this year (2007) have been connected via lap tops so students can get on the SNAB website www.snabonline in lessons themselves. In other words we have been through a revolution.
All this change has given us remarkably good results. Our AS results in 2007 which is our second time around were the best ever in the 14 years I have been at the school. The A2 were also very good. Clearly our students felt they could do well and were interested enough to try hard. They were rewarded for their efforts. These latest results are remarkable, and the whole department have an increased feeling of confidence that we can do well.
by Lesley Pollock, autumn 2007
Roundwood Park School
Report from Archbishop Tenison's CE High School, Croydon: teachers' commments
SNAB has great resources, particularly the snabonline website. The content is relevant to students, and they really enjoyed writing up the Issue report as part of their coursework. However, we are finding that the order in which the concepts are taught is a bit challenging.
We hope to choose a SNAB-style A-level course for 2008. (Ed's note: this would be the Edexcel one.)
Students are going on to a variety of courses including medicine, paramedics, and sports science.
I'm loving teaching biology again!
by Abi Massey
Report from Queen Marys College, Basingstoke
How we are getting on
What are you and your students finding valuable about SNAB?
The context-based learning, the high quality resources and range of activities. The course is excellent at providing a differentiated learning approach.
What are you finding challenging?
A2 projects - both in terms of sheer numbers (we are likely to have 100 this year at A2), and we did not enjoy the electronic submission and electronic marking which gave us problems and took too much staff time.
What do you foresee happening next year?
We will stay with the Edexcel specification, but it will be reviewed if the AS coursework burden for teaching staff is too high. We have 170+ AS students and classes are routinely 20+. A member of staff could have potentially 70+ AS students in their care.
by Keith Bonugli
Sedbergh School: teacher's comment
"Ask your HoD to look at SNAB, sorry, Edexcel! It's made a big impact
here, and has rejuvenated the Dept. It is superbly resourced and full of
stimulating work."
SNAB for all students: teachers' comments
We have a lot of weak students starting A-level. 5 years ago Biology was amongst the weakest subjects in the school in terms of added value, it was always negative.
We piloted SNAB and have never looked back. We love teaching the course, great electronic resources, lots of online help for study skills etc, and good assessment tasks.
We have 73 students starting AS this year and last summer's A2 results put us 2nd in the school in terms of added value.
I can highly recommend it.
by a SNAB teacher
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Ed's note: SNAB is good for high-fliers too - see SNAB for medics.
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