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Grips (BR-alpha): The Online Learning Platform for School Pupils

As part of a formative evaluation and in collaboration with BR-alpha, the IZI studied how pupils engage with the e-learning programme Grips. The purpose of the online programme is to help pupils fill gaps in knowledge in the subjects of German, English and mathematics. The content is based on the examination material for years five to eleven in the German school system. Each subject is divided into around 40 discrete lessons. The pupils learn through films, follow-up reading and exercises. In total, the IZI interviewed 76 pupils from years eight, nine and ten in the German secondary school system as well as from a video course preparing for the German secondary school leaving certificate during their lesson in the computer room. The pupils each worked on a topic in a self-directed way. During their session with Grips, the participating pupils’ facial expressions were filmed by a camera mounted on the monitor, and the way they used the programme was recorded. After that, the two recordings were arranged as picture-in-picture in order to interpret the pupils’ user behaviour and to identify moments experienced by them as particularly positive or negative. Finally, the pupils filled in a qualitative questionnaire in which they gave feedback on the details of the unit.    

Results

Grips is rated as predominantly positive by the pupils. Over 80% of those questioned rated the units in all subjects as either “very good“ or “good“. The “media boxes“ with integrated film clips received the best ratings. From the pupils’ point of view, films are a particularly good learning medium. In particular, Grips offers the opportunity to use films in combination with other elements within the online programme. The pupils therefore felt that, above all, the mixture of films, repetitions and exercises was particularly helpful. The choice of protagonists was rated as particularly positive. Nearly 70% of the pupils questioned would like to see real people as protagonists. The detailed rating of the individual presenters turned out to be positive too. The pupils like the way the presenters convey content as equals. However, the pupils also found room for improvement, for example, in the composition of the texts. Some pupils thought the explanations were too long or in need of more optical structuring. It should be noted here that the pupils read and understand the texts and are able to classify what they have read in a meaningful way. Some of those questioned had difficulties with the comprehensibility and structure of the tasks. The films succeed in addressing the target group in an appropriate way, but this is not translated optimally into the tasks. Because the portal is already targeted at young pupils, simple language should be used so that the learners do not become distracted from the learning process. Furthermore, the pupils are expected to give an evaluation of their own performance via a feedback system. If there is no such tool, pupils can be become resistant to, or irritated by, using the programme.