Adapting the IGCSE and IB Diploma programs and exams in the pandemic

Preparing for exams in the new normal – additional student support, stress factors and more

At the International Secondary School of the CIS/IFK, the International General Certificate of Education (IGCSE) and the IB Diploma exams are taken in grades 10 and 12, respectively. Normally – in non-pandemic times – these classes start intensive revision and exam preparation in November, with mock exams taking place in January. Students learn study and exam taking skills in their classes, they receive individual support through coaching and they can also join guided study groups during lesson times, or after school at clinics. Teachers are available for support during school hours through the afternoon. Over the years we have seen many cohorts of students benefiting from in-person revision and assistance opportunities, as well as studying together with their peers; the effectiveness of this is proven in the high scores our students achieve on their exams.

As with so many other aspects of school life, certification classes and exam preparation is something we have had to re-examine and re-invent during the Corona pandemic. How can we provide our students with the full extent of the ambitious academic content via remote learning programs? How can we truly ensure that they have the tools to manage their assessments effectively? How will they be able to handle the pressure? And, last but most certainly not least, how can we ensure their social-emotional wellbeing during this highly stressful phase in their schooling, without the outlet of social gatherings, so important at this age?

Making the right choice – staying on track in the midst of Corona pandemic uncertainty

Keeping students on track in the final years of the IGCSE and IB Diploma programs has been quite the challenge during the current crisis. The exam boards of these international programs – with students working towards the respective qualifications in all corners of the earth – initially needed time to reconsider and develop their assessment models. During this time of heightened uncertainty last winter and spring, students faced very practical dilemmas about how to spend their time. Should they embark on a large scale revision programme to prepare for written exams, or should they invest their energy in making sure coursework and classwork is of the highest possible standard in the case that these will be used to judge their performance? Thanks to their own hard work, as well as the guidance of our DP coordinator, our 2020 IB students submitted excellent coursework. They also prepared solidly for the exams, enabling teachers to give them strong predicted grades. In the end, the exams did not happen, but the IB’s analysis of our data and student coursework led to the cohort being our most successful so far, with a 4-point increase on our average IBDP score.

IGCSE and IB qualification programs’ adjustment to ensure a fair approach to assessment

The good news is, that both the IB and Cambridge were and are fully aware of these (and other) issues, and want to help – they were looking for the best solution for schools, universities and students alike. For example, in many subjects, the curriculum content has been reduced to make it more manageable during remote learning. This has supported student wellbeing by keeping their workload at a ‘manageable’ level.

A further helpful practice is the adjusting of grade boundaries by the common exam board. The IB, Cambridge and all other exam boards only decide the number of points needed to ascertain a certain grade after all the results are in and can be compared to other years. This is usually because of smaller adjustments – a different Shakespeare play on the English syllabus, for example, or simply a question that was badly worded and many students did not understand it, etc. The exam boards have very deep databases and aim to provide consistency with this mechanism. This will be even more important this year.

How will the 2021 IGCSE and IB exams take place at Cologne International School / Internationale Friedensschule Köln?

Also, our students are able – or rather obliged – to sit their exams, because this is also the current practice within the public schools of NRW (Gymnasien and other state secondary schools). This is a great advantage for our students, as their performance will be judged directly; in other countries, the schools and the exam boards will work on predicted grades. We saw last year that this is a complicated approach – processes that are made to be fair on a large scale can still lead to injustices for the individual.

Individual university and career counselling – preparing for university applications

Another crucial process underway at this time of year is university fairs. In the past, these have taken place in a physical location, e.g. we have attended fairs at Düsseldorf International School, and we have hosted events at CIS/IFK too. They are great, but can also be time consuming. This year, our students will attend a couple of very big online university fairs, where they will have access to far more universities than usual. This is one of those areas that has the potential to remain online after Corona.

Our in-school support for university and career counselling – generally beginning at the end of grade 10 – has also not suffered from the pandemic. Whether in-person or online, our university and career counsellor meets with all of our upper school students – as well as our alumni – helping them along the exciting path of selecting and applying to higher education programs.

Adapting for today and tomorrow – our graduates are ready to make a positive impact during and after the Corona pandemic

So, at Cologne International School, the exams are happening, the students are preparing and what cannot be done in person is being done online. Temporarily at least, this is the new normal – but our students are showing commitment, embracing change and reflecting critically. And we see this in their perseverance, their attitude and their results. Regardless of the obstacles before them, CIS/IFK graduates are well placed to make a positive impact on the world of tomorrow.

Shaun Roberts, International Secondary School

Please find the latest information about learning and teaching at CIS / IFK during the pandemic on our COVID-19 page.

Distance education: E-learning, online classes and independent off-line study

Innovation and technology in the CIS/IFK Bilingual Primary School

Since the first lockdown due to the Corona pandemic in March 2020, there have been significant changes to teaching and learning throughout Cologne International School – Internationale Friedensschule Köln – and especially in our primary section. While it is difficult to see too many positives in the current pandemic and the challenges presented to education, I think we have tackled the situation with a pioneering spirit, an open mind, and the optimism characteristic of the city of Cologne, the “Rheinland” area and the International Baccalaureate Organization. In fact, I think you would be hard-pressed to find schools in the region that deliver e-learning – online education and online classes – at the same level as we do. The influx of families joining CIS/IFK, who are frustrated with sluggish and inefficient lockdown responses at public schools is one indicator, but I think there are more.

When I was appointed to the Media Coordinator position in the Bilingual Primary School early last summer (along with Ronald Effertz, who holds this position for the Secondary section), I had a vague idea of what that task would entail in the context of a pandemic. Now, nearly a year later, the picture has become much clearer.

A steady growth mindset has lead us to the following positive situation, where we are able to offer all of our students a variety of learning options to guide and support them during lockdown situations.

Distance education: e-learning, online classes and off-line study

• There is a dedicated online learning program for all primary students. The schedule of online classes is flexible enough for families to organize their daily life around, but it is also consistent enough to give our students much-needed structure and predictability in a time of crisis.
• We offer two virtual classroom environments. Lower primary students (first and second grade) learn in the Google Classroom environment, upper primary students are based in Seesaw, a newer Google competitor in this domain.
• Live lessons take place through Google Meet. They are an adjunct to the virtual classrooms. While Google Meet is not without its flaws (audio and video stability, simplistic assignment of meeting privileges), it is generally stable enough to enable teachers to monitor learning progress and review student questions and concerns.
• Enough iPads to assign to all third and fourth-grade students and most first and second-grade students (where, naturally, the focus is less on device-based learning and more on traditional pencil and paper learning).
• A device infrastructure based on Apple products (Macbooks for teachers and Apple TV ready smart TVs that are replacing the ageing electronic whiteboards).
• A variety of teaching and learning apps under review for school-wide implementation during online classes (e.g. “Quizlet”, “Socrative”, “Class Dojo”)

From the perspective of a Media Coordinator, these are exciting times. No online education can replace the vivid energy of a live classroom, but there are surprisingly many students and teachers who actually prefer online learning and teaching. While I am not one of them, I can fully appreciate the learning and growth opportunities this pandemic has provided. That, at least and last, is positive, after all!

Patrick Kalanu, Bilingual Primary School

Find out more about technology and innovation in our Bilingual Primary School and our Secondary School (Gymnasium bilingual + and International Secondary).

From instrumental to iPad-based music creation:

Adapting classroom music during the pandemic

All successful music curricula are divided into three key areas:

1. Music Theory and History
2. Practical Performance
3. Composition

At the International Secondary School we have always done well at ensuring all three components are covered in detail, which has been reflected in our solid Cambridge and IB Diploma results. That said, with the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing and the subsequent restrictions severely limiting the opportunities for performing music at school, the teaching method – though not the content – of music at ISS has changed considerably.

Generally speaking, classroom music has become very theory and composition-oriented, which, although certainly not as fun as playing music, has been fairly well received by the students. No longer is the curriculum dominated by school bands and choirs; in fact, the onus is now (more than ever) on students to practice their instruments regularly away from school. Junior musicians should aim to play for 15 minutes a day whilst senior IGCSE / IB candidates should aim for at least 30 mins.

Class time is now spent reading and analysing music, exploring musical genres and periods, and using the music theory concepts introduced to compose simple melodic and harmonic structures. Our instrument or vehicle of composition? The iPad. The App: Garageband allows all students to learn the basics of electronic keyboard: scales and chords. Students are able to construct, perform and record melodies, chords and basslines all on the iPad keyboard, and to overlay drum beats and vocals (recorded in isolation / elsewhere).

The end result? An eclectic mix of student-derived music, ranging from jingles to jazz, classical to rap. Various selections of repertoire will be uploaded to our school Spotify account over the coming weeks and months. Tune in here.

Rob Keane, International Secondary School

Interested in our music program? Find out more!

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As I am writing this post, my tickets to a concert with today’s date on them, are collecting dust on the office shelf. This was the concert that my family and I were looking forward to, but thanks to COVID, like many other events, had been cancelled. While upsetting, cancelled concerts, football matches, or even holidays, for many of us, are disappointments that we can recover from and move on with our lives relatively quickly. But what about the workers in the entertainment, sport or travel industry? A year ago, a job that allows you to travel the world would have been a dream for many people. Is it still the case?

As educators and counselors, we encourage our pupils and students to think about which jobs will be needed and required in the future. COVID has undoubtedly affected the job market landscape for many years to come. Essential professions, such as doctors and medical staff, have been at the center of happenings and discussions this year; the importance of key worker jobs has only been highlighted. Non-key industries, such as live entertainment, travel, art, fashion, sport, and hospitality industries as well as many others have suffered greatly – empty stadiums, empty concert halls, quiet skies. Online services, on the other hand, such as streaming and social platforms as well as online shopping, have been more successful than ever. They kept us entertained, kept us connected, and took care of our basic (and sometimes frivolous) shopping needs during the quarantine times.

So, what do these developments mean for anyone choosing their career or study path in 2020 and the next few years? Apart from the computerization of most industries, which has already been present for years and only accelerated in 2020, flexibly to work online has become one of the new factors to consider. Could I do this job online? – is a question that many young people now add to their long list of considerations before committing to a study and career choice.

Dr. Alexandra Inglis, Gymnasium bilingual +

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts

William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”

Face masks have become the cultural item of 2020: more or less every person on the planet has had to define their relationship to them in the last six months, and around the world they have become a topic for politics and art as well as science.

First we talked about how effective they are as a means of protection, and concluded that generally they are a good thing and everyone should wear one. This pushed the discussion into politics, where petulant presidents were scolded in the press for not setting a good example, and global anti-mask demonstrations took place – mainly on the grounds that wearing one is an infringement of personal freedom.

But I think this attitude misunderstands the magic of the mask: it is actually a device to enhance personal freedom. By hiding the wearer’s identity and providing a new face, masks create an opportunity for metamorphosis, something often seen in popular culture: masks turn Marinette into Ladybug, Bruce Wayne into Batman and Carlo Waibel into Cro, for example.

The phenomenon is also common in the real world: across Africa masks are worn in traditional rituals and ceremonies, and in cities like Rio de Janeiro, New Orleans and Cologne during carnival, where people use masks to have a holiday from themselves, it is the unmasked that are the outsiders.

Also, In the age of Instagram, many people use the skills of die Maske, the theatrical make-up artist, to create their online image, which they increasingly wear all day every day.

Here at Cologne International School, we are also beginning to see more artistic expression in masks: students are customising theirs with slogans, while Mr. Lindel sports a customised mask with the bottom half of his face printed on it, giving us a “gruselig” version of his full face!

Masks facilitate freedom of expression rather than restrict it. They allow us to play with our identities, which can lead to harmless fun or dangerous games; so don’t forget to take yours off at night and have a good look in the mirror at the real you.

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We’ve all been holding our breaths, anxiously awaiting the start of the 2020/21 school year. Will classes really be held on-site? What happens if someone at the school is infected with Coronavirus? Will we have another lockdown? Will my children enjoy any kind of a “normal” school life? How much will the Corona measures disrupt their learning? Will the teachers still be able to give my child the individual attention they need?

I’m not going to lie, we did get off to a bit of a bumpy start. First, we had to reorganize our buildings, offices and classrooms due to the new construction on our campus the city of Cologne decided to start mid-summer break. Next, induction week was held almost completely online, making it quite a challenge to get new offices and classrooms set up. Our welcome events for new families were successful, yet bittersweet to not have returning students welcome their new peers on their first days of school.

Lastly, in the second round of testing for all teachers and staff, it turned out that one Coronavirus test came back “lightly positive”, turning everything upside down as we shut down the primary school after only one day back, frantically traced contacts to the infected staff member and discussed all interactions and possible scenarios with the Cologne health office. Thankfully, the infection was contained, only two colleagues and no students were in close contact and we could reopen our primary school on day three.

Now, starting our first full week of school – with all classes back on-site – we know that we are fully prepared to handle whatever may come. We can confidently say we have a system in place to safely offer positive learning programs for all of our students. Our small learning groups and ideal teacher-student ratios enable us to uphold social distancing measures in the classrooms, while our sizeable campus allows for separation of classes and school forms, different entrances and break spaces as well as one-way traffic. If an infection occurs, it can easily be contained to one class or school form. Our full integration of technology in the classroom, with iPads, computers and smart boards used on a daily basis in each class, means all of our teachers, staff and students are able to switch online for blended or full e-learning programs if a temporary quarantine or another lock-down is necessary. We made that experience at the end of last school year and received only positive feedback from our entire school community.

Yes, Corona measures will distract from our children’s learning and no, we cannot offer the full range of exciting activities we’d like to. However, during these precarious times, we can stay positive knowing that our children will still be receiving the excellent, carefully thought-through, individualized and uninterrupted education they signed up for.

B. Eickhoff

Find the latest information on our learning programs and school activities in the Coronavirus pandemic HERE.