Dr. Christopher Martin

"I received my Masters degree in Natural Sciences and Ph.D in Molecular Pharmacology through Christ’s College, Cambridge."

"Joining SMARTPREP is an opportunity for me to contribute to a high-quality and extremely useful IB resource that is different to the typical revision guides."

What went into your method when you created flash cards for chemistry?

"The cards give the students a clear grasp of what is going to be examined and in what format. I drew on my experience of teaching IB students in thinking about particular areas that have been challenging for them year-on-year –which aspects of the course always catch them out and which ones tend to be examined with 'tricky' questions."

How do you picture students using these flash cards?

"Some use the cards as typical flash cards, while others have used them in lieu of a textbook or revision guide and have perused the cards thoroughly, annotating them and adding their own notes. Hopefully, students will use them throughout their IB course and not just for the final examination."

Do you have any tips for using flash cards as a teaching aid?

"The cards can be used to consolidate material at the end of a unit. Cards can be placed around the room or stuck to walls, etc. The students then move around and try to answer the questions. This active, circus-type activity is popular across age groups."

Johannes Koevoet

"I have taught IB Chemistry for 15 years, after studying chemical engineering at Fontys University in Eindhoven and receiving my Masters in Education through Southland University, Australia."

"I saw the benefit of a flash card format for my own students and hence, decided to join the SMARTPREP team."

What went into your method when you created flash cards for Chemistry?

"My goal has been to divide the complete syllabus into bite-size pieces, in such a way that students work with the content rather than read about it in yet another book. I designed tasks and answers that are so to-the-point that students will develop and consolidate their understanding and gain confidence in their ability as they approach their tests and exams."

How do you picture students using these flash cards?

"Students often use the flash cards to memorize technical facts, terminology and concepts. The cards covering applications and skills are great as extra practice questions –students solve the problems in their notebook, using their calculators, IB data booklet and graph paper where needed."

Do you have any tips for using flash cards as a teaching aid?

"What has worked best for me to date is to use them in class by asking students in advance which (sub)topics they need most help with and placing small stacks of cards of those topics in 'stations' around the room. Students go to the stations of their choice to work on focused tasks tailored to their needs while I answer questions."