Useful resources for remote teaching and learning in science

Hints and tips - 4 minute read

Andy Brunning, OCR Chemistry Subject Advisor

The current situation is a challenging one for teachers and students, with both having to instantly adapt to new ways of learning, and we’re committed to supporting you. Here, we’ve highlighted some useful resources to make the change to new ways of working easier.

We’re also updating our student-focused pages to point out our useful subject-specific resources for both students and teachers. These include past papers, teaching resources, multiple choice quizzes, summary documents on common misconceptions, and much more.

GCSE Science resources

BBC Bitesize is a well-known but nonetheless useful resource for students to refer to. GCSE Physics online has a range of video playlists using Lego to explain physics concepts.

Quizlet is a website and an app that allows students to create flashcards to revise GCSE Science (as well as other GCSE subjects). You can share the flashcards you make, as well as use pre-made sets that other teachers and students have shared. Quizlet also includes revision games.

A Level Biology resources

The Crash Course series of videos provide good overviews and explanations of many areas of Biology. There is a biology playlist as well as an anatomy and physiology playlist to work through. Though there are some slight content differences they are still very useful. They have also produced a series of videos for chemistry and for physics.

If you’re after quizzes and keyword flashcards, the Love Biology website has plenty and is free to use. It has a lot of multiple-choice questions to practice with, and also has a self-assessment section which has been tailored to the OCR A Specification.

Despite the name, Physics and Maths tutor has a set of revision notes, summary sheets, questions and other worksheets for each Biology topic.

A Level Chemistry resources and videos

The Independent Learning Project for Advanced Chemistry was published in the 1980s. It was designed to allow students to study with reduced teacher contact – ideal for the situation we currently find ourselves in. Though there are content differences compared to the current specifications, they can still be of use.

If you’re after something more contemporary, MaChemGuy’s videos on YouTube have been a hit with students preparing for exams in recent years. He’s produced a handy video index page mapped to the OCR Chemistry A specification.

Practical chemistry is difficult to carry out remotely – but Education in Chemistry have written an article on how you can help students continue to develop their practical skills. They also have a remote teaching support area on their website.

For students looking for concise materials to revise topics they’ve already covered, ChemRevise has a set of revision sheets tailored to the Chemistry A specification.

A Level Physics resources and activities

The Institute of Physics IOP spark site is an excellent site with lot of resources for Physics students and teachers of all ages. The misconceptions students have and the glossary of physics definitions (16-19) are particularly useful.

Isaac Physics is a project designed to offer activities in physics problem solving to teachers and students from GCSE level through to university. There are lots of physics problems that students can work through with support available if needed.

STEM Learning also offers lots of student resources for Physics students. There are links to The Advanced Physics Project for Independent Learning, a set of resources published in the 1980s to support independent learning.

A Level Physics online offers a range of videos using Lego to illustrate physics concepts and is also offering free YouTube lessons for both GCSE and A Level Physics.

A Level Geology resources

The Earth Science Teachers’ Association (ESTA) have a range of teaching resources on their site. This includes a number of fieldwork skills videos aimed at students.

The British Geological Survey have produced a number of student resources with STEM Learning. The Geological Society also has a page of resources intended for Geology A Level.

General resources

Many teachers have been sharing resources that they’ve made or found useful on Twitter. Richard Needham of the Association for Science Education has compiled a selection of these resources to support teachers. The ASE coronavirus hub has resources for teachers and ideas to on how to do science at home with your children.

Khan Academy has videos for Biology, Chemistry and Physics. There are some content differences, but they are very useful and watchable. They also have a website with worksheets and quizzes which is free to sign up to.

STEM Learning has a range of student resources for both KS4 and KS5 Sciences, as well as KS3 and Primary.

Finally, many publishers, including Cambridge University Press and Pearson, are making some resources freely available to schools to help them at this time. More details can be found on their websites. Cambridge International are also making their Resource Plus site for international GCSEs and A Levels free to schools.

Additional resources

A number of other resources for remote teaching and learning across the sciences have also become available. Here are a few additional suggestions, alongside those that others have kindly added in the comments below:

• Oak National Academy is a new DfE-funded initiative providing sequenced video lessons and resources. 
• Seneca Learning have a number of free courses for students following OCR qualifications. 
• S-cool has free revision guides, question banks and resources. 
• BioRach has information videos for A Level Biology and Biology pictionary challenges. 
• SAPS have videos and activities relating to plant science.

Stay connected

Have we missed any resources you think might be useful for teachers and students? Let us know in the comments below.

If you have any queries or questions, you can email us at science@ocr.org.uk, call us on 01223 553998 or Tweet us @OCR_Science. You can also sign up to subject updates and receive information about resources and support.

About the author

Andy Brunning - Subject Advisor - Chemistry

Andy joined OCR in September 2017 as the Subject Advisor for A Level Chemistry. Before joining OCR he worked as a chemistry teacher in Bournemouth and Cambridge, and is particularly interested in context-based teaching approaches. In his spare time, he enjoys photography, graphic design, and playing the guitar.