Why Doddle?
Previously, most of my teaching was done either through the use of an interactive activity or the use of a book – both of which are useful in their own ways, but don’t provide any means of assessment, marking and recording.
I don’t think there is anything else on the market quite like Doddle: nothing that not only allows the students to learn at their own pace but also tests them and gives them feedback immediately. In that way, Doddle really fits into what I need.
Doddle and the flipped classroom
Doddle has really helped me start to work towards implementing the flipped classroom model into my teaching. Using Doddle alongside the flipped classroom model is easy. The work I assign as homework introduces students to new concepts, for example looking at the presentations or watching videos. Then they come back into the classroom and they’re ready to apply what they’ve learnt using the Doddle quizzes. Sometimes I do oral work with one group of students, while another works on Doddle.
The content is totally relevant, and my students are really engaged with it. One of the best things I’ve seen is the competitive element – they really want to improve their scores. Doddle is making sure that they are taking responsibility for their own learning.
Breathing new life into teaching
Doddle is easy to navigate, simple but challenging and it works. What’s more, it’s just really re-energised my teaching and my classroom as a whole. We also found the extension activities really push the students to a very high level, and we’re really pleased with that.
As far as workload goes, I think the fantastic thing about Doddle is the fact that everything’s there, ready to be used in your teaching. You can be sure that Doddle is providing really meaningful work for the students. Everyone in my department is very, very positive about Doddle – it’s currently playing a big part in the investment decisions we are making next year. In that way, Doddle is the main thing that’s driving our curriculum forward.
I would rate Doddle as 10 out of 10. It’s a superb piece of software, and I’ve received great customer service, too. Regardless of where they are in the world, if other MFL teachers want to establish a flipped classroom full of students who are engaged, want to learn for themselves, revise and try to improve, then I would absolutely recommend Doddle.
