Websites offering second-level students study notes and grinds are on the rise. Some are free, others look for money, but which ones are any good? Who better to ask than the students themselves

FROM SHOPPING and movies to dating and socialising, the internet has brought a whole new dimension to the lives of teens. And with so many students online it was bound to be only a matter of time before study notes and grinds elbowed their way into cyberspace.

Defying the perception that web-savvy students spend all their time on Bebo, a recent Comreg survey found that, although 44 per cent of students aged 15 to 17 use the internet for social networking, even more of them (just over half of those surveyed) use it for educational purposes. Indeed, the very successful  www.skoool.ie(in which The Irish Timesis a partner) recorded 120,000 unique users on its site in May of last year. When one considers that just over 50,000 Leaving Certificate students actually sat the exam in 2007, it becomes obvious that parents, teachers and younger students are using the resource as well.

Companies are beginning to take note and BT Ireland is currently using an exam-resource website to entice new customers to its broadband package. The company is offering vouchers for online grinds at  www.examsupport.ie. According to Emer Kennedy, BT's director of Consumer Business, the partnership has been very successful so far. "It's a perfect fit for us," she says. But is this just a gimmick? Are web-study resources actually any good? Some are free, and some are not. If you pay, are they worth the money, or would you be better off with face-to-face grinds?

Pádraic Kavanagh a teacher in the Royal School, Cavan has been involved in  www.teachnet.iefor a number of years. He believes that, while the teaching expertise is there, it is not always accompanied by the greatest technical know-how. Some sites lag behind their English counterparts. "It's very static," says Kavanagh. "While the material is good, there's no interaction.We have the subject skills in this country, and we have the IT skills, but they're not coming together at the moment."

Two websites -  www.digitalgrinds.ieand  www.examsupport.ie- are often cited by teachers and students as good examples of what can be achieved when knowledge and expertise combine. Neither resource is free, but the people behind the sites maintain that their service is akin to and cheaper than a grind in a subject.

"Travelling to and from a grind is dead time," says John McDonnell of www.examsupport.ie. "We provide tutorials in a student's home. It's particularly useful for students living outside of the bigger cities who might have to travel long distances for a grind."

Brian McNamara of  www.digitalgrinds.ieagrees: "Teachers are doing a fantastic job for the most part, but the information that they're covering in class isn't being reviewed. This is a way for students to go over what has been done in their own time."

But while the internet may be a cheaper and more time-effective option, can it match the one-to-one experience? "I think it complements classroom contact rather than replacing it," says Barry Lynch of  www.reviseonline.ie. "Maths isn't the most attractive thing on the internet, especially when the likes of Bebo is the competition, but having both is definitely beneficial." As it stands, students do seem to be using the internet to complement their learning.

Internet forums such as www.boards.ie are free, and a valuable resource for students who need queries answered quickly. Usage is rising all the time. "Students have come to expect these resources," says Patrick Barry, founder of  www.allhonours.ie. "They are used to being online and using online resources. We've had 15,000 unique users so far this month and that will go up as the exams draw closer."

Unfortunately, not everyone can benefit. "The biggest issue in Ireland is broadband," says Kavanagh. "Look at some of the websites out there. Practically every kid who leaves a positive comment is from Dublin or Cork. There is so much scope, but we really need to get broadband piped into houses like television before we can realise that."

Catherine Begley, a teacher in St Aloysius College Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, agrees. "We are holding back the progress of our students because of a lack of vision on the part of the Department of Education on this matter. All students should have equal access to computers and broadband. This is the new two-tier system - students who have access to these resources, and students who don't."

Rated and recommended:Online study guides

Colin Lowryis a student in St Joseph's CBS Nenagh. He reviewed  www.mathshead.comand  www.digitalgrinds.ie

Mathshead.com:is designed to help ordinary level maths students. It generates practice questions based on the syllabus.
Cost:It depends on how many questions you want - 250 will cost €30.
Colin writes:I didn't think this website looked very appealing. However, I found everything I was looking for very easily. This website offers no study notes, just questions. Students can focus on answering questions on a particular section of the paper if they know how to. Otherwise, there is no explanation as to how to complete the questions - a step-by-step guide would improve things. If you like this style of revision, then I think it is good value for money. A great advantage is that payment can be made via SMS, perfect for students.

Digitalgrinds.ie:offers two DVD ROMs for higher level maths. Each DVD offers 30 hours of interactive tutorials.
Cost:€40 for each DVD or €50 for both.
Colin writes:Definitely one of the best-presented of the maths sites I looked at. The lessons are interactive and while the material is great, it is not the most rapid method of revision and for students under pressure, the web is the best place for quick study notes. That said, you would definitely benefit if you had the time to put into it.

Kevin Holleris a student in Nenagh Vocational School. He reviewed  www.skoool.ie

Skoool.ieoffers study tips, exam analysis, revision notes, model exam answers and FAQs with subject experts.
Cost:Free
Kevin writes:As the name suggests, it is like an online school, and has been just that for me in recent years. I have never spent any more than five minutes looking for what I needed - something I really appreciate in a content-rich website. One of my favourite features is "myskoool" - which allows you to download various lessons in a range of subjects. Audio and visual lessons can often make tedious school work a little more fun.

Amy Flynnattends St Mary's Secondary School in Nenagh. She reviewed  www.allhonours.ie

Allhonours.ieis an Leaving Cert forum and resource. Grind teachers advertise their wares, post study notes and answer Leaving Cert students' questions in an internet forum.
Cost:Free
Amy writes:This site is way too complicated. If I'm a student in a fluster looking for information, it obviously means I'm lacking a bit of knowledge, and this site just makes me feel stupid. Too many things on the site are aimed at people who want to achieve A1s in their exams.Allhonours also has a grinds section, which was merely a dumping ground for people to place their adverts for their amazing grinds. Basically, if I'm looking for some quick advice for the Leaving Cert, I want to go onto a site that's easy to read, that's not going to make me feel stupid and notes that are easily and quickly accessible. I didn't find it here.

• Kevin Holler, Amy Flynn and Colin Lowry run the website  www.leaving-cert.net charting their experiences as Leaving Cert students.

Aaron Donohueis a 5th year in Donahies Community School in Dublin. He looked at  www.examsupport.ie

Examsupport.ieprovides computer video lessons, lesson notes and worked video solutions to past exam questions.
Cost:€12.95 per hour-long learning pack.
Aaron writes:The layout is very professional. The subjects are broken up into different sections so it's easy to find what you need.The teachers in the video lessons are informal but not too casual. The problem with it is that nobody is engaging directly with you, so it's easy to let your mind wander. I also think there should be a discount for a bulk purchase. It's not expensive if you compare it with a grind. You get the lesson and there's no journey time so it can be good value. I'd certainly use this next year.
• Read Aaron's blog on  http://madringo.com.

Mark Walshis an 18-year-old Leaving Cert student in Lucan Community College. He gives a run-down of some other Leaving Cert resources.

Rte.ie/radio1/gettingitrightis quite useful, with some notes available in pdf format. Also, they've created some notes in the form of podcasts, which offer experts' tips on the exams.
Examinations.iecontains all previous exam papers and marking schemes, which can be handy not only for figuring out a question you're stuck on, but also for seeing exactly what merits marks in the exam.
ZuluNotes.comis a Wikipedia-style notes website, which can be added to by anyone at any stage. There are some useful notes on there, but it certainly wouldn't be the first place I'd look for information.
Theleavingcert.comis a nice website, containing some useful tips from a 2006 Leaving Cert student. For me, in-depth notes or information are lacking.
• Read Mark's blog on  www.walsho.com