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    SideCog Blog

    Insights, tips, and resources for parents, teachers, and learners on their educational journey.

    Articles

    The Geese Question and the Problem With “Just Revising”
    5 min read
    Understanding vs Recall
    Exam Skills
    Deeper Learning

    The Geese Question and the Problem With “Just Revising”

    The viral AQA Biology “geese question” sparked frustration across social media, but the real issue wasn’t the birds. It exposed the gap between memorising revision content and truly understanding biological principles well enough to apply them in unfamiliar contexts.

    J

    Julian Dance

    14 May 2026
    Why Diagnosis-First Learning Changes Everything
    9 min
    Deeper Learning
    Learning Science
    +4

    Why Diagnosis-First Learning Changes Everything

    Most edtech platforms test children. SideCog diagnoses how they think. Here is why that difference matters, and how it closes the gaps that compound year after year.

    RRachel Dance
    27 March 2026
    Why Connected Knowledge and Big Ideas Transform GCSE Science Learning
    6 min
    Deeper Learning
    Cognitive Science
    +4

    Why Connected Knowledge and Big Ideas Transform GCSE Science Learning

    After 15 years in the classroom, Julian argues that connected knowledge - not memorised facts - is what truly transforms GCSE science outcomes. Drawing on Wynne Harlen’s Big Ideas, he explains why coherence builds confidence, understanding and exam success.

    JJulian Dance
    5 February 2026