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Heather A Ochmane-Learning Ecologies MOOC’s Updates
Ubiquitous Learning: Flipping the Classroom!
The name sounds catchy, but how about the concept itself? Is it really as different as it seems? Does is work? To find out more about it, the first thing to do is to get a definition. And a simple one, please. The video below provides just that: a brief and clear definition of the flipped classroom in as little as 60 seconds:
So, in the flipped classroom, students receive part of their instruction before they set foot in the classroom. This instruction prepares them for activities in the classroom that are designed to enhance deeper learning,
This not only requires a different attitude towards learning from students: they need to prepare for their class in order to be able to fully participate. It also changes the role of the teacher: the ‘sage on stage’ becomes a ‘guide on the side’.
Research by the University of Groningen shows that using flipped classrooms, can have a positive effect on student grades, and a majority of teachers in that research believed that students who attended flipped classrooms were well prepared, had a better understanding of the material and deeper learning experiences.
However, this way of teaching is usually not the norm. This fact makes it harder for students to switch between traditional lectures and instruction through flipped classrooms. In some cases, this resulted in situations where students watched the video lectures and didn’t come to class, or came to class without preparation. These students did not benefit from the flipped classroom effects and did not appreciate it as much as well-prepared students did.
The link below shows the results of the results at the University of Groningen:
http://www.rug.nl/e-learning/documenten/flippedclass-report-uk.pdf
I remember, as a parent of a 5th grader in elementary school, I visited an information night. The teacher told us about the new approach in math, called Common Core. He specifically told us that HE would give the kids instruction about the subject, and that we as parents were not supposed to interfere in that. So, no instruction outside the classroom. When the kids had questions, they should ask their teacher about it, not the parents. This idea made sense to me then, because we could be sure that the children were taught the right approaches. But it’s also the complete opposite of the flipped classroom approach. Does that mean a flipped classroom is not suited for every subject, or is it possible to make all the instruction flipped classroom based?
The thing that it does tell me, is that flipping classrooms is a relatively new approach that has a long way to go until it will be fully accepted and integrated in today’s classrooms. And that is definitely worth the try, since it seems a lot more interactive and effective than traditional instruction methods.
Love the idea. Tried the idea. Mixed success. To bring in my experience as a teacher of Theology in a Catholic High School, I found that some students were not motivated to participate actively because the course, although required, was not considered important to them. It did not serve their purpose like an AP class, or required science, math or English. I could count on some students coming into class without preparing the previous evening. In both my virtual and traditional classrooms, I constantly had the same offenders! And they weren't necessarily the unmotivated students, they were the students who had a ton of homework from their advanced courses.
Very interesting to me that you had a teacher who actually seemed to push the parents out. Going back to the Society and School video, it would stand to reason that having more informed parents would create a better learning environment for the students in school as well as at home.
The flipped classroom seems to address the complaint that teachers and students tended to have when I was still in middle/high school: we were only getting basics during class and when the rubber hit the road (re: homework) the students felt stranded because we didn't really know how to apply the concepts, we had just had it explained to us. Individual feedback during a class is next to impossible unless you have a warm-up activity outside of class so that the actual meet time can focus on getting everyone up-to-speed, or even improving on what everyone learned individually.
Like you said, flip the classroom by itself will not enhance their commitment to learning. It's how you use this kind of tools, to create more active learners.
The infographic you give is a good complement to your definition. I agree that the effective use of a flipped classroom is quite dependent on how well the students engage with the class and the material. Just because the classroom is flipped, it doesn't necessarily follow that the students will learn better. Level of engagement is still a key factor in successful learning.