EDU 808: Case Study Analysis 1- revised

Case: Flipped Classroom for 21st Century Education; A Transformative Learning Approach by Gary Wong

Reviewer: Regina Tronu

Summary

As a middle school science teacher, educational technology plays a big role in the way I teach. Flipping my classroom has always intrigued me as a way to get the most out of my direct contact time with students. Stated by Wong (2015), the goal of flipping the classroom is to “enhance teaching and learning through student-centered pedagogy.” Wong describes flipped learning as a “hybrid approach to mix both virtual and face-to-face learning.” Case study analysis completed by Wong revealed flipped learning classrooms demonstrated better learning outcomes for students.

Wong provides a relevant and useful explanation of flipped learning and its constructivist roots. Wong discusses Piaget's beliefs that students are active participants in their learning experience but fails to mention any social aspects of constructivism or any relationship to the cognitivist learning theory. During Wong’s observations of a Hong Kong classroom which implemented flipped learning, he observed students enjoying the class, working in groups, and interacting with peers. Wong emphasises the transformation of how education is viewed by both teachers and students as an essential component for flipped learning to be successfully implemented. Wong states flipped learning is “transformative learning” that will revolutionize education.

Analysis

Wong’s description of flipping the classroom connects with a number of topics we have covered this module. Wong describes flipped learning as a way for students to “create their own knowledge” and become “active participants” in their learning which connects directly to constructivism. Wong draws connections to Piaget and Vygotsky, founders of the constructivist theory, when he describes the 21st century skills demonstrated by students in a flipped learning classroom as students having a deep understanding of their learning by acting on their learning rather than simply “doing” the work. Piaget states learning does not take place when a student copies an idea, learning takes place when a student acts on an idea (Strayer, 2007). Strayer (2007) also discusses Vygotsky, the founder of social constructivism, by saying the focus of learning should be on the development of higher psychological function. Vygotsky’s theory is similar to cognitivists beliefs surrounding Bloom’s taxonomy. Cognitivists focus on teaching students how to learn and develop deep understanding of their learning, a critical component of flipped learning (Bates, 2015)

As Bates describes in his chapter on constructivism, learning is a “dynamic process” and “develops and becomes deeper over time.” Wong identifies with this when he describes flipped learning “transformative. Cope and Kalantzi’s (2016) affordance 1, ubiquitous learning, transcends learning out of the four walls of the classroom and allows learning to occur anywhere technology is available. Wong’s case study analysis of six schools proved ubiquitous learning is an essential component of flipped learning. What Bates describes “degrees of learning” and Cope and Kalantzi describe as “differentiated learning,” Wong observed in a Hong Kong classroom as students constructed tessellations on iPads, worked in groups and interact face-to-face. The heightened social interaction between peers in a flipped classroom exemplifies Vygotski’s learning theory whereas Khan Academy, an example of the technology-based lessons students receive at home, is very cognitive based and includes little to no social interaction.

Application

When considering implementing flipped learning in my own middle school science classroom and exploring additional resources offered through this course, three ideas come to mind. First, I need to be mindful that both myself and the students will need time to transform the way we view education. To aid in this transformation, I will seek out blogs and Google educator groups of educators who are also implementing flipped learning to get ideas and feedback. Second, I will provide many opportunities for students to work one-on-one with me and with their peers as the classroom transforms from teacher centered to student centered. FInally, I need to consider students access to internet at home and the time it takes to plan for a flipped classroom. Through each of these steps, I will consider releasing more and more control over the course, eventually acting as simply a guide as students actively work on interest-based projects. I need to release my worries of how such a ‘free-range’ classroom will be viewed by administration and take the dive into 21st century learning.

Reflection

My analysis of Wong’s case study, Flipped Classroom for 21st Century Education; A Transformative Learning Approach, revealed constructivist and cognitive learning theories underlie flipped learning. My experience as a classroom teacher defends my belief that instructional practices rooted in pedagogical theory produce higher success rates in students versus practices that a teacher may be ‘trying out.’ The transformative view Wong has on flipped learning is an excellent way to describe the combination of deep-rooted pedagogy and new-wave technology. The main use of technology in flipped learning, to watch instructional videos at home, is such an innovative and useful way to use technology. Not only does it give students the opportunity to review a lesson as many times as they need but it also frees up class time to focus on learning activities and projects that will encourage application and deep thinking. My take-away from case study 1 that I will apply to my course design project is to not just use technology in my teaching because it is the latest trend. I will design my course in such a way that my students and I will use technology to enhance learning, deepen thinking and make connections.