Mynelle Gardner
Dr. Stephanie Fells
August 1, 2021
OVERVIEW UNITS 4 & 5 Flipped Classroom – What I Learned
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The concept of flipped teaching was credited to two Colorado chemistry teachers, Jonathan Bergman, and Aaron Sams. Their idea was to create a learning environment that enhances their students learning and retention of information. They flipped the traditional way of teaching content to students. Their approach put the student at the center of the learning process. The approach was to let students access the basic content of the subject and lectures using technology, via computers, smart phones, tablets, etc. outside of their homes. Returning to the classroom with the basic information the students are ready to discuss the content or ask questions of what they did not understand. Students could work at their own pace and use the classroom time to further build the knowledge base through works on projects or discussion groups. This method allowed the instructor to meet the needs of the students who may not have understood a concept of the course and need additional assistance, while other students may move to projects or additional activities.
The Flipped Classroom is a very active learning environment. The students are fully engaged in their learning. Fei Deng, in his Literature Review of the Flipped classroom, defined Flipped Classroom as a pedagogical method in which students learn new knowledge through short videos, podcasts, e-books as well as internet outside class and consolidated what they acquire throughout classroom activities with the help of classmates or teachers. This definition lend to the concept that the difference between the Flipped Classroom and the Traditional Classroom is the roles of student and instructors in the learning process. The traditional classroom has in-class teaching and homework outside of the classroom. The Flipped Classroom the student does the “homework’ activities in the class and the content is done outside of the classroom. Zayapragassarzan and Kumar (2012) four strategies of active learning, as stated in the literature review: Benefits of “Flip” Teaching Techniques in the Environment Planning and Sustainability Classroom (Buckman, S.) are: 1) create individual activities (inside and out of the classroom); 2) incorporate student paired activities; 3) assign cooperative student projects. 4) encourage informal groups. Using these strategies allows for improved learning in the students as they develop their higher order of thinking. These activities engage the student fully in the learning process. They think more critically, while analyzing the content and how to work in groups with their peers. Learning in this manner enhances the student’s experiential learning. According to the literature review of Buckman, he reference Kolb’s concepts of Experiential Learning (1984): the students can experience learning, reflect on that experience conceptualization of the experience, and apply new ideas and new knowledge in a new experience.
Building a Successful Flipped Instruction
When an instructor plan to flip a class there are some things that must be taken into consideration:
- What class is to be flipped – determine where flipping would be most useful for course or with-in the subject.
- In class activities – provide activities that require students to apply what they are learning.
- What is the content students will engage in for preparation for class?
- Students must be prepared for this different method of learning – instruction must be given and understand concerning the differences in interaction.
Transforming a class takes time and commitment. Instructors always need to reflect on what works well and what does not and modified their courses or subject accordingly. Instructors will need to make clear the inside and outside learning and activities and adapt materials, so the students are able to access them in preparations for the classroom. Preparing students and provide activities to motive the students as their entering this new learning process.
Benefits of the Flipped Classroom
As observed in the video, flipped classroom has its advantages. In a flipped classroom teachers can come to know their students better and able to assistance them quicker. Students become more involved in their learning and can recall information more readily and analyze it, improving their critical thinking skills. It provides the student with the opportunity to reflect on their learning and how it is applicable in their real-life. Students can review material on their own schedule, the lesson is always online for them to review if need be. This allows for the student to be more focused on their learning as demonstrated in the group discussions and projects.
The Downsides of Flipped Learning
Flipped requires a great deal of time and effort from teachers. It may require more work for the instructor and the acquisition of new skills by them. It takes a lot of dedicated planning. The in class and out of class activities, lectures, videos requires instructors to carefully plan to integrate them into the course and motivate students.
Students may not have access to the technology and instructors will need to assist them in various ways to view the content lecture, presentation, videos. Instructors may have to allow them time in the classroom to view their assignment. Cost for some aspect of the process may be prohibitive and setting up a Web site may be difficult.
Conclusion
The Flipped classroom is not the magic wand to fix all the ills of the educational process, but it is a strong element in the learning process and a significant means of engaging students in their own learning. It can also lead to the development of more advanced technology that will aid in providing the Flipped Classroom with advances and equipment that enhances the students learning process.
Course Work On My Own Time
My Personal Reflection on What I learned
In my overview of the two units for this week I talked about the Flipped Classroom. I found this approach to be more adaptable to what I want to do in training caregivers for infants and toddlers. This population of students work during the day and have numerous duties to perform once the children are picked up. In addition, they have their own families and household responsibilities to take care of, their time is limited. I started working on how I could apply this approach to the course and provide in-depth content to aid them in caring and educating the children they serve.
The course I designed was one that would allow students to read their content on their own schedule after watching a PowerPoint or YouTube presentation to introduce them to the content; each unit has questions that helps them to stay focused on the content as they read through the reading assignments. Then, students will discuss the content with each other on the discussion board and write in their electronic daily journal. When they come to the classroom, they are prepared to work on group activities or unit projects. Also, in class they will have time to ask questions of the instructor to clarify content or receive feedback. In this approach students will spend more time in the classroom than in the enriched virtual blending model, which I had previously developed.
I could see this approach for students taking introductory courses in college. This would give them time to read the content outside the classroom, then do a project in the classroom and they will more than likely retain more of the content for the other courses they will eventually enroll in. Of course, you would have to sell the student on this approach because they are indoctrinated in the traditional way of receiving information. I personally like this mode of teaching because it engages the student in their own learning, and they can become effective critical thinkers and more apt in the higher order of learning. Through the in-class activities the students has the chance to demonstrate what they have learned, and the teacher is able to assess how they are retaining and using this new knowledge. The role I see for myself in this learning environment is a stimulator to learning, not a dispenser of knowledge.
References
- Fei Deng. (2019). Literature Review of the Flipped Classroom. Theory & Practice in Language Studies, 9(10), 1350–1356. Bergmann, J., & Sams, A. (2012).
- Buckman, Stephen, Davis, Jonathan, Gomez, Matthew, Mahid, Yousuf, Opejin, Adenike, Pijawka, K. David. Benefits of “Flip” Teaching Techniques in the Environm
- Snipes, P. R., & Slone, M. B. (2015). Successful flipped instruction. School Library Monthly, 31(6), 17-19.
- 7 Things You Should Know About Flipped Classrooms
Educative Trends In Distance Education 