What's a Flipped Classroom?
If you’ve never heard of it, flipped classrooms might seem a little backward! But, of course, that’s the point. Flipped classrooms are considered a blended learning model where students interact with learning material and attempt activities before being lectured to or actively ‘taught’ the material. Think of it as reading ahead and bringing your questions to the class instead of having a lecture and then being assigned the reading afterward. This methodology is prevalent in liberal arts colleges but can be utilized for younger student's education, as well.
Flipped classrooms are not just about leaving students to struggle through homework on their own. The main priority is to free up classroom time for more hands-on and personalized learning. To be truly effective, flipped classrooms should expand beyond the classroom.
The broader scope of this teaching method is called flipped learning. Instead of spending classroom time teaching to the middle for generalized learning, the foundational basics are taken care of ahead of time. This allows students to work at their own pace rather than falling behind or speeding along. Teachers then have more time to work with each student, appropriately addressing their needs and providing additional learning opportunities to those excelling.
Starting Your Own Flipped Classroom
So, how do you do it? First, you need to FLIP it. Its an acronym of the pillars associated with the flipped classroom: Flexible learning environment, Learning culture, Intentional content, and Professional educator.
Flexible Learning Environment
This is pretty self-explanatory. If you have an overly rigid time frame for each activity, there will be no space for adjustments with the student’s needs, expectations, or the material to be covered. A flexible learning environment should adjust to the student’s pace rather than box them into a learning schedule. Imagine if you had to learn thirty minutes of audio material, but you’re a visual learner. It might not work out the way you or your teacher had envisioned.
Learning Culture
This addresses how the teacher and the students create a collaborative attitude toward learning as a whole. Ensuring students understand the importance of their learning processes and the underlying methodology will help smooth things over from a more traditional style. An appropriate flipped classroom learning culture emphasizes student participation with hands-on activities. It encourages them to dig deeper into subjects and explore their interests pertaining to the material, which works well with interdisciplinary programs.
Intentional Content
Intentional content speaks to the activities and the material the students should and will be engaging with. Each lesson is carefully crafted toward a lesson or learning goal. Of course, there will be room for adjustments, but having an end goal will keep the learning paths on the right course. Even though flipped classrooms are meant to be more student-led, it is critical to delivering important and meaningful content inside the designated curriculum. Again, the flipped classroom is intended to challenge students but not to the point where they give up. Content designed with this intent will keep the students on track with their learning culture and engagement in the process.
Professional Educators
Finally, a professional educator is critical to the success of these types of flipped learning programs. We all know teachers work incredibly hard, but this can sometimes be even harder. The meticulous attention to student educational needs can be tiring and challenging to keep up with (especially in larger classroom settings), but the results are well worth it. According to one study at the College of Westchester, “average grades increased, and...from a qualitative perspective, 94% of students responded that they liked this approach to learning and 72% indicated that this approach 'Helped [them] learn the material better'" (Walsh, 2014). Another study from Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology reported that the“research conducted by the nonprofit Flipped Learning Network of which Bergmann is a board member show[s] that 67 percent of flipped classrooms reported student test score improvement and 80 percent reported students’ attitudes improving” (Smith, 2019).
Ready to make the switch to flipped?
Here are some ideas on how to gradually introduce the concepts to students if you’re an educator, homeschooler, or parent.
Include your students. Make sure that students are aware of the change and why you want to make it. Let them voice concerns and ideas to make the transition more enjoyable for all of the participants. By being upfront, you can set the tone for the rest of the collaborative program. Rather than dictating to them, utilize the flipped classrooms’ value of including students in the learning culture you want to design.
Start small. Most of us don’t react well to too-lofty goals or cold-turkey transition strategies — students included. After you try the first lesson, listen to your students' reactions so you can appropriately plan for the next lesson or experiment. By allowing them to be involved, they can fully participate in their experience, and you can gather valuable intel on their interests, learning styles, and content delivery preferences. Cooperation is key!
Make expectations clear. Before you deliver the content and begin the process for a lesson, make sure students know what to expect. You should include time expectations (but allow for flexibility). Many students find rubrics helpful. They can track their progress and help you gauge your students’ progress as the learning unfolds. Some have a debrief after each lesson with their students.
All in all, the flipped classroom is a tool like any other. Utilize it as it works for you and your students. Forcing it will not make it work; only cooperation will. While a learning tool, a flipped classroom is a unique experience for educators and students with interaction and a common goal that unite both parties in the process. Flipped classrooms encourage active and exciting learning for everyone!
References
Smith, C. (2019, February 13). Spartan college sees results with curriculum overhaul. Tulsa
World. https://tulsaworld.com/businesshomepage1/spartan-college-sees-results-with-curriculum-overhaul/article_63bb830b-4c4e-5a19-ac74-aaf722385311.html.
Walsh, K. (2015, March 18). Flipped Learning Pilot Radically Reduces DFW Grade Rates in
Two Courses. Emerging Education Technologies. https://www.emergingedtech.com/2014/08/flipped-learning-pilot-reduces-dfw-grade-rates/.
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