Pedagogy versus flipped classroom, although it's is been proven to be the most effective way to maximize learning outcomes, there are some minor challenges on both the instructors and the students.
The preparation can very easy for those instructors with good experience and training in multimedia communication platform. The challenges come from the instructors who may have limited experience in preparing their electronic materials, like power point, audio dubbing and audiovisual recording. There are some steps that are needed to done before an instructor can make their flipped class materials online (.jpeg or tiff, mp4 or mp3, .mov or .mks, etc.) or at least on individual students flash drives. The operating system the student preferably uses or own i.e. Windows to Mac can also be challenge because it requires another conversion of your materials so that they are playable with these two popular operating systems. In short, the technical challenge…but, it’s doable!
Second is the paradigm shift or the materiel delivery and presentation from pedagogy to flipped class requires adjustment stage. After a week or two after switching from the traditional to the flipped class room, you’ll find out that the more laid back students are participating and the whole class will be fully and openly interactive – a very fine, exciting and enjoyable to watch. I also learn a lot from my students!
The bright is, most students now (young, middle adult or the fifty pluses are now getting very more accustomed with electronic communications and technology now are more advanced that almost anything that you need help on to get your materials online can be found I the internet - you just have to search or find them. This takes some time but once the instructor will get acquainted with them, use them frequently and repetitively, they will become easier to use and their productivity in preparing for online flipped class materials will be easier.
I got lucky that when the idea of flipped classroom became evident to me and actually been proven as a tool and strategy to maximize my students learning outcomes, it became a practice to me to dub audios on my power points. On Saturdays, I would be playing my PowerPoint slides and at the same time recording my voice/audio in my home office. I process or encode the materials for online upload. The students will then play the uploaded flipped material online, in their home, mobile devices, on their stereo cars to the school campus, etc. So when the class meets at the classroom, all if not most of them have already listened, understood and even analyzed the material already. The class will begin with discussion immediately, fully interactive and I, the instructor, just facilitate and guide them as the classroom discussions progress.
It's actually very interesting the number of perspectives and angles and positions the students have during this discussions. It's like the topic scheduled is being dissected into every cell in front of the whole class.
I've been using flipped classroom since then and I am getting better in the electronic platform, applications and hardware to help me get my materials available to the students via online and other media.
Now, "lecturing"(pedagogy) on the first 20-30 minutes of the class then discussion is now a history to me. Class starts immediately with discussions about the subject because they have already listened, read or analyzed the topic before coming in to the classroom.
I have been a flipped instructor since 2011.
Pilar,
Clear expectations are key. I do believe that active student participation truly does lead to higher levels of learning. Just lecturing will give them the information they need to pass the test - if the test is based only on your lectures. However, I'm not sure how much the student can actually put into practice because they have simply memorized what they need for the test. This is not learning. This is teaching to the test. I applaud your desire to make these changes.
Dr. Moody Crews
Shara,
Good points. This flexibility to review material over and consider key components certainly does lead to more critical thinking and a deeper understanding of the material.
Dr. Moody Crews
Diane,
True. Think deeper about "How" this student led learning takes place in the flipped classroom as opposed to the traditional classroom setting.
Dr. Moody Crews
Leslie ,
Excellent points. The idea of going beyond basic lecture into deeper learning should be the goal of all classroom instruction. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.
Dr. Moody Crews
Kimberlee,
Very good points. I agree.
Dr. Moody Crews
Tina,
All very true. I think self-directed learning is an opportunity for those students who are dedicated and really want to learn rather than the student who just wants to earn the credits for the class. It's not for everyone but I do believe even the traditional classroom instructor is going to have to determine how to implement the components in the traditional classroom setting.
Dr. Moody Crews
For my classes, since the core content of my curriculum is technical by nature, flipping the classroom would make so much more sense in that I would not need to do so much talking to introduce the material. I would, however need to make my expectations clear to the students, that they must prepare by participating in the lectures before class, so that when they arrive in class we could put into practice what they learned in the lectures. I have been toying with the idea of flipping my classroom and making the student have a more active role in their education, the majority of the students do not do their assigned readings and just wait for my lecture, and complain when they see something on a test that was in the reading but not necessarily touched on in the lecture. I am so ready to start flipping my classroom, but the few times I have mentioned it to my DOE, he has given me some push back and I have hesitated.
Sherry ,
Excellent points. One of the major issues facing instructors is how to get students to read the material and actually prepare prior to class in order to be engaged in the class discussion.
Dr. Moody Crews
Brandi,
I agree that the flexibility of the flipped classroom does indeed embrace critical thinking. I would say that the traditional classroom does not have to be outdated and lacking engagement if the instructor does it right. By doing it right I mean bringing in all the components of new learning styles - technology, etc. Unfortunately, many instructors do not do this which does lead to outdated modes of instruction and the lack of student engagement.
Dr. Moody Crews
LE,
Very good points. I agree that understanding how to work with the material is of utmost importance. Just being introduced to the material really doesn't tell the instructor much about the student's understanding and ability to use the material.
Dr. Moody Crews
The student becomes more resoponsible for their learning, hhaving to watch the presentations outside of class. However, this gives them the fexability of viewing over and over that which they do not understand. The learning in the classroom is increased, not have to go over the lecture. Also, time is not wasted going over material several times for those who don't understand, as they have spent time at home learning.
Erica,
You bring up good points. We have a variety of students and focusing on more of a student centered learning environment is new to many instructors. Thanks for your input.
Dr. Moody Crews
Flipped classrooms work. Many grad schools use this method. It makes the student responsible for learning and teaching themselves the content with instructor help!
The information is attained by the student via technology outside of class rather than sitting through a lecture in class. I this way, students need to seek the information out as opposed to having it handed to them in class. This allows more class time to be devoted to more focused learning such as how well they understood the information. Or perhaps to spend more time on the difficult content.
Leslie Morgan
I find that students are often unprepared for class by not reading the assigned chapters. They rely on the instructors to "feed" the information to them instead of learning it themselves. By using a Flipped classroom setting, the students may be more prepared and engaged in their learning. They may find it more exciting than what can become a boring F2F lecture. The Flipped classroom probably addresses more learning styles also.
The greatest difference between traditional pedagogy and the flipped classroom is the type of expectations of the student prior to attending class. Traditional pedagogy requires students to read the book and perhaps use resources offered by the publisher to supplement the reading in an effort to have an "basic understanding" of content prior to attending class. With the flipped classroom, the expectation of the student is far greater. The student is expected to come to class with a working knowledge of course content that will be "used" is class activities. The flipped classroom expects self-directed learning whereby the student will get out of it what is put in.
I think one primary difference is that students come to class prepared to discuss and the material. In a traditional lecture approach, students often do not take an active role prior to or during class periods. I really like the flipped classroom as it provides students with opportunities to be introduced to the material at their own pace, formulate questions and make connections prior to classroom sessions. Classroom time can be used to provide students with opportunities to discuss what they have learned and to problem solve through challenges.
I think one of the biggest differences between traditional teaching styles and the flipped classroom is the embrace of flexible and critical thinking in the flipped classroom. When I think of the days of the past whereas students sat in aligned rows and raised their hands and answered questions only when called on, I think of traditional learning and pedagogy. But the today's generation of students do not receive information that way. They are used to information being fed to them from any and every array of life and mostly coming from some type of computer device. If it is not interactive or Internet/computer based, in some way, form or fashion, it is traditional, outdated and lacking engagement. The flipped classroom,is exactly that! A classroom flipped upside down. The work happens in class and the lecture happens at home. Student have time to accept the information, allow it to marinate and then discuss it in some engaged setting, where it can be called flipped.
In the traditional approach we often lecture to fill in the blanks where students have not prepared for the course by reading. I see the Flipped class as an extension of the work to get students to prepare adequately for classes. By recording lectures and making them available in an "anytime" format we make the student preparation easier. However, we will still face the challenge of engaging students in the classroom who have not done the preparatory work. This will limit the effectiveness of many types of exercises that could be used in the classroom. I really like the idea of having a classroom that is dedicated to working with the material rather than introducing the material. This should provide a much richer learning opportunity for students since more time is available to explore the material that they should already know from outside preparation.
