Combination - Online/Flipped/Ground-Based Classroom
Has anyone ever taught a combination online/ground-based/flipped classroom? I teach computer graphics and find the students just want to jump into the computer work without listening to any background lecture or explanations. My thoughts are to have the "lecture portion" online, and the computer lab work done in the classroom.
We use Blackboard, and I post the background material before the class. Students are responsibile for reading the material before they come into the classroom to work on the labs. But will they read the material and properly prepare? That is the question!
The flipped classroom will only work if the students will work with it...
I think that this is a good strategy for hands-on instruction. You will then be present to help them over any hurdles they may have. I suspect that you quickly see who has and has not prepared by reviewing the information in advance. This is a teaching opportunity that allows you to guide them back to the material that they should have reviewed. Once they learn that they are losing the benefit of your guidance during the assignment, at least some of them will work harder to prepare in advance. However, if you provide them simple answers they should have known if they had prepared, that will not happen.
