Flipping Education

More and more we are hearing the term “flipped classroom” in mainstream conversation.  Many parents may have heard the term and know this is something that is happening in their child’s school; however, that may be as far as the knowledge or understanding goes.  So what IS the big deal about flipped classrooms?

What is it?
A flipped classroom simply refers to a pedagogical approach in which the traditional lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed.  Instead of spending class time listening to a lecture and doing homework at home (the traditional approach), students in a flipped classroom listen to or watch a recorded lecture at home before the class session.  Class time, then, is devoted to practice (what we used to call homework), projects, or discussions. 

Why is it valuable?

In a traditional lecture, students often try to capture what is being said the instant the speaker says it.  They cannot stop to reflect upon what is being said, and they may miss significant points as they try to write down lecture notes.  The value of a flipped technique is the repurposing of class time from lecture to a workshop where students can ask questions, practice skills, discuss concepts, and interact with one another in hands-on activities. The instructor’s role has shifted from that of a lecturer to an advisor, coach, or guide. Instructors who can devote class time to analysis and application of ideas are more likely to detect errors in thinking or processing than instructors who are simply lecturing during class.

How does it work?

What does a typical flipped classroom look like?  There is no single model.  The term is widely used to identify any class structure where pre-recorded lectures are followed by in-class exercises.  Students might view multiple lectures of 5-7 minutes each.  Online quizzes or activities may be used to verify learning. Since these quizzes are typically graded immediately, the instant feedback allows students to rerun lecture segments in order to clarify points of confusion. This makes better use of a student’s time, allowing them to fast forward through content where understanding is clear or prior knowledge is high and repeat (or even slow down) areas of content that may be more complex or confusing. Theoretically, students can pause a recorded lecture as they take notes or work on a practice concept and then restart the lecture when they are ready to move on.  When students come to class, they might expect instructors to lead in-class discussions, organize students into work groups to solve a problem that several are struggling to understand, or turn the classroom into a studio where students can create, collaborate, and put into practice the concepts they learned at home.

What are the downsides?

The flipped classroom requires much more up front preparation time for the instructor than does a traditional approach.  Additionally, introducing a flip may require new skills for the instructor.  Students sometimes complain about the loss of face-to-face lectures.  These students may not initially appreciate the value of the hands-on classroom time, causing them to question what their tuition dollars are giving them that they could not have gotten by surfing the web. Those who see themselves as attending class to hear lectures might feel it is okay to skip a class that focuses on activities and might lose the true value of the flip. Finally, even where students embrace the idea of the flipped model, their equipment and access might not always support this technique.

What can parents do to help?

The flipped model provides a change in the role of students from being passive participants in the education process to being actively engaged in taking responsibility for their own learning.  Here are three ways parents can help:

1.       Make sure your child has access to the videos.  Many schools, such as Madison Academy, provide online platforms like Schoology for students to watch the videos, so a computer may not be necessary; however, a high-speed internet service will be required.  If you don’t have a fast internet connection at home, seek alternatives for your child, such as a public library or school computer lab.  Ask your child’s teacher for help.  Many times lectures can be downloaded to a DVD or thumb drive.

2.       Encourage your child to rewind or rewatch the videos as needed.  Encourage your learner to take notes on concepts that may be unclear, as the class time can be used to answer those questions. If possible, occasionally watch class videos with your child.  Doing so will help you understand more about what (and how) your child is learning.

3.       Communicate with your child’s teacher about how flipped learning is working in your home.  Your insights provide valuable feedback to teachers working with a flipped model.