"It's not just another buzzword," said ASSETT聽Teaching with Technology Consultant Jacie聽Moriyama.聽 She and ASSETT's other Teaching with Technology Consultants Amanda McAndrew and Nigora Azimova introduced and led three full day workshops about聽flipped learning classrooms this spring.聽聽 More than 20 CU Boulder instructors attended聽to聽learn about pedagogy in which students watch recorded lectures for homework and then spend class time collaborating with one another in critical thinking activities. 聽The instructors who attended represented a variety of departments, including Psychology, Neuroscience, foreign language, Theater and Dance,聽and more.
Teaching and Learning Consultants Amanda McAndrew (right) and Jacie Moriyama (left) Lead Three Flipped Learning Workshops for CU Instructors this Summer
Moriyama explained to the participants that the flipped classroom method has been used for a long time without necessarily the 'flipped' name. 聽The Teaching and Learning Consultants said that in a flipped classroom, there is potential for more personalized learning聽and for聽increased interaction. 聽Moriyama cited various studies that have found success with increased active learning in the classroom, including drops in failures聽rates with increased attendance, student retention, Grade Point Averages, and graduation rates.
Addressing Instructors' and 麻豆淫院' Apprehensions with Flipped Classroom Pedagogy
Instructors who attended the workshop聽asked about how to apply flipped learning pedagogy to large classes, especially those with stadium style seating. 聽Teaching and Learning Consultants suggested asking students to swivel in their seats to talk to their peers聽and also giving聽bigger roles to聽TAs to help guide small group activities. 聽Instructors also expressed concern with managing class time while conducting whole group discussion in classes of聽more than 60 students. 聽McAndrew suggested utilizing technology to help--small groups of students could each submit their solution to a聽problem online to a free group discussion website like . 聽That way, student groups would still be held聽accountable for their work, but whole class discussion wouldn't take up too much class time. 聽Moriyama聽explained that when implementing this new pedagogy, professors should consider making a schedule for in-class time to stay on task.
Additionally, instructors who attended聽the workshop pointed out the new聽challenges that the flipped classroom pedagogy聽would present--asking students to learn how to use even more technology, even though聽students have聽already demonstrated apprehension with learning to use new technology for class. 聽One professor suggested spending class time at the beginning of the year making聽sure students know how to use any technology needed for class. 聽She suggested streamlining D2L course pages: "The fewer clicks, the better," she said.
ASSETT Teaching and Learning Consultant Jacie Moriyama Leads Flipped Classroom Workshoop
Another instructor mentioned that she is hesitant to incorporate a flipped classroom when she already encounters difficulty in motivating her students to do homework needed to participate effectively in class. 聽She聽said that she has found that many聽students expect her聽to teach the material that they should have spent time learning before class. 聽The instructor wondered how she could plan a class based on students watching video lectures prior to class. 聽Another professor responded that she had had success with designing Voicethread tutorials that are focused聽and short for students to watch at home. 聽McAndrew recommended that instructors hold聽students to high standards in these situations so that students will be rewarded for doing their homework. 聽In a flipped classroom environment,聽students should be ready to come to class to talk.
At the same time, the Teaching and Learning Consultants聽stressed that the flipped classroom method won't work with every professor, in every classroom, or in every course. 聽Sometimes, incorporating whole group or small group discussion into certain classrooms or buildings just won't work. 聽Other聽times,聽a professor most effectively teaches students with in-class lectures. 聽The ASSETT Teaching and Learning Consultants suggested that professors could consider flipping just a couple of class sessions for the entire semester. 聽Moriyama聽pointed out,聽"It takes courage [to flip your classroom], especially when you're faced with other demands...Your presence [in the classroom] will still be there, but you'll be interacting with students," instead of talking at them, as in a traditional lecture style class.
How Do I Flip聽My Class?
The Teaching and Learning Consultants suggested that instructors take the time at the beginning of the semester to explain to students why the method is chosen聽and state expectations of students and of the professor. 聽Moriyama suggested referring students to open educational resources to help explain concepts. 聽Additionally, instructors could assign self graded assessments and short quizzes on聽D2L for homework. 聽The ASSETT Teaching and Learning Consultants聽suggested that instructors give information聽to students up front聽about what the in-class activity will be. 聽Then, in class, instructors can lead students in applying聽higher level thinking skills to concepts.
Environmental Studies and Neuroscience Professors Attended ASSETT Spring 2014 Flipped Classroom Workshop
Instructors聽in the workshop received a guide with mock examples about flipped聽classrooms, and they spent time working alone and then in small groups brainstorming how they might flip just one lesson聽for their upcoming courses. 聽Moriyama suggested that instructors consider Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning when deciding which concepts students should study on their own online before class and which concepts the professor should cover in class. 聽An Environmental Studies professor聽who聽attended the workshop considered having students spend time at home learning about a particular controversy and visiting relevant stakeholder websites. 聽Then, in class, students would role play the various stakeholder groups that are involved in the controversy. 聽The professor said that this way, students would have the opportunity to do more than just memorize material but rather, they would learn to think for themselves.
